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You've read all the advice about how to choose a child care provider. You've done the research to learn what type of care is best for your child and family. Now you're ready to hire a candidate, right? Hold on. There's more to finding a caregiver than checking license numbers or choosing group care rather than a nanny. How will you ensure the relationship you're starting today can survive the next few weeks, months or years? Consider the following steps in your approach to hiring these important new people in your baby's life.

1. The Interviews.
   Whether you're looking at daycare centers, hiring a nanny or trying to find a weekend sitter, you might already have a set of interview questions in mind before you sit down with a candidate. Add to the list questions that may reveal how stable a relationship the candidate can provide. For example, ask about her work history. Has she changed jobs frequently? If so, can she provide a solid reason why? Does she already have a job with another family part time? Consider the possibility that the other family may eventually change or increase her hours. How will such a change affect her work with you?

   Ask also about her short- and long-term goals. Is she a student about to graduate? Is she a drifter uncertain about her future? Someone without clear goals might leave you high and dry if something more interesting comes along. If you're concerned about a perceived lack of direction, consult her references and get an idea of how reliably she's performed for other employers -- and whether she's left any of them in the lurch. Conversely, ask a candidate who does have long-term goals how you fit into her plans. Will she be in town a year from now? If it's a daycare center you're considering, ask about the turnover rate of the staff. Find out how long the head teacher has been employed there and what jobs she's held previously.

2. The Trial Period.
   Once you've found one or more candidates you think are a good match for your family, you still have some work ahead of you. Don't plan to hand over the house keys to the first caregiver who seems to fit the bill. Establish a trial period, perhaps two weeks in length, during which neither party is under contract to the other. You and your potential caregiver should decide up front how much money you'll offer per hour during the trial period. If you're working with a daycare center, they may have their own rules about how often you can visit and how much you'll need to pay to register your child.

   Arrange to be present for the first few visits while the candidate spends an hour or so with your child. You can eventually increase the time the two are together while decreasing the time you are present. The trial period allows both parties to spot potential problems with the relationship before the contracts are signed. Either of you can back out without investing too much time. You also can use this time to model how you care for your child. For example, as the caregiver spends time with you, she should note how you discipline your child, what you feed him for lunch, how you respond to his cries to be picked up, where you go to the park and more.

   If at any point during the trial period you don't feel comfortable leaving your child with this caregiver, try to figure out why -- and stay present. Is this the wrong match? Are you rushing the relationship? Can you make any adjustments or should you just move on to the next candidate?

3. The Contract.
   After the trial period, if both you and your potential child care provider are still interested in establishing a relationship, it is important that you draw up a contract. The contract can be as simple or detailed as you choose, but it will play an important role in the coming months as you try to smooth any bumps in the road. You can find sample contracts online or, if you're working through a nanny agency, your placement counselor might have examples to follow. (If you're considering a daycare center, they will probably provide you with a handbook or set of pamphlets containing rules and guidelines.) Included in your contract should be some of the following:
   • What hours is the caregiver expected to work and for what pay? What time should she arrive?
   • How often will the caregiver be paid?
   • What benefits, if any, will the child care provider be offered?
   • How should the caregiver discipline your child?
   • What actions should be taken in case of an emergency?
   • Is the caregiver expected to transport the child by car, and if so, will she have the use of your vehicle?
   • What type of activities do you expect your child to engage in -- or abstain from -- throughout the day? For example, should the caregiver take the child to the park every morning? Do you wish to limit the amount of television your child watches?
   • What specific duties is the caregiver responsible for other than caring for your child? For example, any housework or cooking?
   • How much notice should either party give before terminating the relationship?

   Go over the completed contract with the candidate and ask her to suggest any changes she thinks are necessary. Specify the duration of the contract -- will you revisit the terms in a year? Six months? When the two of you agree to a draft, sign it and keep it in an easy-to-access place for reference. If conflicts, uncertainties or misunderstandings arise later, you can always refer to the contract for clarification.

4. The (Ongoing) Assessment.
   Now that you've chosen a child care provider and both of you have signed the contract, you're still not ready to run out the door without looking back. The most important part of maintaining a relationship with your child's caregiver is frequent communication.

   Make time before you leave each day to chat and get an idea of how your caregiver is feeling. You also should set up regular informal meetings with your employee to ask how things are going. If your child goes to a daycare center, ask about regular meetings with the head teacher or director to keep tabs on how well your child is doing in that environment. When you notice a problem, no matter how small it seems now, don't let it fester. Address it. For instance, has your sitter been arriving 10 minutes late every other day?

   While you're looking for signs of satisfaction (or lack of), don't overlook the most important key to assessing the relationship: Your child's response to the caregiver. If you notice any changes in your child, like sudden clinginess, reluctance to go to the caregiver or any unusual anxiety, try to get to the bottom of the problem quickly. Your child is the best barometer of how well the relationship is progressing.

   Finally, be open to your caregiver's complaints. Is there anything she'd like to change? Does she need an adjustment in hours? Try to be as responsive to her needs as you expect her to be to your needs (and your child's, of course). You also might offer her pay increases to mark work well done, get a token gift for her on holidays or give her the day off when her sister's in town. If you show your caregiver how much you value her, she is likely to return the favor by going out of her way to be a positive, loving figure in your child's life.