Nanny background check: what it covers and how to run one fairly

A nanny background check is a review of a candidate's identity, criminal history, sex offender registry status, driving record, and references before you hire them. No federal law requires parents who hire directly to run one. It's still standard practice, and a professional nanny will expect it.

When you hire directly, you are the employer. In the Internal Revenue Service's household employer tax guide, a worker who babysits and does light housework in your home is your household employee. With no agency in the middle, the check is yours to run.

That puts you in control. You decide what to check, and you see every result yourself. The goal is a hire you trust, reached through a process that's fair to the nanny.

A background check is one part of knowing the whole person.

A check covers the essentials. It confirms who someone is and what's on file in court records and registries. That matters, and you should never skip it.

A clean record only tells you there's nothing on file. It can't show you how someone handles a hard afternoon, or whether your toddler lights up when they walk in. Those deeper qualities come out when you talk with someone and when you hear from the families they've worked for.

Good nanny vetting uses both. When you hire a nanny directly, you can read open profiles with no hidden identities and message nannies yourself. The records confirm the paperwork, and your conversations show you the person.

What a nanny background check includes.

Childcare.gov, from the Administration for Children and Families, explains that licensed child care background checks start with a national FBI criminal history check using fingerprints. Staff also get a national sex offender registry search. Each state they've lived in over the past 5 years checks its sex offender and child abuse and neglect registries too.

That standard is required of licensed programs. A family hiring a nanny privately can borrow it as a benchmark. Here's what a thorough check for your home can include.

Identity verification.

Start by confirming the candidate's legal name and date of birth. A Social Security number trace then surfaces past addresses, so every other search runs on the right person.

Criminal records.

A criminal background check searches court records for convictions. The address history from your identity check tells you which county and state courts to include, alongside a national search.

Sex offender registries.

The U.S. Department of Justice runs the National Sex Offender Public Website, a free national registry search. It's the only U.S. government site linking public state, territorial, and tribal registries, but it covers registries only, so treat it as one input.

Driving record.

If your nanny will drive your kids to school or practice, check their motor vehicle record. It shows whether their license is valid and lists past driving violations.

References and credentials.

Call former families and ask for specifics: dates, duties, a hard day they remember, and why the job ended. Then confirm current CPR and first aid certification, plus any other credential the nanny lists.

Free, low-cost, and comprehensive checks.

You have a few ways to run a nanny background check, and they differ in two ways that matter. One is how accurate the results are. The other is which legal steps you take on.

The legal line is simple. Once a screening company (a consumer reporting agency) prepares the report, the Fair Credit Reporting Act applies, and you follow the steps below. Your own registry searches and reference calls don't trigger those duties.

Many families combine options. A free registry search and reference calls early on can narrow your list, and a comprehensive check confirms your final choice.

How to run a nanny background check.

Here's how to do a background check on a nanny in five steps. If you use a screening company, the Fair Credit Reporting Act sets the order.

1. Tell every candidate early that you run a background check, so no one feels singled out.
2. Get written permission, using a standalone disclosure, before you order a report.
3. Run the check and call references while the report is in progress.
4. If something concerns you, send a pre-adverse action notice, wait, then decide.
5. Store the report securely, and dispose of it safely when you no longer need it.

You might say, "I run a background check on every finalist, and I'll ask for your written permission first." Asking everyone the same way keeps it fair. If a nanny gets defensive, have a calm conversation before you decide anything.

Steps two and four apply when a screening company prepares the report. The Federal Trade Commission's FTC guidance for employers says to get the applicant's written permission before you run the check. Before acting on it, share the report you relied on and "A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act."

The disclosure needs to be its own document. Keep it separate from your job offer or work agreement, so the nanny knows exactly what they're agreeing to.

Step five applies to families too. The Federal Trade Commission's FTC Disposal Rule guidance names individuals who get a credit report on prospective nannies among those who must follow the rule. Shred paper copies and delete digital files once you're done with them.

When a check turns up something.

A hit on a report starts a conversation. The first question is what the record actually is, because an arrest and a conviction mean different things.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission addresses this in its arrest and conviction guidance. It states that "the fact of an arrest does not establish that criminal conduct has occurred."

Title VII generally covers larger employers, so most households fall outside it. The guidance is still a fair standard to hold yourself to.

Next, look at how long ago it happened and whether it relates to caring for kids. An old record with no link to child care reads very differently from a recent one that does.

Then talk to the nanny. Reports can contain errors, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains the nanny's right to dispute errors, which companies must investigate free of charge. Give them the chance to explain or correct the record.

If you decide not to hire based on the report, finish the process. Send the adverse action notice after your waiting period, so the nanny hears your decision directly from you.

Hire someone you trust, with nothing hidden.

The hire you want is a nanny you know as a person, with a record you've checked yourself. A nanny background check and real conversations together give you that full picture.

Gathered Hands is built for families who want to hire a nanny directly. Profiles are open with no hidden identities, and you message nannies yourself. You pay a flat monthly fee with no placement fee, and we never take a cut of your nanny's pay.

Nannies can be open about checks, too. If you're a nanny, create your nanny profile and let families know you're glad to consent to a background check.

Ready to meet nannies directly? Get started.