AyiConnect Staff, Jul 03, 2021
Are you looking to hire a Chinese Ayi to take care of your children and home? One of the most critical next steps before employing a Chinese Ayi is to run a background check. This background check guarantees that you employ a reliable individual who isn't associated with any wrongdoing and can't hurt your children.
Background checks have become standard procedures in the nanny industry, and every parent is expected to have background information on whoever they hire.
Let us go through the relevant guidelines for conducting background checks for your Chinese Ayi.
Confirm Identification Details
The first step in the background check is to confirm Ayi's identity. Ask for full name, driver's license, social security number, work permit, and passport number, especially if the Ayi doesn't have U.S. citizenship.
If possible, fill in the I-9 form alongside your nanny to find out if they are eligible to work. You can verify the details of the form using the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Check Criminal Records
Ensure that whichever agency conducts your background check goes through all criminal records for at least seven years prior. You can ask Ayi to give you details of the countries she has lived in in the past seven years so you can know whether to carry out a local, national, or international criminal search.
You can always run an international check if the Ayi has spent some of these years abroad, although a review like this can be viewed as overdone and is often stressful or time-consuming, depending on the country's laws. Many employers typically rely on the local US background checks and consider they are sufficient. That being said, it depends on your comfort level and your evaluation of the nanny.
The check should produce facts like arrest history, conviction, court records, incarcerations, etc., or it might come clean.
Child Neglect and Abuse Records
You can find child neglect and abuse records at the state's child protective services from one state to the next. Currently, 30 states in the United States allow employers to go through their offender registry, but some states might not. The laws differ from one state to the next, and it is vital to know whether a state's law allows you to screen your nanny for child neglect or abuse. If the Ayi is registered to work in a specific condition, you can find their details in that state's records.
Examine Driving Records
If Ayi will ever drive your kid to school, for an appointment, and for other activities, it is crucial to check her driving record. Contact the DMV office in every state where your nanny owned and used a driver's license and go through their records. Most papers will include violations, license suspensions, collisions, and convictions.
If you Ayi held a passport in China or another country, contact the DMV in that country or the country's embassy in the United States to inquire about their driving records.
Check the Sex Offender Registry
Sex offenses are now on the rise, so it is not out of place to conduct a sex offender investigation on your Chinese Ayi. If they are alone with your kids, you must ensure that they have no records of a sex offense in the United States or any other country they have worked or resided in.
The sex offender registry is open to the public in the United States and many other countries. Hence you can access the database and check.
Check References
Before you hire a Chinese Ayi, ask for a list of references that you can contact and ask about their past experiences working with the nanny.
Most professional nannies have a list of references, and they will often give details of the most recent or those references that had a good experience working with them.
Reach out to these references and ask questions about their experience with the Ayi you're interviewing. Make a list of your questions and keep the call short to avoid inconveniencing the person you're calling or ending the call without all the information you need.
Conclusion
There's no singular rule for an Ayi background check, and many agencies and security services provide different packages for their reviews. However, we have listed the most important ones which we believe will help you conduct a successful background check for your Chinese Ayi.
To learn more about how you can work with a helper without reference check, please check this article here: https://www.ayiconnection.com/blog/what-if-the-nanny-doesnt-have-references
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