A Full Background Check Can Be Easy and Affordable

By Allison Berman
February 10, 2009

Anyone who reads my column regularly knows I hired an assistant to help make my career/family balancing act feel a little less like a high wire routine. He cleans my house, babysits my kids and helps me with my computer woes. What you don't know is that I found him, gasp, online. How do I leave my children with someone I found online? I have two words for you background check.

It took me forever to leave my older daughter with anyone - so to find someone to help me with childcare was challenging to put it mildly. I started my search through word-of-mouth, but anybody who had found "Mary Poppins" wasn't sharing. I didn't need/want someone 5 days so agencies with proper vetting procedures weren't an option. I was going to have to find someone and then vet them myself.

My husband suggested Craig's List. Since that's how he sold our first house, I resisted the urge to mock him for suggesting a site known for torrid trysts; instead I gave it a shot. I met my now assistant and his fiancé and liked them both. I called references - yes, past employers do give "off the record" stories when prior employees are less than stellar. His references were great so I hired him.

Since he was still "a stranger" we started with cleaning -a good opportunity for everyone to get to know each other. Several months later I felt ready to leave him with the children. Even though I had checked his references, and now knew him fairly well, I asked him for his social security number so I could run a background check. I was uncomfortable raising the topic, but his response was great. I ran the number and everything came back clean, whew!

I didn't do a background check originally because I had this preconceived notion it would be impossible for a "regular person" to get reliable information. And I was convinced it would be prohibitively expensive. I obviously chose to explore my options anyway, and I am happy to report I was wrong.

There are a variety of sites that charge less than $100. I used www.CriminalWatchDog.com. Another site is www.BeenVerified.com. Most charge less than $50 depending on how extensive the search is. My only regret is I didn't do the search before Michael started. (I felt a little foolish doing a background check on someone that had already been in my home, with my children and me for months, but I decided better late than never.)

So, if you need help with your house or the kids either to accomplish your professional goals or just to gain a little sanity - it's always a good idea to start your search through word of mouth - but don't dismiss some of the more arms length options. A complete background check is only a click away.

Allison Berman, an artist and mother of two, handpaints custom home accessories for interior designers and private customers. She works out of her home studio in Warwick, NY. See her collection at www.withlovealib.com. She can be reached at ali@withlovealib.com. Her column appears Tuesdays.