How Can We Know Who is Really Watching Our Children?

The tragedies in this world never cease to amaze. There are always stories of dangers outside of the home, lurking around every corner, and in every stranger. Rarely do people think about caretakers, until it is too late.
A family from New York City made headlines after Marina Krim came home one day to find two of her young children stabbed to death in the family bathtub and the woman, who was supposed to be looking after them, stabbing her own neck. Yoselyn Ortega was arrested for the murders and is standing trial, upon a judges’ decision that she is indeed mentally competent. A number of babysitters have also been caught on hidden camera abusing the children left in their care.
With so many “bad babysitters” it is a wonder that parents still trust some strangers with their children’s’ care. Understandably, parents have more financial responsibilities in today’s economy, and so they rely on babysitters to care for their precious packages while they are at work. Checking references has become obsolete. People can have friends lie for them or find other ways of tricking the potential employers. There are websites that supposedly help in the hiring process. They “check references” and allow babysitters to build a resume with which the employers look over. But again it is rather easy to lie. Even entrusting kids to daycares can prove the wrong decision.
Kids are at risk at every turn. People in today’s society are more and more mentally unstable everyday. There will eventually be a full proof way to screen babysitters. Until then, the only things we can do are check and trust.