SitterCity.Com Coupon, SitterCity Coupon, Promotion Code: 2009

SitterCity.Com Extending Coupon Period

The holidays are almost here! This time of the year is one of the busiest for parents, filled with holiday parties, last-minute shopping, and of course New Year's Eve (one of the top babysitting nights of the year). It's a perfect time to maximize your Sittercity affiliate campaign and get your ads in front of parents who are scrambling to find holiday season sitters.

15% Off Deal Extended

To help Parent make the most of the holiday season, Sittercity is extending our 15% off promotion a bit longer. Your site visitors can save 15% on a monthly or annual Sittercity membership with promotion code SAVE15 through January 15, 2010.

Families pay fee to tap into database, request background checks

So why not your baby sitter or pet sitter?

I'll admit, when I saw a news release about Sitter City, which claims to be America's first and largest parent-baby sitter matching site, I giggled.

What ever happened to finding the neighborhood teenager to watch your kids? Or asking friends and relatives for recommen-dations?

After all, I want to know the family of the teen watching my kids. Do we share the same values? Is there someone at home nearby if something were to happen and the baby sitter needed some backup?

But the more I thought about it, not everyone has an ample supply of neighborhood baby sitters or recommendations from friends and relatives to tap into.

So it seems a little ingenious to have a service to match parents and baby sitters. Maybe even a good business model -- sitters register for free for work, and parents pay a fee to search the database.

Genevieve Thiers thinks so.

The founder and chief executive officer of Chicago-based Sitter City came up with the idea while she was contemplating what to do with her life after graduating from Boston College.

Thiers was looking out her dorm room window one day when she saw a woman who was nine months pregnant waddling up a steep hill. Thiers ran downstairs to help the woman, who was posting fliers looking for a baby sitter. Thiers, who had been a baby sitter in college, offered to post the fliers around for the woman.

As Thiers was posting one of the signs next to an elevator, the idea hit her. Why not launch a Web site to match sitters looking for jobs with parents who need help?

Though Thiers thought the idea was great, it wasn't easy to convince venture capitalists to provide seed money -- especially older men.

"We were the first. No one thought it was going to work. I got laughed out of the room with most" venture capitalists, she said. "I had to launch it by foot."

She posted 20,000 fliers around Boston and had two college friends start her Web site.

In September 2001, she had 600 sitters registered and 30 parents. "It was magic," she said.

She now has half a million users, including companies that have paid to sign up their employees as an employee perk to find child care. Thiers later moved the corporate offices to Chicago.

Sitter City is not the only site out there. Put "baby sitter" in a search engine, and you'll get others. Sitter City is also branching out to match pet sitters and pet owners on its site starting in June.

Here's how Sitter City works:

Sitters must be 17 or older -- so that knocks out most of the neighborhood teens. Thiers said the company is debating starting a junior site, but there are too many liability issues with younger sitters. The typical sitter on the site is 17 to 23, though there are older sitters. About 80 percent of the sitters are people looking for part-time work; the others are full-time nannies.

Sitters don't pay a fee to register.

Parents can pay either $39.99 for the first month and $9.99 for each month after, or $95 for a full year.

Not exactly cheap, but it is a service for parents who find it valuable.

Background checks can be run on sitters for a $10 fee. A sitter can pay that fee and post the background check on the sitter's profile, or the parent can pay $10 for each check requested.

The background checks, which include a nationwide check and driving violations, are a resource for parents, in addition to a feedback system on parents and sitters, said Thiers.

In our society, which is becoming more mobile, Thiers said a service like hers helps make life easier.

Her company's statistics show that 64 percent of the parents have moved in the preceding two years.

"When people are moving from city to city,... they end up in this new place with no family and no support network. They're dumped in a new area, and that's where Sitter City is incredibly helpful," she said.

Finding right fit

Carol Gregory of Strongsville has some relatives in town to help watch her kids sometimes, but she needed someone to come over to the house during the day when she occasionally works from home.

But the area college professor, who is the mother of a 1-year- old daughter and 3-year-old son, said she got nowhere when she posted fliers in grocery stores and on college campuses and called people through newspaper ads.

"Even just based on the phone conversation, I wasn't entirely comfortable it was a good fit for us. It wasn't enough detail for me to bring that person into my home to meet my children," Gregory said.

A neighbor then told her about Sitter City. She has used three sitters through the service and has been very happy with them all. Gregory said that as her sitters' situations changed -- one got pregnant, and another moved away -- she was able to go back to the site to find other suitable ones.

The Gregorys now have Ashley Schindler, 22, of Copley Township watching the kids one day a week. For Schindler, an early childhood education major at the University of Akron, the site was a good way to connect her to parents who needed sitters.

She baby-sits for several families -- some are just an occasional weekend job.

Gregory said she's still comfortable with a combination of using an older sitter from Sitter City and the neighborhood teen. She just likes having the choice.

Seniors raise concerns over funds

Some senior citizens on the coast say they are concerned about what's happening to state programs as tax revenue continues to contract.

Program after program is being hacked and sliced to pieces, they said Tuesday during a meeting sponsored by the Commission on Aging of the Coastal Regional Commission, at Darien Church of God. Some programs are being scrapped altogether due to lack of funding.

One program, the Kinship Care program to assist grandparents rearing grandchildren, has been eliminated be budget cuts, Monica Couch, elder rights program manager at the Coastal Regional Commission, told the 150 persons in the audience.

Other programs being slashed include ombudsman services, which helps monitor elder abuse; the caregivers resource center, which provides adult day care services; and respite care, which allows caregivers to take a break from caring for an elderly ill person at home by providing a sitter on occasions.

Couch said on the state level, the Senior Legal Hotline and the Center for the Visually Impaired have been eliminated, and other programs, including Alzheimer's Services, have faced severe cutbacks. Just how many people are being affected by the cuts is hard to determine, Couch said.

"We currently have a wait list of more than 20,000 people statewide for home- and community-based services," she said. "As of Sept. 1, there were 1,497 individuals waiting for one or more services in the region we serve."

So far, no one has had services discontinued, but Couch said persons on waiting lists cannot be served until additional funding is received.

Couch said the Coastal Regional Commission is the designated Area Agency on Agency for the region, which includes Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Long, Liberty and McIntosh counties. The agency plans and coordinates services and programs for senior citizens, persons with disabilities and caregivers.

Many of the cuts stem from Gov. Sonny Perdue's mandated 5 percent across-the-board cuts for all Department of Human Services programs.

"We understand the economic difficulties facing state government, but advocates are deeply concerned about the depth of service reductions for aging services and the impact they will have on the frail elderly and their caregivers," Couch said.

Alberta Mabry of Darien, a senior advocate, said every day some seniors are faced with having to decide between purchasing food or medicine. Some, she said, only get one hot meal a day from the Darien Senior Center.

Many have watched savings dwindle and are living solely on Social Security.

"We're living longer now, and that makes things more complicated," Mabry said.

Mabry is in favor of respite care and bemoans the cuts that have been made.

"You can remain in your home, rather than be in a nursing home," she said. "Respite care gives the caregiver a short break to go to the store or to get their hair done or see a movie."

The ombudsman program is also critical, Mabry said. "There is lots of abuse toward the elderly," she said.

She said she would like to see an adult day care center opened in McIntosh County. Currently, those with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia must travel to Savannah or Brunswick to participate in adult day care programs.

"We have lots of folks here in McIntosh with Alzheimer's or dementia," Mabry said.

U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, R-1, on a town-hall meeting sweep through the district, stopped at the gathering and addressed Social Security concerns. He said cost-of-living increases would most likely not occur for 2010.

"The COLAs are tied to inflation, and with inflation in 2009 down, no COLA is anticipated this year," he said.

Taking questions from the audience, Kingston agreed with a resident who suggested using stimulus funds to fund Georgia Cares, which is Georgia's Medicare Part C and D program.

"We will work with you on it. We support Georgia Cares," Kingston said, explaining that he would look into the possibility of using federal stimulus funds to help replace some lost state funding, even though he has voted in Congress against all stimulus programs other than an extension of the so-called cash for clunkers auto incentive.

"There's a lot of stimulus money sitting out there. It might as well be put toward something useful," Kingston said.

Parents to sue baby-sitter, her mother and the town

The town has received notice that a Cortland Circle couple intends to sue the town as part of a broader legal action stemming from the May 2 drowning death of their 3-year-old son.

New Haven law firm LoRicco, Trotta & LoRicco on Sept. 14 filed the notice of intent to sue the town on behalf of Richard and Diane Veenhuis, according to legal papers. The Veenhuis family will sue the town for negligence that resulted in the death of their son, Cole, who drowned in the family's swimming pool, attorney Frederick Trotta Sr. said Friday.

Also named as defendants in the notice are Michele Repko and her daughter, Krista, who was baby-sitting Cole and his twin sister, Hannah when the drowning occurred. Hannah is listed with her parents as seeking damages from the town and the Repkos, according to Trotta.

"This has had a profound effect on the Veenhuis family," Trotta said. "They feel quite betrayed by Michele Repko's misrepresentation of her daughter's fitness to be a baby-sitter."

Trotta said the town is party to the lawsuit, which he intends to file within two months, because Michele Repko met the Veenhuis family while working with Cole at the Darcey School, the town's only public kindergarten, to improve the child's speech. Also, Krista Repko took a baby-sitting class that was run by the town, Trotta said.

Town Manager Michael Milone confirmed Friday that the town had received the Veenhuises' intent to sue letter, but declined to comment on the matter.

At some point after meeting the Veenhuis family, the relationship between Michele Repko and the family grew to the point where she recommended her daughter as a baby-sitter for Cole and Hannah, the attorney said. Richard and Diane Veenhuis met Krista Repko and were comfortable enough with her being around Cole and Hannah that they let the teenager take the twins to one of her baby-sitting classes, Trotta said.

But Trotta said the lawsuit will contend that on the day that Cole drowned, Krista Repko "froze up for a significant period of time and didn't immediately jump into the pool to rescue the youngster."

"The girl's a shot-putter on the Cheshire High School track team and an honor roll student," Trotta said. "How does somebody like that not jump into the pool immediately when she saw the boy in the pool?"

Trotta added that rescue efforts were hampered when Krista Repko couldn't initially give a police dispatcher the address where was she baby-sitting.

"Emergency services did a magnificent job coaxing it out of her," Trotta said.

Following an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the drowning, the police and the state's attorney's office chose not to press charges, he said.

The Repkos were not available for comment Friday.

Child-care center won't get $3 million from state

CHEYENNE -- Supporters of a publicly funded child-care center got a quick no Thursday morning from the state's top officials.

The disappointed members of the Laramie County Early Education and Development Joint Powers Board said afterward that they had to regroup, but their quest for quality child care would continue.

"It's not over. There's still a need in the community, and we want to fill that need," said board member Rich Wiederspahn.

The non-profit planned to run a center with expanded hours for shift workers and to offer an accredited education program.

The Wyoming Business Council board had already turned down the $3 million request to build the Laramie County Early Childhood Education Center in the Cheyenne Business Parkway in east Cheyenne. The State Loan and Investment Board had the final vote.

This was the second time SLIB considered this request. This spring, SLIB sent it back to the Business Council, asking it to review current demand for child care. Local providers said it would hurt their businesses.

Thursday's 4-1 vote was in keeping with the Wyoming Business Council's new recommendation, which was based on a revised study that showed there was less need for child care.

Jim McBride, state superintendent of public instruction, was the lone vote in support of the project.

Supporters of the Laramie County Early Childhood Education Center showed up, ready to testify. But Gov. Dave Freudenthal polled the other SLIB members and said they would skip having a public hearing.

They all received plenty of information, he said.

"Everyone's made up their mind," Freudenthal said. "There's no sense on having a fourth hearing on this matter."

Freudenthal said Wednesday it broke his heart to not award the grant because he believes in early childhood education.

But the Business Council's revised study shows there are more slots at Cheyenne day-care centers than children -- which is contrary to the intent of the Business Ready Communities Grant.

Lisa Romsa, owner and director of Diamonds in the Rough, was an outspoken opponent of the grant.

However, Romsa said she hoped that the issue of expanding quality child care would not disappear with this grant request -- in the past six years, she said, people see child-care providers as "more than babysitters."

This time, she'd like to see proponents work with current providers -- for instance, to help offset accreditation costs.

"Everyone needs to still work and come up with solutions," Romsa said. "But putting all the eggs in one facility does not accomplish that goal."

Cheyenne City Councilwoman Georgia Broyles said she was set to urge SLIB to look at funding pre-kindergarten education. Wyoming is one of five states that does not do this, she said.

For instance, the state could oversee a curriculum available to day-care providers n those "who wish to pursue that."

Credit: Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, Cheyenne

Lawsuit expected in Cheshire pool death: Parents to sue baby-sitter, her mother and the town

The town has received notice that a Cortland Circle couple intends to sue the town as part of a broader legal action stemming from the May 2 drowning death of their 3-year-old son.

"This has had a profound effect on the Veenhuis family," Trotta said. "They feel quite betrayed by Michele Repko's misrepresentation of her daughter's fitness to be a baby-sitter."

Town Manager Michael Milone confirmed Friday that the town had received the Veenhuises' intent to sue letter, but declined to comment on the matter.

But Trotta said the lawsuit will contend that on the day that Cole drowned, Krista Repko "froze up for a significant period of time and didn't immediately jump into the pool to rescue the youngster."

Trotta added that rescue efforts were hampered when Krista Repko couldn't initially give a police dispatcher the address where was she baby-sitting.

"Emergency services did a magnificent job coaxing it out of her," Trotta said.

Following an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the drowning, the police and the state's attorney's office chose not to press charges, he said.

The Repkos were not available for comment Friday.

Credit: New Haven Register, Conn.

Bowman woman pleads not guilty to meth charges

A Bowman woman facing five drug-related charges pleaded not guilty at her preliminary hearing Tuesday.

Nick Gates, South Sakakawea Narcotics Task Force investigator, said Social Services alerted authorities in July that there was allegedly a 17-year-old babysitter in Chelsey Soehren's home while drug paraphernalia was present. The babysitter was reportedly watching two children at the time.

Gates said the babysitter, the mother of the babysitter and two children were at the residence when officers arrived.

"... at approximately 4 a.m. that same morning, Ms. Soehren had shown the babysitter methamphetamine," Gates said. "She believed that from the story she was told, Ms. Soehren was intending to sell the methamphetamine and may have in fact been under the influence of methamphetamine at that time."

Gates said the babysitter directed officers to several pieces of drug paraphernalia inside and outside the residence.

Officers had search warrants for Soehren's residence, her vehicle and they had a warrant to search Soehren, Gates said.

Officers reportedly went to Soehren's work where they searched her and her purse. About 2.1 grams of methamphetamine were allegedly found in Soehren's purse, Gates said.

"She told me that she received approximately an eight ball of methamphetamine, which is approximately 3.5 grams, from an individual named Jake," Gates said. "Her intention was to sell the methamphetamine and give Jake ... approximately $600 and she would be able to keep whatever money was left over for herself."

Gates said Soehren didn't know what "Jake's" last name was.

Soehren had allegedly told Gates she had sold one gram of the meth.

Soehren is charged with delivering meth, possession of meth with intent to deliver, possession of meth paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Jay Greenwood, Soehren's attorney, said officers did not have a search warrant for Soehren's place of work. The warrants also didn't allow officers to search containers that were not on Soehren, or in her home or vehicle.

During the hearing, Stark County Assistant State's Attorney Jim Hope said he expected Greenwood to file a motion to suppress evidence gathered in the case. Greenwood said he likely would.

After the hearing, Hope declined comment on the issue. Greenwood was unavailable for comment after the hearing.

Despite an objection from Soehren, Southwest Judicial District Judge Zane Anderson ordered that Soehren can not contact the babysitter.

Part of Soehren's conditions of release stipulated she take random drug screenings and live with her parents in Bowman. However, Greenwood said she would like to move into her own apartment in Bowman and Anderson agreed to let her.

The baby sitter who called 911 said little Julia Rivera looked "like she was on another planet." Injuries included a skull fracture and brain injuries

It didn't take the baby sitter long to realize that something was terribly wrong when Rachel Reeves brought her 15-month-old daughter to the sitter's Minnetonka apartment on March 26.

Reeves placed little Julia Leigh Rivera in a crib without removing her snowsuit and told the baby sitter to leave her alone. If the toddler woke up, Reeves instructed, the sitter was to give her some medication Rivera put in the refrigerator.

About 15 minutes after Reeves dropped Julia off, the baby sitter pulled off the snowsuit and discovered to her horror that Julia was in bad shape. Her eyes were open but "had a blank look," the sitter later told police. She was "extremely pale and just with her eyes very empty ... like she was on another planet."

Four days later, Julia was dead.

After a six-month investigation by Minnetonka police, Reeves, 29, of Burnsville, was charged late last week with second-degree murder in the death of her daughter. The Hennepin County medical examiner listed the cause of death as a homicide by blunt-force trauma. Prosecutors say Reeves caused her daughter's death by assaulting her in a way that caused a skull fracture, a detached retina and a significant brain injury.

According to the criminal complaint, Julia lived at the time with her single mother and a 7-year-old sister in a Richfield apartment.

On March 25, the older sister spent the night with friends, leaving Reeves alone with Julia from 3:15 p.m. until 7 a.m. on March 26, when Reeves brought her to the baby sitter in Minnetonka.

Worried about the baby's "blank look," the sitter, whose age and name the complaint does not reveal, began to prepare her some milk when Julia arched her back and began "twisting," the complaint said. The sitter called on her adult son for help. He called 911 and performed CPR, following instructions from a dispatcher. Emergency responders arrived to find the baby without a pulse and not breathing.

She died March 30 at Minneapolis Children's Hospital.

Reeves told police that Julia had been sick for about two weeks and that she took her to the pediatrician March 24 because she was "pulling at her ears, irritable, fussy and frequently waking at night." The pediatrician described her state at the time as "alert, interactive, no acute distress," and found no injuries before prescribing an antibiotic.

Reeves also told police that the only injury to her daughter was when Julia fell out of bed 2 to 3 feet to the floor two weeks earlier. But doctors said such a fall could not explain Julia's injuries.

Reeves provided several other possible explanations, but none was plausible, according to doctors and the medical examiner. Reeves said she had been the only person with the baby.

Reeves, who was arrested Thursday, will make her next court appearance Sept. 30. She remains jailed in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Reeves' employer, who was not identified in the complaint, told police she was often tired at work and fell asleep at meetings. She reportedly told her supervisor that Julia did not sleep well and often woke her at night.

And Julia's older sister told police that the toddler often cried and woke her mother. The sister reported that she would try to soothe Julia so her mother could sleep.

In an April 2 online obituary for Julia, dozens of people expressed their condolences to Reeves, who left the following message dated July 11 for her daughter:

"I miss u ... I think about u everyday ... I love u mamacita chula! Love always, your mom."

Abby Simons --612-673-4921

Credit: Star Tribune, Minneapolis

Couple's Web site offers tips on travel with animals

-Hitting the road with a medium-sized shar pei was manageable.

Then Buster joined Amy and Rod Burkert's family.

The German shepherd made booking hotels a challenge and prompted the Pennsylvania couple to develop a Web site that helps others who want to share vacations with their pets.

"I spent two full days looking for seven hotels on our road trip and said, 'There has got to be a better way to do this,'"

said Amy Burkert, a native of Gays Mills. "But there wasn't.

I spent another two days looking and couldn't find anything."

The Burkerts launched GoPetFriendly.com in June after researching lodging, dining and attractions nationwide that welcome both humans and their furry friends.

"Dogs want to be with people. Our dogs want to go. They don't want to be left behind," Amy Burkert said.

"For some, pets are our children," Rod Burkert said.

Traveling with pets can be more economical, as boarding costs can exceed $600, Rod Burkert said. As a sign of the times, more places are becoming more accepting of four-legged visitors, he said.

The Burkerts also have included information at the site on veterinarians as well as doggie day care and pet sitters, since some attractions people will want to visit simply won't accommodate pets, they said.

The Burkerts are on their first GoPetFriendly.com tour, with stops planned in Cleveland, Chicago, Iowa, Canada and Niagara Falls.

Ty and Buster are traveling with the couple in the GoPetFriendly.com vehicle and they'll stop along the way to check out an RV.

"We're traveling with our pets to make it easy to travel with yours," Rod Burkert said during a stop in La Crosse.

"We gave up our jobs for our dogs," Amy Burkert added.

"We call ourselves recovering accountants," Rod Burkert said.

Credit: La Crosse Tribune, Wis.

NEWS: 2 who held kids at gunpoint get 8-year terms

Tamara Peterson's two young children were at home with a teenage baby sitter when she received a phone call at work that they had just been robbed and threatened by three armed men.

"My [7-year-old] daughter still jumps when someone walks in," Ms. Peterson told Judge Denise Ann Dartt in Lucas County Common Pleas Court Monday. Ms. Peterson said the intruders told her 5-year-old son he'd be killed if he moved.

Two of three men were sentenced yesterday after being convicted of forcing their way into a home in the 1800 block of Marne Avenue and robbing the house after ordering the two young children and their 15-year-old baby sitter to the floor with threats.

Kenneth Powell, 20, of 411 Langdon St., and Darnell Cox, 18, of 1902 North Superior St., were each sentenced to eight years in prison Monday. They entered no-contest pleas Aug. 18 to one count each of aggravated burglary and kidnapping, both with one-year gun specifications.

A third suspect, Joshua Robinson, 17, is charged with one count each of aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary as well as three counts of kidnapping, each with gun specifications. He is being held in the Lucas County jail in lieu of $375,000 bond and is scheduled to go to trial Sept. 15.

Authorities said Powell and Cox broke into the home about 6:45 p.m. May 27. They fled with clothing, cash, and televisions.

They were arrested a short time later after police found the getaway vehicle with the stolen items inside.

Cox and Powell apologized for their actions and promised the judge they would emerge from prison as different people.

"... I'm working to change my life," Cox said. "When I go to prison, I'll come out a new man."

Judge Dartt sentenced both Cox and Powell to seven years for each charge plus a mandatory one-year gun specification.

She ordered the sentences be served concurrently.

As part of the plea, Judge Dartt dismissed for each defendant two counts of kidnapping as well as a charge of aggravated robbery.

Ms. Peterson said she knows the incident could have been worse and is thankful her children and their baby-sitter weren't injured. But she wanted the men to be held accountable for their actions and for the long-term impact they had on her children.

Judge Dartt said that each of the defendants had juvenile records similar to the crime that brought them before her.

She also noted the ages of the victims. "The victims in this case were very young," she said.

"The baby-sitter was only 15," she said. "I find that to be very disturbing."

Suspect should be tried as juvenile

Psychologists from both sides have recommended that a teenage boy charged with luring a 7-year-old girl off a playground and raping her inside his Crofton townhouse be tried as a juvenile.

The recommendations came despite one of the psychologists testifying Wednesday, during the first day of the two-day hearing, that there was a "high risk" that David Benjamin Raszewski, 17, of Granite Court, would attack another girl.

The doctors said the juvenile system would simply offer a better chance of rehabilitating the teen.

The hearing is expected to resume Tuesday in county Circuit Court in Annapolis, with defense attorney James Crowford Jr. arguing his case for the juvenile system and Assistant State's Attorney Sandra Howell making her final push for adult court.

Circuit Court Judge Philip T. Caroom is expected to make the final decision at that time.

Raszewski, a junior at South River High School, is charged as an adult with first-degree rape in a March 20 attack on the girl who was playing behind his house. He is being held at the Jennifer Road Detention Center.

If convicted in adult court, he faces up to life in prison. If found delinquent in juvenile court, he can be held until he is 21 at a juvenile facility.

Raszewski is one of two Crofton teens charged in high-profile crimes now trying to have their cases tried in juvenile court.

Javel George, 16, is charged as an adult with manslaughter in the May 30 death of Christopher Jones. A waiver hearing is scheduled Oct. 9 and a trial is scheduled Oct. 15.

According to charging documents, Raszewski confessed to police that he approached the girl just before 4 p.m., after the child's baby sitter had left the playground to take the girl's younger brother to use the bathroom.

He told police he asked the girl to come inside his home while his own mother was out. He led the child upstairs, pushed her into his bedroom and molested her, police said.

Howell said yesterday that Raszewski approached the girl for the sole purpose of sex, that the child cried during the attack and that he knew what he did was wrong.

"I think I practically destroyed this girl for the rest of her life," Raszewski told police, according to Howell.

New details

The hearing, attended by several members of the families of both Raszewski and the victim, revealed new details about the teen and his life.

Dr. Teresa Grant, the psychologists hired by the state, testified that doctors at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore evaluated Raszewski as a child and wanted to diagnose him with autism. She said Raszewski's mother rejected that diagnosis because of the stigma associated with the disorder.

Grant and Dr. Michael Hendricks, the defense expert, both said Raszewski had an unspecified "autism-spectrum disorder." They also said he appeared to be of at least average intelligence, if not high-average.

Raszewski has had at least one girlfriend -- who was two years older than him -- and is addicted to pornography, Grant said. She added that after the rape, Raszewski played poker with his mother as if nothing had happened.

Grant said Raszewski moved around a lot growing up, spending several years in Hawaii before his parents divorced and moved to Maryland. He did not have any alcohol or drug problems as far as she could tell and did not suffer from any conduct disorders, she said.

Howell noted that Raszewski had a lot of trouble learning in school, holding up a binder full of "individual education programs" developed for Raszewski over the years.

Grant said she believed there was a "high risk" that Raszewski would re-offend, but she still recommended the case be handled in juvenile court. She said the juvenile system would offer more intensive treatment and that with that help he would be less likely to harm anyone else.

"He needs very specific sex-offender treatment," Grant said, arguing he be placed in a secure noncommunity juvenile facility.

Hendricks agreed that Raszewski needed "focused treatment," but said he could receive that treatment almost anywhere -- including home. He told the court that with treatment in the juvenile system, there was a "90 percent" chance Raszewski would not offend again.

"He really wants to do something to be better," Hendricks said.

Baby sitter to serve 5 years in boy's death

Amari Jackson's mother, Sara Hicks, cried and lunged toward Sharon Patterson in the courtroom Tuesday when Patterson tried to apologize for her negligence in Amari's death by dehydration.

The emotional scene came just after Superior Court Judge Bruce W. Thompson imposed a 10-year sentence on Patterson, to be suspended after she serves five years.

Judicial marshals quickly prevented Hicks from getting close to Patterson, then pushed Hicks out of the courtroom. She could be heard crying loudly in the corridor and exclaiming, "Five years !"

Late Tuesday afternoon, Hicks called the sentence "a disgrace" and the trial "a mockery of his death."

"Shegotoffwithmurder,"Hicks said. "The marshals should've let me go (at Patterson). If they had, justice would've been served."

Thompson, who June 16 found Patterson guilty of criminally negligent homicide, two counts of risk of injury to a child and two counts of intentional cruelty, could have imposed a prison sentence of up to 31 years. But he decided Patterson's cognitive disabilities (she is classified as "mildly mentally retarded") mitigated the sentence.

The sentencing marks the end of a case that began the morning of Feb. 26, 2008, when Hamden police went to the Putnam Avenue apartment Patterson shared with her brother, Robert Patterson, and found 23-month-old Amari unresponsive. He was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The office of the chief state medical examiner ruled Amari died from dehydration. Police said Amari was deprived of liquids for at least seven days, and Sharon Patterson fed him hot sauce to discourage him from drinking out of people's glasses and wetting beds.

Hicks, now 21, said she left Amari with Patterson because Hicks was pregnant and suffering from morning sickness. She said she didn't know Patterson has a mental disability.

Robert Patterson said he had been concerned about Amari and had told his sister she should give him fluids, but then he left for work. He pleaded guilty to risk of injury to a minor and received a suspended five-year prison sentence. Senior Assistant State's Attorney Michael Pepper has said Robert Patterson's role in Amari's death was "arguably passive."

During legal arguments Tuesday, Pepper told Thompson that Sharon Patterson, now 40, should receive a "significant" sentence because "over approximately 10 days, she tortured this child."

Pepper charged Patterson "purposely deprived him of water and purposely served him hot sauce as a form of punishment." When she was questioned by police after Amari's death, he asserted, she tried to cover up what she had done by giving different versions of events.

Pepper said, "I can't imagine the suffering" the boy endured. He described Patterson's actions as "flat-out cruel."

But defense attorney Joseph E. Lopez said, "I don't think Miss Patterson is a monster." He added that she is "not a mean person."

Lopez noted psychiatric experts found Patterson's ability to make moral judgments were that of a 6-year-old.

"She has had a very hard life," Lopez added. "Her mother was an alcoholic and had substance abuse issues. She (Sharon Patterson) was raped at the age of 12. Five of her children have been taken away from her for various issues."

Co-defense attorney Scott Jones said Hamden police misunderstood her statements. "She said she did in fact give Amari water. She did not intentionally deprive him of water over an extended period of time."

When Hicks addressed Thompson, reading from a statement, she asked for "the most severe sentence the law allows." But she added, "There is no sentence sufficient for what happened to my son, not even death."

Hicks noted she has two other children, "but there is no love greater than that of a mother for her first-born child."

She charged Patterson was "getting high and drunk while my son was dying." She concluded, "Today I cry out for justice for Amari."

Thompson declared it "one of the most difficult cases I've had. ... I have a child whose life has been cut off before it could really begin and a mother who's devastated. There is a defendant with significant cognitive disabilities, which is why I acquitted her of manslaughter."

Thompson said the evidence showed Patterson "did not appreciate the fact that what she did could lead to the death of Amari Jackson. But the evidence shows there were deliberate actions with reckless disregard for the consequences."

Heimposedthe10-yearsentence, suspended after five years, for one of the risk of injury to a minor counts. On the other risk of injury count, he imposed a one-year sentence, to be served concurrently.

For negligent homicide, Thompson imposed a one-year sentence, also concurrent and three-year concurrent sentences on two cruelty counts. After her release, Patterson will face five years of probation.

When Thompson asked Patterson if she had anything to say, Patterson said, "I'm sorry," but the rest of her remarks were never delivered because of Hicks' outburst.

Sittercity HELPING CHILDREN GAIN SPORTS SKILLS

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Team sports leagues for children have taken the place of casual games with neighborhood children. As a result, a great number of children want to improve their skills, and their parents are eager to help them do this. This has opened up a wonderful variety of careers for those who wish to combine a desire to work with children and sports. Of course, few children will ever go on to become sports superstars; however, sports can bring children great enjoyment and satisfaction during their school years and can lead to a lifetime of interest and participation in sports activities. Through sports, children are able to learn many different skills, including ones not just related to sports, such as:

• Handling defeat and victory

• Being part of a team

• Making a contribution to a group effort

• Learning to follow rules

• Learning how to play fair

• Learning how to overcome adversity

• Disciplining their emotions

There are opportunities for careers teaching children such sports activities as swimming, gymnastics, tennis, golf, bowling, ice-skating, bicycling, basketball, baseball, horseback riding, archery, badminton, ice hockey, soccer, scuba diving, ﬁshing, or fencing. Parents are willing to pay for both private and group instruction in sports to help their children gain skills that may lead to participation in a team sport while in school, a possible professional sports career, or simply a lifetime of enjoyment.

Babysitter In the City Working with children in Sports and Recreation

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Indoors and outdoors, sports and recreation activities are very appealing to children. After school, and especially in the summer, they can be a lot of fun. What’s more they are very healthy activities, as they discourage a sedentary lifestyle of too much TV, too many video games, and too much time in front of the computer. They also beneﬁt children because they help them make new friends and to feel better about themselves. Interesting careers await those who wish to help children gain sports skills or enjoy their recreation time. These careers truly present an opportunity to combine avocation and vocation. Karate aﬁcionados can spend their workdays introducing children to the intricacies of this sport. Former basketball players can share their skills with children eager to follow in their footsteps. Camp counselors and directors can help children develop a love of the outdoors. YMCA/YWCA instructors can introduce children to new recreational pursuits. All of these careers let individuals share enjoyable activities with children.

BABYSITTERS ARE IMPORTANT CAREGIVERS

Babysitters in the city give parents worry-free workdays because they know their children are being carefully watched. They allow parents to have a few carefree hours of togetherness or a vacation without the company of their children. Children need trained, well-qualiﬁed babysitters to help them grow and develop into healthy, happy people when their parents cannot be with them. The job of babysitter is an important one. Get sittercity coupon here

HELPFUL HINTS FROM A YOUNG BABYSITTER

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Jessica Donaldson, an eighth grader, has already been babysitting for more than three years. Starting at such a young age has become common because of the shortage of babysitters. Jessica does not establish a price with her clients. Instead, she feels that most people pay her a fair wage. The families that hire Jessica to babysit expect her to keep the children out of trouble and to clean up any messes made by the children. Jessica believes that the major task in babysitting is to keep all the children entertained. She always asks families to provide her with speciﬁc information about how to reach them, when they will be home, and special directions for mealtimes, bedtimes, and any medications that need to be given.

Jessica has solid advice for prospective babysitters. She advises them to begin by going on a job with an experienced sitter to see what the job entails. Jessica believes that babysitters need to prepare for this job by learning how to change diapers and ﬁnding out what kind of things children of different ages like to do. Also, it is important to keep babysitting fun for both the sitter and the children so it does not become a routine and boring job. Jessica points out that the test of being a successful babysitter is being asked back again and again because the children love to have you.

The Business Side Of SitterCity.Com Coupon

Sittercity Coupon Code To avoid misunderstandings, business arrangements need to be discussed before babysitting for the ﬁrst time ( SitterCity Coupon ). This includes discussing the fee before accepting an assignment, ﬁnding out how many hours the parents want the babysitter to work, transportation considerations, and whatever special chores the family wishes done outside of babysitting.

Most babysitters ﬁnd jobs through people they know or by advertising their services on bulletin boards, in bulletins of churches and other local organizations, and in newspapers. Some babysitters work for agencies that will assign them to jobs. Earnings are based on community standards. A babysitter in New York City or Chicago will earn more than one in rural North Dakota. Earnings are typically an hourly fee. However, older, experienced babysitters will be able to charge more for their services than their younger, less experienced counterparts. Young beginning babysitters often start at $5.00 to $7.00 per hour while more experienced adult sitters will typically earn $10.00 to $25.00 per hour based on the number of children in a family. Overnight sitters often receive a ﬂat fee.

Understanding That Families Are Different

All families do not have the same values. Babysitters need to ask questions to be sure that they understand the way that individual families want them to care for their children. They need to know about limitations on TV time and the types of programs that the children are allowed to watch. The same goes for watching videos and using the computer.

Also, they should know whether prayer is part of such rituals as eating or going to bed.

Babysitter Tool : What Do Babysitters Need on the job?

For all jobs, babysitters need to know where the following items are located in the home:
ﬂashlight candles matches ﬁrst-aid kit clock cleaning supplies sponge vacuum cleaner paper towels writing paper pencils, pens tissues telephone thermostats

When babysitters watch children in their own homes, they have the additional responsibility of making their homes safe for children. This includes doing such things as:

• Keeping the home tidy

• Placing child-resistant covers on all electrical outlets

• Storing dangerous chemicals and all drugs out of children’s reach

• Keeping ﬁrearms locked away

• Making sure cribs meet safety standards

• Safety-prooﬁng stairs

• Installing toilet seat locks

• Keeping knives out of children’s reach

• Storing tools, especially power tools, out of reach

THE BABYSITTER’S RESPONSIBILITIES

Babysitters have several responsibilities from the moment they enter a home. Their major responsibility will be to watch the children, which includes:

• Playing with the children

• Preventing accidents

• Selecting safe and appropriate toys and games for each child

• Giving the children their undivided attention

• Changing diapers of infants and toddlers

• Bathing and dressing infants and young children

• Feeding babies

• Fixing meals or snacks for the children

• Cleaning up messes • Handling the household

If a babysitting job is going to be long-term, the babysitter must meet with families ahead of time to establish their guidelines and expectations. On ﬁrst-time assignments as well as subsequent jobs, babysitters need to secure ﬁve vital pieces of information before the parents leave:

1. General behavior guidelines

2. Rules on television viewing and snacking

3. The children’s ofﬁcial bedtime

4. Special duties to be performed, such as bathing or feeding the children, doing dishes, etc.

5. A telephone number or information on how to reach the parents in case of an emergency

BABYSITTERS NEED TO BE AWARE OF HOW CHILDREN DEVELOP

Unless babysitters understand what young children can and cannot do at certain ages, they will not be able to understand the behavior of their charges or how to choose appropriate activities for them. In Chapter 2, a detailed list of the skills children should have acquired by the ages of ﬁfteen months, two-and-a-half years, and ﬁve years are spelled out for ten important skill areas: listening, thinking, ﬁne motor, social, self-help, selfesteem, speaking, prereading, math, and gross motor.

Learning BabySitting Skill in The City

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Taking classes and learning how to care for children is no guarantee that a prospective babysitter will be an excellent one. Certain special qualiﬁcations are needed. Babysitters need to have patience to play endless games with children. They should truly enjoy being around children, whether the children are crying babies or rambunctious youngsters. Furthermore,

babysitters need to be conﬁdent that they can handle children ranging in age from infant to preteen. Finally, having a cool head in a crisis is an absolutely essential skill, as babysitters must remain calm in emergencies.

Child care classes do give practical training in health and safety and important information about child development. They provide instruction on how to prevent injuries and reduce the spread of infectious diseases. In these classes, babysitters and other child care providers learn how to recognize and care for common childhood illnesses. They also ﬁnd out how to improve their skills in communicating with children and their parents.

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Working As A Babysitter

Almost every parent has a need for a babysitter either occasionally or on a regular basis. There is always a very high demand for and low supply of babysitters, especially for special occasions. Many child care providers began their careers as babysitters. While most babysitters are teenagers, many are adults who work in the children’s home or their own homes on a part-time or full-time basis.

Even though there are no licensing or training requirements for this job, the more skilled babysitters are, the more clients they have, and the more money they earn. Well-qualiﬁed babysitters know the importance of learning all they can about taking care of children. They must be ready to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in an emergency, handle a child with a sore throat, or treat a sprained ﬁnger. These skills are learned through classes at YMCAs or YWCAs, high schools, vocational schools, and community colleges, and through the American and Canadian Red Cross.

The Rewards of Being a Babysitter Sittercity coupon

The care of children in a home setting can be a rewarding career. Nannies are able to provide children with the nurturing care they need; in return, the nannies will receive love and affection from the children as well as high regard from their families. Today’s nannies provide the high-quality in-home care that parents are seeking and receive respect as well-trained professionals.

Schools For Babysitters : Sittercity coupon

Choosing a Babysitters School The International Nanny Association publishes the Annual Directory of Nanny Training Programs, Nanny Placement Agencies and Special Services. The book’s section on schools has information about the length of training programs, program costs, admission requirements, and availability of ﬁnancial aid for schools that meet the association’s requirements.
Before enrolling in a nanny school, prospective nannies should carefully check out the merits of the school’s program, according to Joy Shelton, former chairperson of the American Council of Nanny Schools.

FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES– PROFESSIONAL NANNY CERTIFICATE 2305 A One-Year Certiﬁcate of Graduation Program Professional Nanny Certiﬁcate • Nanny Certiﬁcate • Family and Consumer Sciences: Professional Nanny Certiﬁcate Intensive training program for Child Care Professionals who will enter family homes and share in the responsibility of rearing their children. This program prepares students to meet the varied needs of the families they serve and integrate their lives with those of their employers. These duties could include adapting menus to special dietary needs, managing the day-to-day affairs of the household, aiding a handicapped or gifted child, and communicating with schools, parents, and children.
Students who wish to continue their education ﬁnd that the Child Care Professional Nanny Certiﬁcate is the ﬁrst step in their career ladder. These credits received at Vincennes University can be applied toward an associate’s degree. This training can often be applied toward a degree in teaching or other child care professions.
Upon successful completion of 31 semester hours of speciﬁed courses, students will receive a certiﬁcate of accreditation as a Child Care Professional Nanny from VU.

She offers the following suggestions on how a program should be assessed: 81 Working as a Nanny
1. Talk to graduates.
2. Talk to families that have hired students from the school.
3. Check with the Better Business Bureau and local chamber of commerce to make sure that no complaints about the school have been received.
4. Check with the state’s department of education to determine if the school has a license.
5. Find out if the school is accredited.

The International Nanny Association lists these questions for prospective nannies to ask about a training program:

1. What speciﬁc courses does the nanny program curriculum include?
2. If the program requires work with children as part of the training, is the work supervised by an instructor?
3. Is the program accredited by a federally approved accrediting body?
4. What are the qualiﬁcations of the instructors?
5. How many students have completed the training program? Were they able to ﬁnd jobs as nannies?
6. Is it possible to visit the school or sit in on a class?
7. What is the tuition refund policy if the student drops out of the course? Can the course work be transferred to another school or program?
8. Is counseling or tutoring available to the student who may be having trouble with the program?
9. What percentage of students who sign up for the program complete it?

Sittercity Competencies related to the physical care of children

• Perform tasks related to the physical care of children

• Maintain appropriate hygienic standards for children regarding bathing, hand washing, and care of the hair and teeth

• Feed, change, and bathe infants

• Prepare infant feedings and care for feeding equipment

• Select clothing appropriate to the child’s physical/social activities

• Plan and supervise rest, bed, and nap times

• Plan and prepare nutritionally balanced meals and snacks

• Care for the mildly ill child

• Recognize symptoms of common childhood illnesses

• Keep accurate records

• Perform appropriate ﬁrst-aid techniques

• Handle emergency situations

• Observe appropriate safety precautions when traveling with children

Competencies related to domestic tasks and care of the child’s environment:

• Perform domestic tasks related to care and maintenance of the child’s areas of the home such as bedrooms, playrooms, bathrooms, and outside play space

• Launder and make simple repairs to children’s clothing

• Observe safety precautions appropriate to a private home

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Competencies related to professionalism Baby Sitter

Competencies related to professionalism, personal development, and social skills:

• Present a professional attitude and appearance

• Use good judgment

• Use appropriate language and manners

• Demonstrate initiative in planning and performance of tasks and an ability to work unsupervised

• Participate in social, cultural, and educational activities to enhance personal growth and maintain and improve competency

Babysitter SALARY AND FRINGE BENEFITS Coupon

BabySitters are the elite of child care workers and are enjoying rising wages. The actual salary that a nanny receives does vary widely based on where the nanny lives and the nanny’s qualiﬁcations and experience. The 2006 salary survey of the International Nanny Association showed a range of weekly earnings from a low of $300 per week to a high of $1,000 per week. These results are shown in Table 5.1. Monthly salaries for live-in nannies in Canada vary from C$1,400 to C$2,000 while those for live-out nannies go from C$1,900 to C$3,000.

In addition to a salary, nannies may receive paid health insurance, room and board, a car to drive, travel to exotic vacation spots, membership in health clubs, and an opportunity to attend college part time. Some families even pay college tuition for their nannies. An International Nanny Association survey shows that more than half of all nannies receive paid sick days and national and religious holidays. About one-third of the surveyed nannies received two weeks paid vacation, use of an employer’s vehicle, and paid personal days. Plus, 20 percent of the nannies received 100 percent employer paid health insurance.

Baby Sitter Required Competencies With Family

Competencies related to interaction with parents/employers and to family dynamics:

• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing

• Articulate a personal philosophy of child care

• Maintain the conﬁdentiality of the employing family

• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of parents’/employer’s philosophy of child rearing and recognize the special role a nanny assumes in becoming a part of the child-rearing “team”

• Recognize the ultimate authority of parents in making decisions regarding the welfare and care of the child

• Follow instructions and directions in a timely manner

Baby Sitter Required Competencies

Required Competencies Through education, nannies can acquire the competencies needed to provide quality child care and a nurturing environment for all children. The International Nanny Association speciﬁcally recommends that a nanny demonstrate the ability to perform competently in the following areas:

• Observe and assess the behavior of children

• Plan and implement consistent daily routines

• Create an environment to foster trust, self-esteem, and independence in children

• Use age-appropriate behavior management techniques in interaction with children

• Plan and implement developmentally appropriate play/learning activities for children

• Choose and care for developmentally appropriate play materials and equipment 77 Working as a Nanny

Babysitter Support Group

The three sitters whose careers are described later in this chapter often arrange playdates for their charges. Besides giving the children an opportunity to play with other children, they also give the nannies an opportunity to share experiences and enjoy adult company. Nannies ﬁnd it easy to meet other nannies at preschools, parks, and children’s classes. There are also many nanny support groups which provide social opportunities, professional development, and networking opportunities. Visit nannynetwork.com to ﬁnd where some of these support groups are located.

Responsibilities to Self : Babysitter nanny

A Babysitter/Nanny shall:

• Present herself/himself as an acceptable adult role model, take pride in personal appearance and professional behavior, and refrain from activity that might injure credibility or produce a negative representation of herself/himself or an employer.

• Continue to improve personal knowledge of child development by seeking contemporary information through formal and informal means, such as membership in child care organizations.

Profile of a Babysitter

As a college student, Sarah Wegert was asked to babysit for a family during her spring break. Although it meant that Sarah would spend her spring break at home in Vail, Colorado, Sarah agreed to help the family who was visiting from Chicago. Sarah quickly bonded with the family and their three young girls, and was asked to nanny for the family for six weeks in the summer back at their home in Chicago. Because Sarah had family in Chicago, she felt comfortable accepting the job.

That summer, Sarah moved in with the family, who provided her with a car, mobile phone, gas, and spending money. Sarah’s day typically began around noon when she picked the children up from their activities. The young girls and Sarah would spend the remainder of the day together, riding bikes, going to the pool, or visiting museums in Chicago. Sarah was asked to rejoin the family the next summer, and she agreed. During her second summer with the family, Sarah joined them on their family vacation to Sydney, Australia for the Olympics. The family provided all accommodations and Olympic tickets for Sarah, and she helped watch the children during the trip.

Sarah enjoyed her experience the most because of the strong connection she made with the family. She said, “They made me feel a part of the family.” Sarah continues to speak with the family and visits them when she is in Chicago with her family. While she had never been a nanny before, Sarah felt prepared because of her many years of babysitting. According to Sarah, a good nanny must enjoy playing with children, be ﬂexible, and feel comfortable working (maybe even living) with a family. Today, Sarah is a thirdgrade teacher in Colorado.
73 Working as a Nanny

On The Job With Babysitter in The City

No two babysitters will spend their time in exactly the same way. Observing how one babysitter spent her day caring for three young children— Mary (7), John (5), and Larry (3)—will give you an idea of what this job can be like:

7:00 A.M. Start work.

7:05 A.M. See that Mary gets on the school bus.

7:30 A.M.–9 A.M. Feed the boys. See that they get dressed. Children then watch television. Help John with kindergarten speech. The children help clean up the house.

9:00 books. A.M.–10:30 A.M. Go to the park ﬁrst, and then to the library to choose

10:30 A.M.–11:00 for kindergarten.
Prepare lunch for the boys. Make sure John is ready

11:00 A.M.–12:30 P.M. Feed the children. Walk John to kindergarten.

12:30 hold tasks. P.M.–2:30 P.M. Read to Larry. Larry rests. Do laundry and other house

2:30 P.M.–3:00 P.M. Visit with Mary, who has returned from school.

3:00 P.M.–3:30 P.M. John returns home. Serve afternoon snack to children.

3:30 tices piano. The children do their chores and homework.

Mary prac4:30 P.M.–6:30 P.M. The children play during the next two hours with some supervision. Dinner is prepared.

6:30 P.M. Family meal.

7:00 P.M. Day is ﬁnished.

BabySitter Training Programs

There are several approaches to acquiring the formal training Sitter need.
Some Sitters obtain associate or bachelor’s degrees in early childhood education. Many attend training programs in private schools, vocational schools, and community colleges. Typical nanny training programs offer a variety of courses related to children and child care. There are courses in child growth and development, psychology, food and nutrition, health and safety, play activities, ﬁrst aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and family dynamics. The programs often include hands-on care of children. Many schools provide the future nanny with information on personal health and grooming, etiquette, social skills, and professional development. Nannies who do not have formal training should have babysitting or daycare experience or have raised their own families.

A Public College Program

Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana, has a professional nanny program. The program is a one-year, certiﬁcate degree program and requires completion of thirty-one credit hours. Figure 5.1 shows the actual curriculum as it appears in the college catalog.

What is NANNY's Duties?

The job description for a nanny will obviously vary from household to household. In general, nannies have the following responsibilities, according to the International Nanny Association:

• Tending to the child’s basic daily physical needs

• Meal planning and preparation

• Laundry and clothing care

• Organization of play activities and outings

• Discipline

• Intellectual stimulation

• Language activities

•Transportation Any housekeeping responsibilities nannies may have are related primarily to the care of the children.

PREREQUISITES FOR BEING A NANNY

The International Nanny Association has adopted minimum standards for nannies specifying that a nanny must be at least eighteen years of age, have completed high school or the equivalent, and be in good general health, with proof of immunizations and, where required, negative TB test and/or chest x-ray. The one qualiﬁcation that all nannies must also have is genuine respect for and devotion to children. The association also lists the following skills that nannies need to have:

• The ability to work in isolation without the support of coworkers

• The ability to handle new and different surroundings

• Knowledge of the basics of taking care of the physical and emotional needs of infants and young children

• The ability to handle an emergency

• Basic knowledge of child development

• Good communication skills

• The ability to be organized 71 Working as a Nanny In addition, families expect nannies to have no history of alcohol or drug abuse and a safe driving record and almost always prefer a nanny who does not smoke. And of course, it certainly helps if a nanny has a sense of humor.

Different Between Nanny and BabySitter ?

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Nannies have far greater responsibilities than babysitters. They are ﬁlling in for parents all day— not for just a few hours— and play a vital role in the family support system. Unlike babysitters, they may live in with a family. Plus, they will have a much longer workweek of from forty to sixty hours. Like babysitters, most nannies are females; however, there are a few male nannies. Tom Cruise hired a male nanny.

APPLYING TO A BABYSITTER SCHOOL

Baby Sitter schools are looking for candidates who have the backgrounds, interests, and experiences that will enable them to become excellent Baby Sitters after training. Most use a screening process to make sure that enrollees do

not have a criminal record or their name on a child abuse registry. In addition, the schools are looking for candidates with an above-average driving record, a clean drug and alcohol record, and no medical disabilities that would prevent them in any way from caring for their charges. Physically, they should be able to stoop, kneel, crouch, and crawl. Good vision and hearing are necessary, as well as being able to lift ﬁfty pounds. On the personality side, schools want prospective students to demonstrate creativity, time management skills, initiative, responsibility, self-conﬁdence, and a love of teaching and children.

SitterCity Nanny Credential Exam

International Nanny Credential Exam The INA Nanny Credential Exam was created as a way to measure a nanny’s working knowledge in the following areas:

Child Development
Family/Provider Communication
Child Guidance Multicultural/Diversity
Awareness Learning Environment
Personal Qualities of a Nanny
Safety Management Skills
Health Nutrition Professionalism

Because the exam is challenging, it is strongly recommended that anyone sitting for the exam has a minimum of 2,000 hours of professional child care experience and current certiﬁcation in infant/child CPR and ﬁrst aid. After the exam is scored, nannies who pass will be given a certiﬁcate that can be added to his/her portfolio or résumé.
79 Working as a sitter

Need For Nanny SkyRockets

U.S. News and World Report has described “nanny” as a “hot Job Track,” where demand really outstrips supply, especially in major metropolitan areas. It is also an appealing job because it can offer such beneﬁts as good pay, an opportunity to travel, paid vacations, use of a car, and health insurance. Read the following advertisements from the classiﬁed sections of

newspapers and online employment websites, and note the range of positions open for employment as a nanny: NANNY— Loving, exp’d, responsible. M– F. 3 young children. No housework. Health insurance. 30-hour week. 317-555-9872.
Nanny— Part time. Needed for daughters ages 12 and 14. Evenings and weekends. Own transportation and references req’d. Leave message. 212-555-0986.
Nanny— Needed for professional couple. Care for newborn. Transport 2 year old to and from preschool. Must be able to work 10-hour days (M– F). 612-555-4000.
Nanny— Needed M– F 6 A.M.–4 P.M. for quiet 5-year-old girl. Experience and references required. 703-555-2163 after 6 P.M.
Nanny— Must be willing to travel abroad. Twin 5-year-old boys. Contact travelingfamily@nannyhelpwanted.com.
Nanny— Two kids. Girl 4, boy 20 months. Four 10-hour days. Competitive pay. Generous beneﬁts. Must drive. busyfamily@nannyhelpwanted.com.

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What it takes to become an Babysitter?

The International Nanny Association strongly supports specialized training for nannies who care for children in an in-home setting. Prospective nannies should contact this international network of nannies, nanny placement agency owners, nanny educators, and nanny employers for career information. Write to International Nanny Association, 2020 Southwest Freeway, Suite 208, Houston, TX 77098, or go online to sittercity.com

BabySitter in The City Responsibilities to the Parents

A Sitter shall:

• Treat parents and other family members with respect by maintaining conﬁdentiality and respecting the family’s right to privacy.

• Work together with parents to create an environment conducive to the healthy development of the child.

• Respect the family’s child-rearing values and parents’ rights to make decisions for their children.

• Support the family value system, cultural expression, and individual characteristics and refrain from imposing personal values or biases on the child.

• Be an advocate for children and work to protect their rights.

• Not hold the child accountable for negative interactions between parents and nanny.

• Inform parents of physical injury, illness, and emotional crises should they occur in the child’s life.

BabySitter Code of Conduct

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The International Nanny Association has adopted a Code of Conduct to promote professionalism and ethical practices among nannies, educators, and those who employ and place in-home child care specialists. By virtue of their membership in the International Nanny Association, members agree to abide by this Code of Conduct and to support quality in-home child care for the world’s most valuable resources— our children.

Responsibilities to the Child A Sitter shall:

• Respect each child as a human being and never knowingly participate in any practice that is disrespectful, dangerous, exploitive, intimidating, or psychologically or physically harmful.

• Maintain a safe and healthy atmosphere that encourages optimum social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development of children.

• Provide various learning opportunities through which a child can explore and utilize his or her continued personal growth and development.

• Recognize the unique potential of each child, encourage questions, and present answers that children can understand.

• Keep abreast of current activity in the areas of childhood development through continued education, either formally or informally.

• Work toward promoting knowledge and understanding of young children and their needs and act as an advocate for children’s rights.

• Be familiar with the signs of child abuse and neglect and be knowledgeable of procedures for dealing with them.

Working As Nanny

The television viewing audience has become far better acquainted recently with the profession of nanny through watching real-life nannies turn around families with poorly behaved children in just a week. It’s rather like seeing the “practically perfect” Mary Poppins in action. While TV nannies have brought attention to this profession, it is deﬁnitely not a new one. The original nannies were trained in England at the Norland Institute. On the job, they wore starched brown uniforms with white aprons, little brown hats, and sensible, sturdy shoes. Much has changed since then. Today’s nannies receive their formal training in community and nanny colleges and dress casually for work in jeans and sneakers. While Mary Poppins, the well-known ﬁctional nanny, ﬂew through the air with the Banks children, nannies are now found skateboarding with their charges.

OWNERSHIP OF CHILD CARE CENTERS

While all child care centers are organized to care for young children, there is diversity in the ownership of these centers. Most centers in the United States are operated by nonproﬁt organizations. In Canada, it is the same story, with 80 percent of the child care centers operated on a not-for-proﬁt basis— usually by community-based or parent organizations. Although people hear a lot about national child care chains, most of the for-proﬁt child care centers are locally owned. The ownership composition of child care centers in the United States is shown in Figure 3.1.
There are advantages in having so many different types of child care centers. Not only do parents have a choice, but child care workers also can choose the work environment that is most appealing to them.

CHILD CARE WORKERS ARE NEEDED

About 50 million women of the close to 120 million women age sixteen years and older in the workforce in the United States today are working mothers. The U.S. labor force has experienced a revolution with the entry of working mothers in dramatic numbers. As recently as 1975, only onethird of women with children worked outside the home. Now, approximately 70 percent of all mothers work in this country. It’s a similar story in Canada, where about 66 percent of all women with children under the age of three work, and about 75 percent of those whose youngest child is age three to ﬁve work. The major impact of this change in the workforce is the overwhelming demand that now exists for child care workers.

As the children of working mothers move through school, there will be a need for more child care workers for supervision of beforeand after-school activities and during vacations and holidays from school. More workers are also needed because of the very high turnover rate among child care workers. Approximately one-third of all child care workers leave this profession each year. The National Women’s Law Center attributes this to the fact that child care workers are among the lowest-paid workers in the United States, with wages only slightly above the poverty threshold. This is also true in Canada, where many workers earn local minimum wages. These very important caregivers in both countries actually earn less than many pet sitters.

MANY CHOICES FOR WORKING WITH CHILDREN As the number of working mothers has increased, a need for a variety of child care arrangements has emerged. This, of course, has created many career choices that center on the care of children. Although approximately 20 percent of all families in the United States and 40 percent in Canada rely on relatives for satisfactory child care arrangements, the rest must look for help beyond their immediate family circle. The two most popular choices are child care centers and family child care homes. This chapter explores the different types of child care centers and the job opportunities they offer.
Careers in family child care homes will be investigated in Chapter 4.

HISTORY OF CHILD CARE CENTERS Before the Industrial Revolution, children were typically cared for in their homes by their families or by caregivers hired to assist family members. In the mid-1700s, factories sprouted up all over England and Scotland, and large numbers of women left their homes to work in them. This change was due largely to the invention of two machines, the spinning jenny and the water frame, which took the manufacture of textiles out of homes and into factories. Women were not able to leave their young children at home nor have the children at their sides in the factories while they were working. To solve this problem, factory owners established rooms for their workers’ children and hired untrained adults, boys, and girls to supervise the children.
These were the ﬁrst child care centers. The establishment of child care centers in the United States occurred almost a hundred years later, when manufacturing became a major industry and women ﬁrst joined the workforce.
Besides pioneering child care centers, Great Britain also introduced nursery schools a short time later to improve upon the care children were receiving at factory child care facilities. Robert Owen, a mill owner and social reformer, set up the ﬁrst program to teach and supervise the children of factory workers and hired people with some teaching qualiﬁcations.
During World War II, women were needed to work in the factories. The U.S. government responded by passing the Lanham Act, which provided funds to set up child care centers in defense plants. At the end of the war, these centers were shut down, and many women left the workforce. In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, women began returning to the workforce and the need for child care centers grew. Today, there are more than a hundred thousand centers serving young children.

In the mid-1960s, the federal government began to play a more prominent role in the care and development of young children. The Head Start program was launched to help prepare the children of poor families for school. Activities were designed to stimulate the social, emotional, mental, and physical growth of young children. Many parents of children in this program work in centers as aides or as volunteers. The Head Start program continues today. Also, the federal government began to provide some child care services for mothers receiving welfare payments who were enrolled in job training programs.

Many proposals for federally sponsored child care programs have been introduced since the 1960s in the United States and Canada. A comprehensive proposal, the Child Development Act, was passed in the U.S. Congress in 1971 but was vetoed by President Nixon. This legislation would have expanded Head Start and provided preschool education for all children who needed this help before enrolling in school. Every year child care bills are introduced in Congress; however, no comprehensive national child care plan has yet emerged. Some states have begun to offer prekindergarten programs for four-year-olds in their most disadvantaged school districts. And others are considering legislation requiring all schools to offer programs for threeand four-year-olds. A wide variety of child care programs 25 Working in Child Care Centers

CAREERS IN CHILD CARE are subsidized by federal, state, and local governments, and more will appear in the future to meet the demand for quality child care. Canada now has a Universal Child Care Beneﬁt that will give parents C$1,200 a year per child under age six but, for the present, has rejected a plan to create muchneeded, licensed child care spaces.
During the 1980s, business and industry became aware that working mothers with young children had more absences from work and left their jobs more often owing to the responsibility of caring for their children. The problems were greatest with the mothers of preschool children. In response, employers devised child care options to help their working mothers. A few have developed both on-site and off-site child care centers. In some cases, a group of employers have joined together to provide child care for their employees. An employer may also establish a referral service to help families ﬁnd child care. Many employers offer vouchers for child care or include some form of child care in their beneﬁts packages. With research showing that employer-sponsored day care programs improve morale and cut personnel costs, more companies have started some type of child care program. This trend is expected to continue, and to accelerate, in the future.

The early years curriculum 1: Birth to Three Matters

Since 1997 there have been a number of initiatives regarding the care and education of young children, including very young children. One of the most important things to happen was the bringing together of childcare and education and a recognition that what happens to children in their earliest years may be critical to their subsequent development.

Increasingly, women who are mothers want or need to return to work after the birth of their children. There is still a view in the United Kingdom that these women are ‘bad’ mothers, who put their careers or their financial security before the well-being of their children. There is also a general and lingering suspicion of childcare away from the home, despite a substantial body of evidence highlighting the benefits of children being with other children and other adults. Dahlberg et al. (2004), in the most recent edition of their book looking at quality in early childhood provision, talk, deliberately, of early childhood institutions rather than of early childhood services. They point out that a service implies a giver and a taker, a buyer and a seller. This is the language of the market. Talking of institutions, they argue, takes the discussion into a more public arena where aspects of culture and society, fairness and equity, may be discussed.
Despite the bringing together of care and education, parents are still faced with a plethora of perplexing choices when making decisions about what to do with their young children. The wealthy might employ a nanny or an au pair, or send their child to a private nursery. Some might opt for playgroups, where parents often play a role. Many will try to get their children into the nursery school if there is one in their area and if there is a space. These are often like gold dust! Many will send their children to day care centres and more and more will select children’s centres offering all-day provision.

Think about these words: Nursery, crèche, childcare centre, daghem, asilo nido (which means ‘nest’), nursery school, nursery class, kindergarten, école maternelle, scuola d’infanzia, children’s centres, wrap-around care, maintained schools, private schools, special schools, independent schools, playgroups

And these: Teacher, teaching assistant, nursery nurse, educationalist, carer, pedagogue, volunteer, helper, manager, childminder, nanny, au pair childcare centre worker, practitioner, manager, Sure Start And these: Montessori, Reggio Emilia, High Scope, Sure Start, Steiner, schemas, Te Whaariki,

Foundation Stage, Birth to Three Matters, Every Child Matters Are you confused? Not surprising, really. These words have been taken out of several current and popular books on early childhood education and care, and it is no wonder that those working with children or thinking about their learning and development feel that they are walking through treacle. We are not going to unpick all these terms now, because there is not the space. You have been asked to think about them purely to get a sense of the complexity of the field.
In 1997 the UK government decided that the time was ripe for developing what it called a framework to support those working with children from birth to the age of three. Already in place was the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage, which applies to children from the age of three to the age of five-plus. (We will turn our attention to that in the next chapter.) The resulting document was called Birth to Three Matters (Department for Education and Skills 2004b), a title which holds the promise of a recognition of something we all know. In the foreword to the document, Baroness Ashton tells us that the publication of the document constitutes a milestone in recognising and valuing our youngest children and the contribution made to their growth and development by the adults who work with them. It raises the status of work with this important age group and marks our commitment to supporting quality and effective practice with children from birth to three.

The New ChildCare Bill

We have seen a new document relating to the care and education of children from birth to the age of three (which we discuss in detail later in this chapter) as well as the publication of the significant document Every Child Matters and a revised Children Act 2004. Arising out of all this will be the Childcare Bill, which is due to be published before the end of 2006, resulting in what will be called the Early Years Foundation Stage— due to be introduced in 2008 and effectively merging Birth to Three, the Foundation Stage and elements of the National Standards for under-eights day care and childminding. This will be compulsory for all those currently registered with OFSTED as well as for independent, maintained and non-maintained settings catering for children under the age of three. The new regulations will apply to all children from birth until 31 August following any child’s fifth birthday. It will have the same legal status as the Foundation Stage currently has under the National Curriculum and will remove the Foundation Stage from the National Curriculum.

The Early Years Foundation Stage will start with six areas of learning and development. These are:

• personal, social and emotional development;

• communication, language and literacy;

• problem-solving, reasoning and numeracy;

• knowledge and understanding of the world;

• physical development; and

• creative development. You will see that there are few changes in the six learning areas, but those there are, are significant. Mathematics, for example, currently in the Foundation Stage, is to be replaced with the more relevant and meaningful problemsolving, reasoning and numeracy. The new documents will specify early learning goals, educational programmes and assessment arrangements, and it is encouraging to read that these are going to be largely based on the observations adults make of children at play. Another change is the introduction of aspects of welfare— things like the qualifications and training of the adults, the suitability of the premises and resources, how complaints are dealt with and how records are kept. In a press release called ‘Direction of Travel’ (December 2005) we are reminded that the current Foundation Stage was built on research into early childhood provision— specifically the Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE)—a longitudinal study— and Researching Pedagogy in the Early Years (REPEY). Birth to Three was based on a reading of relevant literature and publications, including a project carried out by Professor Edward Melhuish in June 2004 for the Daycare Trust. This

showed that three aspects of interaction between children and carers were key: affection, responsiveness and communication.
The new document will highlight the importance of children learning through selfchosen activities— that is, through play— and will advocate that there is a sensible balance between childand adult-initiated activities. The starting point for all provision will be the five outcomes detailed in Every Child Matters and the Children Act (2004):

• Be healthy.

• Stay safe.

• Enjoy and achieve.

• Make a positive contribution.

• Achieve economic well-being. Settings will use the four aspects of Birth to Three Matters, work towards the early learning goals and look ahead to the five aspects outlined above. The fourteen national standards may also apply. It is a far-reaching proposal, making some needed changes and bringing together currently separate strands into one document and one legal framework.

Partnership with Parents

Partnerships with parents You can be left in little doubt that it is generally considered to be a ‘good thing’ for parents and carers to be intimately involved with the schools and settings which care for and educate their children. Birth to Three Matters, the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage and the Foundation Stage Profile: Handbook all remind us of this. Parents, we all know and appreciate, are children’s first educators. Current UK government thinking places parents high on the agenda, talking about ways of helping parents (particularly mothers) go back to work or study and offering them that ‘golden’ word: choice. Indeed, in December 2004 the government published a policy document called Choice for Parents: The Best Start for Children and described the policy as a tenyear strategy for childcare. The goals of the policy are laudable: more money, more training, more inter-agency work. The policy arises out of the research mentioned in an earlier chapter (Daycare Trust 2004) and the Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) Project. Here are some of the things being proposed:

• The setting up of children’s centres where the youngest children are brought together in one setting so that there is care and education for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers.

• The leaders of these children’s centres to be offered training through a one-year programme focusing on leadership (currently being trialled).

• By 2008 there are supposed to be children’s centres serving 2,500 communities.

• The setting up of childminding networks to link childminders caring for children in homes rather than settings to be linked into the system.

• The setting up of extended day programmes for schools, allowing parents to be offered care for their children beyond the hours of the traditional school day. • Funding for childcare through working tax credits which is aimed to go beyond the current figure of £135 per week for a single child and £300 for two children in a family.

• Joined-up services for families.

• A proper qualifications strategy for childcare workers.

• Attention paid to parental leave and to flexible working. It is up to you to decide whether this approach takes seriously raising the status of childcare as a profession, of childcare workers within society, of children within our culture. Sceptics might suggest that the policy has more to do with getting parents back to work to boost the economy than about offering universal, free quality care and education to all children whose parents want it. In terms of parental participation there is a wealth of documented evidence showing that where parents and practitioners work closely together, children thrive. It is imperative that in any setting a genuine two-way partnership is established. This means

Partnerships with parents You can be left in little doubt that it is generally considered to be a ‘good thing’ for parents and carers to be intimately involved with the schools and settings which care for and educate their children. Birth to Three Matters, the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage and the Foundation Stage Profile: Handbook all remind us of this. Parents, we all know and appreciate, are children’s first educators. Current UK government thinking places parents high on the agenda, talking about ways of helping parents (particularly mothers) go back to work or study and offering them that ‘golden’ word: choice. Indeed, in December 2004 the government published a policy document called Choice for Parents: The Best Start for Children and described the policy as a tenyear strategy for childcare. The goals of the policy are laudable: more money, more training, more inter-agency work. The policy arises out of the research mentioned in an earlier chapter (Daycare Trust 2004) and the Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) Project. Here are some of the things being proposed:

• The setting up of children’s centres where the youngest children are brought together in one setting so that there is care and education for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers.

• The leaders of these children’s centres to be offered training through a one-year programme focusing on leadership (currently being trialled).

• By 2008 there are supposed to be children’s centres serving 2,500 communities.

• The setting up of childminding networks to link childminders caring for children in homes rather than settings to be linked into the system.

• The setting up of extended day programmes for schools, allowing parents to be offered care for their children beyond the hours of the traditional school day.

• Funding for childcare through working tax credits which is aimed to go beyond the current figure of £135 per week for a single child and £300 for two children in a family.

• Joined-up services for families. • A proper qualifications strategy for childcare workers.

• Attention paid to parental leave and to flexible working. It is up to you to decide whether this approach takes seriously raising the status of childcare as a profession, of childcare workers within society, of children within our culture. Sceptics might suggest that the policy has more to do with getting parents back to work to boost the economy than about offering universal, free quality care and education to all children whose parents want it. In terms of parental participation there is a wealth of documented evidence showing that where parents and practitioners work closely together, children thrive. It is imperative that in any setting a genuine two-way partnership is established. This means