Would u trust your 1 month old with a babysitter off of craigslist if u are desperate?

Question

so i am a single mom...and plan to return to work but cant quite afford daycare for the least amount of time that they offer...family or friends can't quite help either (nor can the father)...so what would u do? find 1 on craigslist?

Answer 1

I agree. It doesn't matter where you find her. Meet her, see if she has good experience, don't hire her if you don't trust her. Where else would people advertise childcare? why not on craigslist. It's faster and more efficient

Answer 2

Oh gosh, no!  There has to be another option.  That's one of the hardest things you'll ever have to do (find good alternate care) in those early parenting days and will be a HUGE factor in baby's development.  I wish you the very best of luck.

Answer 3

h**l no!

try an in home daycare and check it out before hand. know the childcare provider, make sure s/he has a valid license and that it is visibly displayed in the home, background and moral beliefs, teacher to child ratio, and etc. never let just anyone keep your kid. there are some crazy *** ppl out there and  your baby cannot be replaced. h**l google child care in your area and check them all out!

Answer 4

No way! thats a good way to get a baby kidnapped.Try to find a neighbor or a friend who can help.

Good Luck!

Answer 5

You must be crazy!  Why didn't you think about this problem before you got pregnant?    Put your baby up for adoption so it can have a family with 2 parents that can raise it properly.  There are many married couples desperate to adopt a baby.  How irresponsible can you be!

Answer 6

There must be some type of referral service you can contact, which will give you a list of day care sitters that are licensed. Once you make contact by phone, do a drop in and check the place out. You can never just trust someone you don't know. You should also speak with parents that have their children there and get their take on how they feel about the provider, the place, the help, if there is any. Do your homework before selecting a provider. Also, go to parents.com, they can give you helpful tips and information to make a wise choice.

Answer 7

I honestly wouldn't be to comfortable with the idea, but if you have to you have to.  I would however, maybe hide a camcorder somewhere in the house where you think they will be spending the most time.  Just to make sure, you know.  Specially now a days.

Answer 8

If i had absolutely no other options, I wouldn't find one on craigslist, but i'd try to get recommendations from friends or coworkers first. Then I'd look in my local newspaper to see if there are any ads...whoever I chose, I would want references and experience. I'd definitely have to have a good vibe from the person.

Answer 9

NO!Do you know that person?No!You could get rippe offed or god forbid something bad could happen to your child!I would see a friend,family member or even look to see if a neighborhood kid can watch but it is way to dangerous to trust somebody you do not even know to watch your child!

Answer 10

oh, single mom. I feel for you.  I don't know why everyone is scared of craigslist. It's like the newspaper. You jsut have to check reference and aske questions. But, It is a last resort.

Did you check a church daycare? They are usually way cheaper. Even if it's not your religion it won't matter until your child is older. Or, ask people you know. Do you go to church at all? You could ask there or just call one and explain your situation and see what they say.

I remember finding a referral service for my county in the phone book too but they were'nt checked in any way.

Could family or friends help ifyou worked odd hours? like a 3-11 shift maybe? I'm just brainstorming for you because your probably overwhelmed right now.

Good luck!

Answer 11

It really doesnt matter if you find her in craiglist or wherever, you have to make sure she is qualified, has experience with babies, she has the right qualifications and certifications and you get a great vibe from her.Honestly though I do not think that a very qualified babysitter will accept a job from a single mother that wont pay her what a job like that deserves, so I think your best bet is a nice teeneger or a stay at home mom that will watch her kids and yours at the same time.

Answer 12

Are you serious? I'd go on welfare before I'd hire some stranger from that place...please tell me you're joking? You should have thought about all this before you had a child. What is this world coming to?!

Answer 13

I wouldn't, but I'm also paranoid about everything. I would either go with someone I know, or pay someone I know is qualified.

Answer 14

Personally, I wouldn't! I would go with a friend or neighbor or someone I knew before that...

Answer 15

That's a tough one.

I would look around for a licensed family daycare in the area. I would use craigslist for an occasional babysitter, but not for a regular nanny. There are other websites and organizations that can help search for accredited nannies w/ background checks. Try www.sittercity.com .A nanny might actually cost the same as the daycare even for fewer hours than the daycare wants a contract for. In Boston, they're running 12-15 dollars/hr.

Best wishes for you and your baby!

Answer 16

What about a responsible teenager in your neighborhood? I use to babysit in the summers. Maybe you should get child support from the father if he says he cant help? I wouldnt trust anyone on craigslist-I almost got scammed on there myself.

Answer 17

I would ask around... people you know who have children. Find out who they may know that does childcare.

If you should go through craigslist...

make sure you have a list of questions to ask about how they care/provide for an infant. Also request that they provide a copy of their criminal history. Ask if they are willing to do a drug test.

Also since you are a single mother... trying to work. I can't see why health and human services wouldn't provide you with childcare assistance if you applied.

Answer 18

I wouldn't go with Craigslist, I do know people that have had good luck on Craigslist, finding nanny's. But, I wouldn't.

I sugguest care.com, 4nannies.com, and/or nannies4hire.com

BE SURE You do your own background check on anyone you hire. You can do them on-line, or go to you local police station and have them run a background check. There is a lot more information on the web pages listed about, about how to hire a safe sitter.