Would You Allow a Potential Clown Run a Background?

[Unregistered]

I had some one ask for references which is no big deal but then ask how many openings do I have then ask if she can background check me. I told her I have been background checked by the state as well as finger printed. How would you feel about it? I should have said sure I'll need to do one on you as well.

[hope]

I wait until I decide if i will take on the family before I allow for a personal check.

[Josiegirl]

Potential clown? Hope you were trying for humor cause if not, that's not a good way to start any working relationship.

To answer your question, I've never had anyone ask and that kind of surprises me really. They're leaving their most precious valuable belonging in the whole wide world with me for 8-10 hours a day; if they don't have a clue who I am(as in being referred by friends, etc.)I could be anyone. If they did ask, I'd sure sure, go for it. Now if I had something to hide....

Besides, aren't there places you can go online and get lots of personal information on someone if you want to pay for it anyways?

[Blackcat31]

I too get a background check when I applied for a license and with relicensing each year.

However if I had an interested client wanting to run a background check on me I would have no issue with that as long as they were footing the bill and if it allowed me to provide my info confidentially.

They are leaving their child with you so it is their right to be cautious.

[Unregistered]

I would give them my license department's phone number. They can ask about my record as well as my background check.

[LysesKids]

I had a mom ask to do a background check, but she also wanted to do a credit check and wouldn't allow me to give info confidentiality ( friend of the family running search) - Hell No.

First off you don't need to know my credit background and my prints were on file with the state, plus I had a current passport issued after 9/11 - as someone who use to do background checks/skip tracing, I am leery of most places (I know a few good ones, but it takes over 48 hrs for anything to come back unlike a lot of the garbage sites online). Turns out the mom was a certified psycho who was letting her mom run the show and ended up causing the nanny she hired to land in jail under false accusations (nanny was cleared).

[Unregistered]

Sorry I meant to type client not clown. I don't think I will take her on as a client it's none of her business how many openings I have. I have never been asked about doing a background check by a client before so it sort of threw me off

[Blackcat31]

Sorry I meant to type client not clown. I don't think I will take her on as a client it's none of her business how many openings I have. I have never been asked about doing a background check by a client before so it sort of threw me off

I think parents ask about available openings because they are seeking providers that either don't have high turn over (full spaces) or have lots of turn over (lots of space open) or maybe they want a small group of kids and don't want a provider that has a large group of kids or maybe they are searching for daycare, hope to find one and then share with a friend.....

There are lots of reasons I think a parent would ask how many openings you have....

I also don't think a lot of parents understand licensing regulations and how our adult/child ratios work so the best way to get into a conversation about that is by asking how many spaces you have open.

Depending on what the parent may be looking for, open spaces or no open spaces....it just might be the right fit. You never know.

IME, don't ever write a client off because of the questions they ask. Unless of course they are so far out there that it's obvious they are whack-o's.... ::

I try to save assigning red flags until after I talk with them a bit more or until after I actual meet them.

[Starburst]

I had a mom ask to do a background check, but she also wanted to do a credit check and wouldn't allow me to give info confidentiality ( friend of the family running search) - Hell No.

First off you don't need to know my credit background and my prints were on file with the state, plus I had a current passport issued after 9/11 - as someone who use to do background checks/skip tracing, I am leery of most places (I know a few good ones, but it takes over 48 hrs for anything to come back unlike a lot of the garbage sites online). Turns out the mom was a certified psycho who was letting her mom run the show and ended up causing the nanny she hired to land in jail under false accusations (nanny was cleared).

Wow. That was actually the first thing that popped in my head when I read this thread; that the mom might be trying to steal personal information (especially if she needs your social security number).

To address the original question: I would probably give her the information she needs to get your official background check from your local agency and maybe look into having a background check on care.com (usually good for a year can cost between $50-$100 depending on what kind you get).

If after that she is too persistent about conducting her own personal check (since a state/federal fingerprint and background check apparently isn't enough for her) and ask for personal information, I would be cautious. Not only could it be a sign that she could be a potential identity thief but it could also be a sign that she is overly protective and paranoid; which is understandable for parents, but only to a certain extent and could cause problems later (high expectations, allegations, etc.).

[Josiegirl]

Sorry I meant to type client not clown. I don't think I will take her on as a client it's none of her business how many openings I have. I have never been asked about doing a background check by a client before so it sort of threw me off

Oops

[LysesKids]

Wow. That was actually the first thing that popped in my head when I read this thread; that the mom might be trying to steal personal information (especially if she needs your social security number).

To address the original question: I would probably give her the information she needs to get your official background check from your local agency and maybe look into having a background check on care.com (usually good for a year can cost between $50-$100 depending on what kind you get).

If after that she is too persistent about conducting her own personal check (since a state/federal fingerprint and background check apparently isn't enough for her) and ask for personal information, I would be cautious. Not only could it be a sign that she could be a potential identity thief but it could also be a sign that she is overly protective and paranoid; which is understandable for parents, but only to a certain extent and could cause problems later (high expectations, allegations, etc.).

If the states background & fingerprints aren't good enough, then I will pass on the family... Hell to get a passport now takes having a perfect background; the feds check everything. Just redid the passport 2 weeks ago