Like so many new mothers, I needed a caregiver for my child when a friend suggested I do a background check by social security number online. At first, I thought this sounded a little paranoid but after giving it a little more thought, I decided nothing was too paranoid for my child. After all, every teacher in every state is required to go through a federal background check so why not my babysitter?

Collecting the Data for a Background Check by Social Security Number
When you are going to do a background check by a social security number, it is important to let all applicants know you plan to do this upfront. Otherwise, you will get some strange reactions. Therefore, I highly recommend stating this in your ad. Your applicants need to know ahead of time.

On your application, have a spot for your applicants to fill out their name first and last and their social security number. Write on the application that you will do a background check prior to hiring. While you do not need their permission, it is nice to let them know.

Conduct Preliminary Interviews before Running the Background Checks
I like to conduct interviews first to narrow down the pool of applicants. Once I have a few applicants in mind, I take the applications and run them through the background check to make sure nothing pops up.

Of course, this is up to you. If you only have a few applicants, you may wish to screen them first. Some people prefer to do the background checks first as not to waste time screening people that do not pass the background check. This is a personal choice.

Running the Background Checks with a Social Security Number
Whether you decide to do this before or after interview does not matter, the procedure is the same. You will need the social security number and the last name of the applicant. You will also need a credit card or a PayPal account. (PayPal is a safe way to pay for things online. All you need is a checking account and an e-mail address.) Once you enter the information, all you need to do is read the report. It really is that simple.

Since searching for background checks by social security number is so easy, there really is no reason not to check your childcare giver. Start conducting your own background checks by social security number today. Your child’s safety could very well depend on it.

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