Babysitting

There are no specific legal regulations around the use of sitters, however it would be undesirable to leave the care of children with a person under the age of fourteen (this is the age when a young person can be legally paid for work).

Parents are urged to assess their own situation.

If a sitter is under sixteen years of age, you should be aware that you take full responsibility should anything happen to the children left in the care of a sitter.

• Has the sitter done a babysitting programme?
• Have you discussed with your children, and, if they know the sitter personally, are they happy with your choice?
• Introduce the sitter to your children to see how they react to each other.
• Ask a potential babysitter to provide you with at least two people you would contact for a reference. These could include a parent who has used them previously, a college tutor or a teacher.