- Have the following emergency information written down and readily accessible in the event of an emergency (on the refrigerator is a good place); Family name, children’s names, instructions on how to contact parents, phone numbers of close relatives and neighbors, doctor’s name and phone number and the phone number of the poison control center.
- In the event of an emergency, call 911 and identify yourself by name, tell them you are babysitting and state the problem. State the address of the house where you are. Give the phone number you are calling from. Follow any instructions the emergency personnel tell you.
- Get written instructions about any medications to be given to the children. Be sure to find out amounts and times.
- Plan a fire drill in your head. Plan on more ways than one to get yourself and the children out of the house in case of fire. Read Fire Safety Rules
- If there is a swimming pool, find out if the children are allowed to swim in it during your care. If they are, find out all the safety rules for that family and make sure you are fully aware of all the children at all times. They cannot be left alone in or by a pool.
- Find out if you are to give the children anything to eat or drink before bed. Ask about any food allergies.
- Make sure all the doors and windows are locked from the inside, and lock the front door after the parents leave. Turn on the front light to the house.
- Make sure you know where the children are and what they are doing at all times. Stay with younger children to ensure their safety.
- Never leave a child in the bathtub alone. Not even for a minute. It only takes a few seconds for a child to drown. If the doorbell or phone rings, ignore it.
- Do not allow strangers into the house unless the people you are babysitting for leave specific instructions for you to let someone in. If you must let someone in and you have never seen them before, only open the door a little way and ask the person for picture ID.
- When a phone call comes in, take a message and tell them that the parent will call them back shortly. Don’t let them caller know you are there alone with the kids for a long period of time.
- After the children go to sleep, check on them every 20-30 minutes.