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Step 1
If the child for whom you are sitting is less than one year old, make sure the contract includes details of the child’s feeding and changing schedules. In addition, a mechanism should be in place where you record the times of the feedings and when the child was changed. Such a record will keep you on track and demonstrate your sense of responsibility.
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Step 2
The contract should include details about the medications the child is to receive, including times and dosages. Again, there should be a way for you to verify that information. This information is very important because it relates directly to the safety of the child.
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Step 3
If you take the child away from his home, whether it is on the spur of the moment or it is planned, details of that should be in writing because the parents/guardians have a right to know where their child is at all times. The contract should also contain information of the parent’s or guardian’s whereabouts at all times.
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Step 4
If the parent/guardian expects you to do other work besides that relating to the child, it should be spelled out in the contract. Things such as fixing meals or cleaning up the house should be included. And if there were a way for you to log that work, it would show that it has been done according to your agreement.
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Step 5
The economic terms of your arrangement should be spelled out specifically in the contract, and they should include the hourly rates and the time and method of payment. If you ordinarily charge for special services or for overtime, their terms should be included in the contract, as well.
