Can you really trust your child's caretakers?

I stay at home too, I'm lucky that we can afford that! My son doesn't know how to say a lot of words (he's almost 2), so I fear that he wouldn't be able to tell me what's going on if he's in daycare. I also would report anyone that abuses children and would tell the parents, we as parents need to look out for each other!

i think it depends, when the caretaker is from the agency, i will trust her but not that full trust..of course, we dont know the attitude of the person, and it's really scary to have another housemate that is from outside..there are news reports that caretakers are the one whose abusing the kids and that's allarming..but not all..if i will get caretaker, it's the one that given by a friend or relative..

This is a very sad story, you were right to post it as the more awareness is raised about these issues the better. I think that CCTV should be in daycare/creche centres so that if anything does occur, there is less debate as to what exactly happened. More importantly, if people know they are on camera they will behave better. The only way I would leave my son (when he is a lot older) into such a place is if I trusted them implicitly and if they had an open door policy. Realistically, most parents have to use childcare from outside the family for at least some of the time they work - the industry needs to be monitored and regulated by the private and public sector and by parents. The more parents demand high standards, the more the standards will improve .

This story is terrible, I cannot hardly stomach these awful cases. I have to say I have never left my child at just any babysitters home. I have been a stay at home mom for two years now. I have rarelly left my child with family such as his grandmother's. I am very protective of my children, and am very cautious of whom I leave them with on the rare occations I need a sitter.

This is why I work days and my husband works nights, so we don't have to send our son to daycare. Most of the people I know have family members that keep their kids, but since I don't have family members I can trust either, that's our solution. We did leave our son with a very trusted friend for the first time last week, but that's the first time we've really done so. I'm terrified of being in a situation where I have to send my son to daycare. Of course I would do all the research I could to find out about the place first, but obviously even that isn't a guarantee. This poor child, and the poor parents.

I am so picky about who I let watch my son. I worked pretty close to full time until he was 6 months old. My husband and I worked opposite shifts, so it worked out great. Then they moved my husband back to days. I cut back on my days at work, and had my neighbor watch my son. I trusted her completely. She was a stay at home mom, and her boys loved having my baby there. She always told us how many wet and dirty diapers he had, how much he ate, if he started doing anything new, if one of the other boys hit him (it only happened twice. Her younger one was only 2, so sometimes he was jealous), etc. She was very good. Sadly, she moved in October. I had to take my son to one other babysitter one time. It was someone that my husband's coworker uses. I was a nervous wreck the entire time. When I called her, she told me I didn't need to call because it interupted their day. As soon as it slowed down a little bit at my work, I left early and went and picked him up. I probably won't ever put him in another daycare, if there is any way at all I can avoid it. Now I stay home with him full time. It means he gets less stuff, but he still has all of his basic needs met. We are all a lot happier.

That is awful. Yes I do trust my children's caregiver because that is me. I didn't think I would trust anyone else. I was afraid that I would always have doubts in the back of my mind about what was going on and didn't want to wrongly accuse anyone. I care for other people's children in my home. I think I do a good job. People are very trusting. Not like me. I agree with the person that recommended background checks, open door policies, and talking with the neighbors. Good sitters won't object to those things.

This is a big thing I've got. Of course right now I don't have children but it's been a major topic of mine and my hubby's when we discuss kids. I have major trust issues anyway and that coupled with all these horror stories makes me never to want to place my kids in a daycare and I'd be very selective (family or no) about who I would leave my child with. As funny as it is we've decided that if we're ever granted the privaliage of being parents then I am going to stay home and watch a few kids in our home instead.

Honestly I make surprised visits to the daycare in the middle of the day, during nap time during meal times, I want to see everything. The first time I dropped by and found that my daughter was getting limited fluids because they didn't want her to have an accident I starting shopping for a new school.

I know you are true we can not leave our children with maids. Now when we heard the bad cases about them we can not trust anymore. You can keep the maid but one should be in your house to see her. Otherwise it is better to keep them in good cruch.

I feel very blessed that I was able to work from home with two of my three children. My eldest was in daycare because I was still in school when he was born. Especially when children are too young to tell you about their day, it's so scary to think of what has happened to some children in daycares. When we need a sitter now, I turn to my family & close friends. People I know very well and who I know treat my children as well as I do.

That just horrifies me to hear stories like that. It is becoming increasingly popular in my area for child care centers to have cameras in each room and the parents have access to view the room online at all times. I am blessed to be at home with my child, but if I found it necessary to place him in child care I would definitely find one with these cameras. I would also make drop in visits. I hate to hear that the neighbors knew things and didn't notify someone. We all have to remember that these are children who can't speak for themselves. Even if they speak they often do not have the words to say what is happening or the knowledge to know that it is not right. We as adults have to step in when in comes to the well being of a child.

Both of my sons are grown but it did use to worry me when they were younger. I didn't like to use outside help to care for my children. My fiancee has three young children. She refuses to use outside help because she doesn't feel that she can trust anyone. Her foster son came home one day with a large hand print on his leg. So she feels that it is safer to leave her children in her mothers care. Her mother never abused her as a child so she figures they are the safest there.

NO I cant not trust anyone with my kids. Which is why I do not work I sstay at home with my kids. The only people I will ever leave my kids with is my ar my husbands family.

It is easy for them to hurt them especially the little ones that cannot really talk good yet. And the other ones are scared into not talking about the abuse. I think they should keep a closer eye on daycare centers maybe make them have cameras installed at all places so they know they are being watched and cannot hurt the children they also need stress testing done people who hit and ask questions later have no business watching kids. They need a calma nd understanding person who doesn't harm children. Something needs to be done and done now before it gets worse.

This is a very sad story, you were right to post it as the more awareness is raised about these issues the better. I think that CCTV should be in daycare/creche centres so that if anything does occur, there is less debate as to what exactly happened. More importantly, if people know they are on camera they will behave better. The only way I would leave my son (when he is a lot older) into such a place is if I trusted them implicitly and if they had an open door policy. Realistically, most parents have to use childcare from outside the family for at least some of the time they work - the industry needs to be monitored and regulated by the private and public sector and by parents. The more parents demand high standards, the more the standards will improve .

I am a stay at home mom and I've been trying to go back to work. I refuse to put my son in daycare. I don't trust people I don't know to care for my child. How do I know for sure that they are good people who won't shake him or do other horrible things to him? I consider myself lucky that when I do go back to work, my best friend is a stay at home mom who I know I can trust to take good care of my baby boy.

It's very hard to trust people I admit.That's why so people have gotten the Nanny camara's.

we can't just trust some one any way. but if we have a child and we don't have time to care him/her so we have to choose the option. if we wanna get a trusted babysitter just ask to a friend who is experient having a trusted babysitter.

I have the same worry with you. Caretakers are also people, they also may get annoyed by naughty kids. If they had bad temper, bad news may come.