• Advertise your interest in babysitting by talking to adults who have young children at your school, youth group, community center or house of worship. Ask friends who already babysit to refer jobs when they are unable to babysit. You can create simple business cards to provide your contact information.
• Get to know the parents or guardians of the children you will babysit.
• Discuss each job with your parents or guardians before you say "yes."
• Take jobs you know you can handle.

• Know how you’ll get to the job and back home safely.
• Know what hours you’ll be expected to babysit.
• Tell your parents or guardians—
• Where you’ll be.
• How to contact you.
• When to expect you home.

Complete the Family Interview Form and a Family Interview Information Card.

• Open the door to anyone before checking to see who it is.
• Open the door to strangers, including delivery people.
• Let anyone inside who is using alcohol or drugs, even if you know them.
• Tell a stranger on the phone that you are the babysitter.
• Stay anywhere you feel unsafe, smell smoke or hear a fire or smoke alarm.
• Go outside to check on something strange, such as an unusual noise.

When the parents or guardians get home, provide them with a Babysitter's Report Record.