Tasks To Conduct When Selecting A Daycare Assistant

If you own your own daycare service and you are in need of an assistant, you will undoubtedly start the process in trying to recruit someone to fill the position soon. It is important to select a person who is not a threat to the safety of the children under your care. Here are some steps you can take when going through the interviewing process to help you weed out those who would not be a good fit for your daycare business.

Give Applicants A Test To Pass

To find out how a potential employee would handle children in your establishment, have them each take a small test you create to see what their response would be to a situation that may happen in the daycare. This can be a written "test" where you explain a problem that may arise with a child during their shift. The applicant can then write a summary of how they would handle the situation. 

You can also try role-playing to see what the applicant would do in an emergency or awkward situation with a child. Have someone pretend to be a child or have one of your own children help you with the interview by dramatically playing out a problem that needs a solution. Have the applicant play along by giving a response to the situation presented to them. These tests may help you decide which person would be best suited for the job a bit better than just asking standard interviewing questions.

Conduct Background Checks

When calling applicants to set up an interview, let them know you intend to conduct background checks before making a decision on the person you will hire. If someone has prior abuse charges, they will be less likely to show up for the interview after being told their background will be looked into, saving you time as a result. A background check can be done be a reliable service for a fee. Do not try to do background checks on your own via computer searching, as you may miss important information that only a professional can provide.

Have Drug And Alcohol Testing Done

Making sure the daycare worker you select is free of drug usage is best. If an employee shows up to take care of children under the influence of drugs or alcohol, there is the chance of injury, misconduct, abuse, or a potential lawsuit. Hire a drug and alcohol testing service, such as Medico Mobile Inc, to give you results about an applicant's current drug or alcohol usage to help you weed out potential risky staff members from those who do not abuse substances. The applicant will need to go to a facility to have blood drawn or to give a urine sample for analysis. The testing service will alert you if there is a problem with drug or alcohol use. At that time, eliminate that applicant from consideration for the job.

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