How would you handle this situation about a care giver and your children. Serious answers only please?

Question

My husband is out of town this week on a job. I had a function I had to attend last night. I knew it would be late when I got home, so instead of using our regular sitter. A teen age girl who I knew would have school today. I called an agency to send out a sitter. She seemed very nice, I left detailed instructions, dinner, bedtimes ect... When I got home at 11:45 P.M. 2 of my kids 10 & 8 years old were setting on the couch watching TV. South Park of all things. I never let them watch it. My 3 year old was asleep on the livingroom floor. And the sitter was asleep in a recliner. She feed them just mac & cheese for dinner. And then let them munch on junk food.I was livid. And of course today I could not get my kids to wake up for school. I want to do something about this but I am not sure what. My sister says the damage is done. That I should just leave it alone and not use that agency again. I think I should file a complaint. What would you suggest?
Thank You

Answer 1

Make a written complaint to the agency, then follow up with a report to the Better Business Bureau. Send a copy of your letter to the Department of Social Services, Child Protective Services Division. This will alert them to an agency where childcare providers are not of quality and they will know not to allow this agency to provide state funded care and they may start a file so they know, when there is a complaint of greater proportion, that it's not an isolated incident.

Word of mouth is the greatest sword. Tell everyone you know about the experience and never to use this agency. If they don't screen providers any better than this, they should not be in business. It could be that this is a new provider and not typical of the quality they normally have on staff... but they should have screened more carefully and trained their providers or given them guidelines to follow.

Answer 2

I went to school at one of these 'agencies' to train to be a nanny, but just about anyone could go thru them for a job and get lots of jobs. The thing is, they do background checks and other checks (at least they do in Oregon) to make sure that they are qualified. And they usually call the parents to ask how the person did. If they didn't do well, then they were definitely reprimanded or fired.

Since you used an agency, DEFINITELY call and complain to the agency. Tell them exactly what she did and didn't do. I don't blame you for expecting her to do all the things you asked her to do. When they work for agencies, they know up front that they are supposed to do exactly as the parents want them to do and that they are not only representing themselves but also the agency. Period. And if they don't they can, and probably will, get fired.

I was a nanny for two years and know that if I did as this sitter did, I would have been fired on the spot. Even a regular sitter has to do something other than just sit there to be sure that there are no fires and they aren't kidnapped. I have done sitting jobs and still did what the parents wanted, when they wanted, etc. I never got fired for that! Either this girl is too young not to know better, just wanted to make some easy money, or was lazy, or all of the above. But DON'T let any of those be used as excuses. She MUST know that what she did is NOT ok, ever. She put your kids in danger, kept them up way too late, let them watch things that kids that age should NOT have been watching, and was asleep on the job so anything could have happened and she wouldn't have known it.

Do talk with your children about their experience, what they saw on TV, etc. Answer any questions they may have about all of it. Then just be loving and caring and do as you always would and they should be fine. Just let them know that you are always there to listen if they have questions about any of it.

Answer 3

Immediately call the agency and file a formal complaint. Who knows how long she was asleep and who knows what could have happened if the 3 year old had still been awake. They should be happy to help you because it is the company's reputation on the line, not just the sitter.

Ask for a refund, partial at least. If they don't take you seriously on the phone, send a written complaint and send a copy to your state's unit that oversees childcare. At the bottom of the letter put: cc: (the state agency's name, address), this tells the agency that they have been reported. Make sure you mention in the letter that you tried to solve this without involving the state.

This could have been much more serious than junk food, South Park and sleeping on the floor. Your littlest one could have been seriously hurt while she was sleeping and this woman's boss (the agency) needs to be informed.

Answer 4

File a complaint with the agency. By getting someone from an agency, you should expect that they will do everything you ask them to do in regards to your children. I'm sure the agency will do something about your complaint since their baby-sitter is making their company look bad.

Also, next time you speak to your regular baby-sitter, ask her if she is able to baby-sit during the week if the need arises. She might be able to. If she can't, then try the agency one more time. Remind them when you book the baby-sitter of what happened last time and make sure they send someone else.

Answer 5

I think you should certainly file a complaint. The sitter shouldn't have fallen asleep, let alone do all the other stuff she did. If you don't call the agency, she will just behave irresponsibly on some other job - and a child could get hurt.

Answer 6

Yes the damage is done and Yes! You should file a complaint I would. Also call the agency and talk to a manager or supervisor about the situation and tell them you would post the name of the agency and the situation on the internet. then see what happens

Answer 7

If I were you I would notify the agency. Otherwise they will assume that you were satisfied with the services provided. That is the whole idea of going through an agency. They need to know that you left specific instructions and they were not followed and she let them watch something totally inappropriate, not too mention she fell asleep on the job! Leaving two of the three unattended.

Answer 8

Take your sisters advice and let it go. You shouldn't use the agency again but if you really want to then have a discussion with the owner/manager and explain your concerns with the individual they sent over and don't have her back. The best thought tho is to not trust a total stranger with your beloved children. If you have no one that you would trust with your own life then take a pass on the function.

PS: the kids probably thougt she was great and I doubt a lot of damage was done to their inner being. The values you have taught them will continue to be the defining influence in their lifes.

Answer 9

hiring a sitter is just that; they sit and watch your kids to make sure they aren't starting fires or getting kidnapped. you can't expect them to care for your kids the way that you would. finding a good, quality person to care for your kids on short notice is difficult and always a gamble. you never know how they will treat your kids until after. i say, never use that service again and warn your mom friends about it. if you can leave a complaint, do so, but it probably won't change anything. i'm sorry this happened to you, i know how it is. many people take jobs as baby sitters to be lazy and get easy money; as you saw.

Answer 10

Your sister is right, sad to say. There's nothing much you can do to change what happened last night except explain to your children that what they watched on TV isn't acceptable, and try to work with them so they won't imitate what they saw on that show. The only thing you can do about that sitter is complain to the agency. She sounds very irresponsible, and you probably aren't the first family she's done this to. Don't let this go. Every complaint counts.