Going Out of Town and Need a Babysitter?

Traveling to new and exciting places can be fun for the whole family however, some activities which the fresh landscape offers may not appeal to every member of the family. This is especially true for families traveling with young children. With some pre-planning, you can use a babysitter at your travel spot to allow you to fully experience the local activities.

Before leaving, locate the Child Care Resource & Referral agency for that place you plan on traveling to by entering the zip code of your travel location at the CCCRR find child care page. California Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies are state funded non-profit agencies which provide FREE child care referrals. If traveling outside of California, locate the local Child Care Resource and Referral agency at Child Care Aware.

When calling the agency, let the referral specialist know when you anticipating needing care. They can provide you a list of child care centers or family child care home that take children as drop-ins. If you prefer having a babysitter come to your location, most agencies have a listing of babysitting agencies. Babysitting agencies usually charge an hourly rate plus a travel fee. In California, there is currently no state issued license for which babysitting agencies can apply and they operate only with a city business tax permit. This is not a child care license and no regulating agency monitors the activities of babysitting agencies. However, the babysitters are required by California State law to register with California's Trustline Registry. This registry process involves a thorough criminal background check of the individual. When using a babysitting agency, ask in advance the name of the babysitter and call Trustline at 1-800-822-8490 to verify the sitter's Trustline clearance.


Further questions to ask the babysitting agencies:

• What are the hiring policies and employment requirements of the agencies?
• Are the sitters trained in pediatric CPR & First Aid?
• Are the sitters bonded individually or through the agency? (Being bonded is not a child care issue. This is only to insure your monetary reimbursement in case of theft.)
• Do sitters bring along age-appropriate toys, games, etc. in order to interact with your children?
• Can the agency provide a sitter to meet your specific need? (i.e. some experienced in infant care or a child with special needs)
• If possible, get the name of the sitter before they arrive so you can call Trustline to verify their clearance. Tell the agency you expect the sitter to provide a picture ID (i.e. driver's license) and proof of their Trustline registry clearance (if you are unable to check in advance).

For more information on Trustline Registry visit our post:
Hiring a Babysitter
or Trustline.org

Happy and safe travels for you and your family!