As a parent, you want to make sure you do everything you can to keep your child safe. If you’re hiring a nanny, that means a rigorous interview to determine personality and fit, and it also means performing a thorough background check. What does that mean, though? And what should you know before, during, and after the investigatory process?

When and How to Request Permission for a Background Check
First, you should know that you’ll need permission from the applicant to perform a background check. Some firms might tell you that they can perform a check on their own, but true checks (fair and legal ones) require consent of the person being investigated. This is because background checks done for employment purposes (as opposed to those done, say, when you buy a firearm) are regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The FCRA is set up to ensure that information revealed in the background check process is gathered and distributed fairly, and it oversees the consumer reporting agencies that perform these checks.

To that end, you need to notify the applicant as soon as possible, especially if you consider them a serious candidate. You’ve got options here, too: you can request consent for the background check before the interview, if you want to have as much knowledge as possible going in, or you can do it after, as a way to provide another check on someone you might want to hire. Whatever you do, though, you should be clear with the applicant that you want to perform the check and that you can’t do so without their permission. Clarity is key here.

What You Can Learn
A lot, frankly. Thorough background checks cover felony and misdemeanor records; civil litigation records; DMV records, though not minor violations like parking tickets; national-level searches on outstanding warrants; checks of the applicant’s name against sex offender registries; verification of an accurate Social Security Number; verification of professional licenses and certificates; and verification of education. Professional background checks use a variety of databases, including the FBI Identification Record and the Interstate Identification Index System. There’s no one central place where all this information resides, so thorough background checks have to include checking several databases. In cases where the databases are unavailable online or aren’t updated, manual county court record checks may need to be conducted.

What a Background Check Won’t Show You
There are two main areas that won’t be covered by a background check.

The first is anything that might come into conflict with state law regarding such investigations. Although the FCRA is the umbrella for background checks, some states restrict certain types of information from being reported. For instance, many states don’t report criminal activity that’s more than seven years old, but they will if the salary of the new position reaches a certain minimum threshold (e.g., $20,000 in New Hampshire, $75,000 in Texas). In Indiana, only convictions are reported, not infractions or the existence of expunged records. Many states also have specific directives about the method in which employers must provide a copy of the background check to the applicant. The consumer reporting agency that’s conducting the background search for you can help you learn more about your rights and responsibilities here.

The other thing background checks won’t show is so obvious that most people overlook it: anything the applicant didn’t get caught doing in the area that was researched. A background check can only turn up evidence, not intent, and in some states you’re even limited to the type of activity that can be included on the report. But if your nanny applicant has moved from state to state multiple times, it’s very likely that you might miss out on some things that you’d want to know.

The Most Important Thing to Remember About Nanny Background Checks
That leads to the most important thing that every parent and family should remember when it comes to investigating potential nannies through background checks. No matter how detailed the report, it’s just a tool, and an imperfect one at that. It cannot, by definition, tell you everything the person has ever done, nor can it prevent you from being harmed in the future. Your goal is to make an educated, informed hiring decision, and a background check is only one part of that process. Talk to the nanny about their experience and goals. Get to know candidates, and watch them interact with your children. Pair those in-person experiences with the background check to make the best decision possible for your family.

Life-threatening injuries are tragic when they strike families with young children, but the tragedy feels magnified when the accidents and injuries could’ve been prevented with a few simple precautions. As a parent, one of the smartest things you can do is take the necessary steps to make sure accidents like these don’t come into your life. You can’t control everything, but you can do a lot to stay safe. Think about these tips as you plan your home and care for your child:

Falling From a Window
A screen isn’t enough to keep a child from pushing through an open window and falling, even if it’s securely attached. They’re ultimately too flimsy, and they aren’t designed to do anything but loosely sit in a window frame and let air pass through. Even on a ground floor of a home, falling out of a window can be a life-threatening injury for a child. To avoid this situation, you’ll need to install high-quality window guards and locks designed to keep children from tampering with window openings. Window locks usually attach to the edge of the window frame and keep the window from being opened past the lock point, so you can keep the window from opening more than, say, three or four inches if you want to. That lets you open the window to let in air but not worry about leaving a gap wide enough for a child to pass through. A window guard looks like a lot like a pet door guard, and it has bars that extend across a window opening that prevent a child from exiting through an open window. They’re childproof but still removable by adults in emergency situations.

Heat Stroke
It’s estimated that several dozen children die heat-related deaths every year after being left in hot cars. It’s never OK to leave a child in a car, even for a few minutes. The lack of air and the oppressive heat — in any weather — can overpower even an adult, leaving kids totally defenseless. Being absent-minded isn’t OK, either. To make sure you never leave a child in the car, always open your rear door and check the back seat when you arrive at your destination. This might sound goofy — how could you forget if your child was with you? — but it’s a worthwhile habit. Similarly, do mirror checks of the back and give everything a once-over everytime you arrive at a destination to make sure you’ve got everybody.

While you’re at home, your kids might want to play in your car, not knowing how dangerous it can be. Always, always lock your doors and make sure your kids can’t get to the keys when you’re home. Your kids should never be able to access your car without your presence and permission.

Drowning
Pool and swimming safety is another area that requires solid supervision. Almost 10 people per day die from unintentional drowning, two of those 10 are kids under 15, and children between 1 and 4 years old have the highest drowning rate. It’s a major cause for concern, especially since so many life-threatening situations could be prevented. Be smart when it comes to how you and your kids interact with the water. Swimming lessons are wise, and you should always supervise all swimming activities, even if it’s a tiny inflatable pool in your backyard. Floating accessories (foam noodles, water wings, etc.) can help kids stay afloat, but these are not safety devices, and it’s not OK to think that the presence of these toys can mitigate disaster. Always, always watch your kids when they’re in or near the water.

Bumper Pad Suffocation
Crib bumpers were intended to protect against injury while sleeping, but the American Academy of Pediatrics says that bumpers don’t do anything to prevent injury and in fact pose a major risk for suffocation and entrapment. Infants don’t have the motor skills necessary to turn their heads or untangle themselves if they become stuck in the bumper pad. Other types of bedding, and even some mesh bumpers (which are more breathable), are much better alternatives and will keep your baby safer.

Seat Belt Accidents
Car accidents are, unfortunately, impossible to predict. You can do everything in the world to be a better driver, but you can’t control other people or tell when one of them might cause a wreck. To that end, it’s vital that you properly secure your child in your car when you’re driving so that, should an accident occur, they’ll be safely belted in and not at risk for serious injury or death. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a great resource for parents that goes over car seat basics, proper fit, seat evaluations, and more. There’s also The Car Seat Lady, which has a wealth of tips, tricks, slideshows, and other breakdowns of the latest in child safety protocols. For example, many parents make the mistake of fitting a lap belt across a child’s belly, when it should go snugly across the lap. It holds the body down, not back, putting strain on strong leg muscles and not weak stomach areas and internal organs.

The real lesson here: Plan smart, do your homework, and keep a close eye on your kids. The saddest injuries are the ones you could have prevented.