Reasons to Run a Consumer Credit Check on Your Nanny

Making the decision to hire a nanny can be one of the most critical decisions you can make for your family. The right nanny can be a blessing to a household, providing loving care for your children when you are not able to be there. Choosing the wrong nanny, however, can have potentially disastrous results.

When opting to hire a nanny, gathering information about the nanny can help you to make an educated and informed hiring decision. Parents want to hire a nanny that is trustworthy, reliable and dependable and has experience providing quality childcare. Verifying information presented on the job application, checking references and conducting a criminal background check can help parents learn more about the potential childcare provider.

Another tool parents can use to verify and gather information is a credit check. Using a credit check parents can not only view a nanny’s lines of credit and learn if the nanny any liens, defaults, judgments or bankruptcies against her, the information provided in the credit report allows the information the nanny provided on her application, such as her name, address and social security number, to be validated.

By checking a nanny’s credit report, parents can learn about the amount of debt a nanny has, if she makes late payments on accounts and other negative information regarding her credit. Some parents may be concerned that if a nanny has too much debt she may be under stress or tempted to steal money or possessions from the family’s home or ask for a wage advance.

For parents who believe a credit check is too intrusive, an ID Verification check can be done. This check includes all of the individual’s information on a credit report, including name and past addresses without viewing the financial data.

Many nannies balk at the idea of having their credit reviewed by a potential employer as it provides no indication into the quality of care the nanny provides.

A nanny consumer credit report can give you helpful insights into your nanny’s credit history and financial responsibility.

With a credit report parents can:

  1. Verify address history. Address history lets you see that your nanny meets any residency requirements you may have, and can confirm or fill in gaps in the information provided on the job application or resume. The addresses provided can help parents determine which states and counties to conduct criminal background checks in.
  2. Verify social security number. You will only be able to obtain the report with a valid social security number, so this lets you know your nanny is a U.S. citizen and has a legitimate number.
  3. Verify employment information.  Use a credit report to verify past employment history, including company, location and dates worked.
  4. See if liens are present. A consumer credit report will show you if there are any liens or judgments against your prospective nanny.
  5. Check for past bankruptcies.  For parents who value fiscal responsibility and equate it with responsibility in general, financial difficulties will be a red flag.
  6. Check the debt. Does your nanny carry a lot of debt? How does the overall debt level compare to the potential salary? Parents may be concerned a nanny will experience stress if she doesn’t earn enough to cover the bills.
  7. Look at the debt to credit ratio. Are credit lines maxed out? This may be an indication of serious financial trouble, which can be distracting or cause for serious concern later.
  8. Look at payment history and recent activity.  Many late payments or credit inquiries, especially recently, can indicate financial difficulty and possibly a desperate situation where your potential nanny is in over her head.
  9. Access information on a nanny’s fiscal responsibility. A clean credit history can help you determine that your potential nanny is a person who does what she says and keeps her commitments.  Credit reports can give you insights into your nanny’s lifestyle, personality and level of responsibility.
  10. Judge a nanny’s overall financial situation: You can use the information you find to get an idea of your potential nanny’s overall financial situation. If there are many red flags or concerns, they can help you choose between multiple candidates.

While the financial information found on a nanny’s consumer credit report should never be used as the most important basis for a hiring decision, it can help narrow the choices between many candidates and give you a better understanding of a nanny’s individual situation. Utilize the credit report as one of many tools to help you choose the right nanny for your family.

For more information on background screenings please review our Guide to Nanny Background Checks.