A recent study shows that grandmothers who baby sit regularly may be sacrificing their health to do so. The study focused on women who spent at least 9 hours per week babysitting, and found that they were at greater risk of heart attack than women who did little or no ... continue reading

Wisconsin Governor Foley signed a bill for Wisconsin’s new Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) prevention legislation on March 21, 2006, as the sponsor, State Senator Julie Lassa, looked on.

The measure under the Wisconsin babysitting laws implements the hospital-based SBS prevention program for new parents developed at the Children’s Hospital ... continue reading

 Babysitters and nannies are not regulated under state or national law. A Wheeling, West Virginia woman was recently shocked to find that the woman she had hired to provide after school care for her two sons was a convicted sex offender. Fortunately, the woman realized her mistake before any damage ... continue reading

A three-and-a-half-year-old Washington boy was revived recently after being pulled from the bottom of a hot tub by his babysitter. Sheriff Deputies arrived soon after the boy was revived; they determined that no crime had been committed.

Deputies responded to the Lakes Apartments after a call to 911 reported ... continue reading

The SKIPPER initiative is a program to educate teens and other caregivers on the dangers of Shaken Baby Syndrome under the Virginia babysitting laws. SKIPPER stands for Shaking Kills: Instead Parents Please Educate and Remember. The program is named after George “Skipper” Lithco, an eleven-month-old who died on December 3, ... continue reading

There are no limitations on the age of sitters under the Vermont babysitting laws. Adolescents as young as 11 years old often advertise as babysitters, although most experts recommend that no one under the age of 13 be left alone with children. The general rule is that older sitters should ... continue reading

Most parents are painfully aware that we live in a violent society. This is never truer than when we are trying to locate a responsible, caring person to watch our children. It seems almost every day we hear a news story about a child injured or even killed by a ... continue reading

Babysitting is a popular for young teens to earn extra money while getting a taste of entrepreneurship.

Under the Texas babysitting laws, there is no minimum age to start babysitting. In many areas, teens as young as 11 baby sit. In general, younger teens should start by caring for ... continue reading

A recent report by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is reassuring for parents. With several stories about abuse or even murder of young children by childcare providers, many parents are understandably wary of allowing a stranger to watch their children.

According to ... continue reading

With so much crime and violence in the news today, many parents are tempted to install “Nanny Cams” or other devices to monitor babysitters. South Dakota is one of 13 states in which it is illegal to install hidden cameras in private residences. Parents who want to use a camera ... continue reading

What would you do if you were an 11-year-old girl babysitting your 8-year-old brother when he began to choke? If you were like Lindsay Carroll, you would know exactly what to do.

Lindsay’s brother, Michael Carroll, was throwing dry cereal in the air and trying to catch it in ... continue reading

Although teens of any age may legally baby sit under the Rhode Island babysitting laws, the minimum age for a babysitter should be at least 12 years old, according to the Waltham Fire Department. Younger children do not have the physical or emotional maturity to deal with many emergencies that ... continue reading

SKIPPER stands for Shaking Kills: Instead Parents Please Educate and Remember. The program is named after George “Skipper” Lithco, an eleven-month-old who died on December 3, 2000.

Skipper died from brain injuries he suffered when he was shaken by his day care provider. The woman, a fifty-one year old ... continue reading

An apartment fire in an 85-unit complex was put out safely on October 21, thanks in part to the quick thinking of a teenaged babysitter. Amanda C. was watching three children ages 4, 2 and 1 at about 6 pm when a fire broke out in the family’s apartment. Amanda ... continue reading

Safety is important in any situation, but doubly so for babysitters. According to the U.S. government, over 1.2 million teens baby sit every year. According to the Enid, Oklahoma fire department, fire safety is a big part of a babysitter’s job.

Although certification is not required under the Oklahoma ... continue reading

Ohio authorities are crediting a babysitter for rescuing a 7-year-old boy by reporting abuse under the Ohio babysitting laws. The boy is currently in Columbus Children’s Hospital, suffering from serious burns. The child’s father and the father’s girlfriend are accused of abusing him.

Investigators are giving credit to the ... continue reading

The North Dakota babysitting laws are in the news, with a Bismarck woman recently convicted of abuse. Twenty-two-year-old Erin Seehafer was sentenced to ten years in prison, for abusing a boy over a two-year period when she was his babysitter.

Authorities say the abuse happened between 2003 and last ... continue reading

The North Carolina AMBER Alert System was first used in June 2002 when a Franklin County infant was taken by her babysitter. A friend of the woman heard the NC CAN broadcast and the babysitter turned herself in and returned the child unharmed.

The AMBER alert system was established ... continue reading

Recent legislation sponsored by New York Assemblyman William Magnarelli and State Senator Nicholas Spano will require that high school students get ½ credit of parenting education before they graduate, including the opportunity to watch a video about prevention of Shaken Baby Syndrome.

The bill is part of a nationwide ... continue reading

A Riverhead, New Mexico jury recently convicted a babysitter of murder after she shook a baby in rage, causing the death of the infant. A jury found that Arelis Mora had shaken 5-month-old Jennifer Centeno on October 18 with so much force that the infant died instantly. The babysitter collapsed ... continue reading

Lauren Grossel is just 17, yet she’s exactly the kind of babysitter every parent dreams of. In March, Lauren was babysitting two young children in Fair Lawn, New Jersey when an electrical fire broke out. Thinking quickly, Lauren realized that she could never carry both children at once. She scooped ... continue reading

It’s every parent’s nightmare – a babysitter who is cruel or inattentive to your children.  Yet, parents work hard and deserve some time off. How can you spot a bad babysitter before he or she makes a potentially fatal mistake?

Whether you need full-time childcare while parents work, or ... continue reading

According to the University of Nevada Reno, as more and more parents in today’s society are working, many children are being left in the care of older siblings or in the care of babysitters.

One of the biggest dilemmas that parents face is selecting a good babysitter, under the ... continue reading

With reports of child abuse and even murder by babysitters in the news, more and more parents are considering the use of a “Nanny Cam” to monitor their childcare provider. One international retail chain reports a 25% increase in sales of these devices over the past five years.

But, ... continue reading

A quick-thinking babysitter recently saved her little sister’s life using tactics she learned in a Red Cross babysitting class.

Eleven-year-old Halley Shoemake admits that she was initially frightened when her little sister began to choke, but “I immediately reacted,” she said as she recounted the incident that took place ... continue reading

A recent tragic case just underscores the need to check references before hiring a babysitter under the Mississippi babysitter laws. Amy Wilkerson, a 29-year-old babysitter from Latimer was charged with capital murder and felony child abuse recently in Pascagoula. The Jackson County Sheriff says they suspect shaken baby syndrome in ... continue reading

Many issues that are not addressed by Minnesota babysitting laws are covered by local law enforcement. The Dakota County Attorney’s Office accepts the following guidelines for babysitters: It is acceptable for children ages 11 to 14 to baby-sit, with the expectation that the parent, guardian, or caretaker will be returning ... continue reading

Legal aides of longtime Detroit Congressman John Conyers say the lawmaker forced them to act as gofers and babysitters for his children.

While Conyers’s behavior certainly isn’t a violation of the Michigan babysitting laws, it may well be a violation of labor law, not to mention unethical. Sydney Rooks, ... continue reading

While having their grandmother regularly mind your children isn’t a violation of the Massachusetts babysitting laws, it may not be good for the grandmother’s health. According to an article in The New York Times, grandmothers who take care of their grandchildren have more health problems than their childfree peers do. ... continue reading

According to Jane Aksoy of the American Red Cross, reports of violence against babysitters add a new wrinkle to the old Maine babysitting laws. “In a world of random violence, a sitter’s safety has become as important as that of the children being watched,” said the Health and Safety Specialist. ... continue reading