Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Who's Watching Your Kids?

KXAN.com - Who's Watching Your Kids?: "Chances are, when you welcome a baby sitter into your home, the last thing you think to ask is whether they've committed a crime or have frequented teen sex parties.

KXAN NBC Austin's Julie Shields puts herself in a parent's shoes to find the best ways to really know who's watching the kids.

DWI, credit card theft, forgery and even assault. They're all crimes committed by people who want to watch your kids.

Often, parents never even have a clue.

'Horrified. Just horrified because you're trusting them with the single most important thing to you,' mother Becky Perry King said.

King relies on the occasional baby sitter to watch little Lindsey.

'We've been really lucky to find really good baby sitters,' King said.

She doesn't just go by childcare track record. She wants a criminal background check.

'They're coming into your home, so not only are you trusting them with your child, you're trusting them with very personal information, like your social security numbers, check numbers and credit card numbers,' King said.

Wendy Petersen, a licensed investigator and co-founder of the Mom's Best Friend Agency, does extensive background checks on applicants. She's uncovered credit card abuse, forgery and assault.

'We also dig deep. If we have any questions, we've been known to check"

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