In neighboring Malaysia earlier this year, 30-year-old mom Chan Yee Ling had brought her two-year-old daughter Tan Xuan Ying home from the babysitter, and was giving her a bath when something terrible caught her eye.
She noticed bruises on her little one’s face… and they had been covered with concealer.
According to Malay Mail Online, the babysitter, when asked by Chan what had happened, had said the little girl had fallen and bruised herself. However, doctors confirmed that the injuries were not from a fall and advised Chan to lodge a police complaint.
Reports say she lodged a report at Cheras police station, following which she took her daughter to hospital for treatment.
Hiring unknown dangers
Chan had reportedly met the 34-year-old babysitter on Facebook and employed her to look after Xuan Ying and her little brother aged one. Xuan Ying’s mother, who is a single mom working as a sales executive, sent her kids to the babysitter once in two weeks and would visit them every other day.
The babysitter, who lives in Kuchai Lama, is married and has a four-year-old daughter, reports say. She had reportedly discouraged Chan from visiting her kids too often as it would cause adjustment difficulties.
At a press conference with MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong, Chan said, “I was shocked to find my daughter in that condition. I have a good relationship with the babysitter. Sometimes I even have my dinner there.”
On the next page, read about some tips to keep in mind before hiring a yaya or helper.
Careful background and reference checking is key
Chong advises: “Be careful when you look for a babysitter, especially on Facebook, as it is difficult to run a background check.” We at theAsianparent couldn’t agree more.
Here are some very useful tips to keep in mind when hiring a yaya or helper:
- Try to avoid hiring a yaya from Facebook as it is almost impossible to run a background check on her. She could even be posing as someone else under a false name.
- Always ask for your potential helper’s/yaya’s references and talk to them before hiring. Remember to ask if they had any issues with the helper/yaya.
- Don’t forget to check the credentials of the maid agency, if you are going through one.
- Once you decide to hire someone, lay down carefully thought-through house rules and caution your new employee to stick to these rules to a T.
Republished with permission from: theAsianparent Singapore
Read:5 Steps to finding and keeping the right yaya
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