Almost 14% of parents polled in our recent child care survey said they were using nanny or au pairs for child care and this number is likely to increase while child care places for the under twos remain in short supply. But how well do you know your nanny or au pair and would you really know what they got up to while you're out at work?

Believe it or not the 'nanny cam' is actually an existing product sold throughout the world (OK, mainly the USA) and widely used by parents with children being looked after by nannies, au pairs and babysitters.

Nanny cams are now pretty widely used in the USA after a number of reported incidents over the last few years where nannies were found to be mistreating children in their home while the parents were at work. Provided by surveillance agencies and surveillance equipment companies they can be easily bought and installed all over your home.

In May a New York City nanny pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child after a hidden nanny cam caught her smacking a 5-month-old girl.

And in central Ohio the technology was used to bust a babysitter accused of physically abusing a toddler in her care. Police arrested the babysitter after viewing footage caught by hidden cameras inside the child's home, which allegedly showed the babysitter smacking and dropping the little boy.

In both these circumstances nanny cams had been installed after parents grew suspicious of the nannies' behaviour. However many parents are choosing to install nanny cams simply to check up or "spy" on their nanny in their home from their office during the day or while they're out at night to see what they get up to. Presumably it could sometimes be pretty entertaining. A bit like watching Big Brother. Except they've not signed papers giving their employers permission to watch them.

So while most parents install nanny cams for the right reasons and feel justified in observing their nanny's behaviour, of course any hidden camera lends itself to the potential of abuse from those people who might be using it for more unscrupulous reasons and does present an invasion of privacy as far as the nanny is concerned.

So is the installation of a nanny cam wrong or responsible?

It's probably rather over the top, but it goes to underline the fact that often parents really don't know their nanny or au pair from a bar of soap and we put a huge amount of faith and trust in this person and their behaviour with our children. So where do you find a nanny? How do you employ a good one? Do you know what to look out for in an interview? How do you go about getting a police check, references and proof of qualification to ensure they are who they say they are and aren't likely to abuse your child?

Rather than installing a nanny cam, maybe it's just prudent to make sure you only employ a nanny who has been properly vetted, police checked and referenced by an agency equipped to make sure the nanny you hire is as reliable and professional as possible?

Agencies are there to provide a service. They have the means to thoroughly interview and check each candidate before they're even mentioned to you as a potential nanny, babysitter or au pair. They do all that for your peace of mind and to save you valuable time.

Another upside is that many of the larger agencies are “approved” child care providers in their own right, which can mean that you would be eligible for the Child Care Rebate even if you're not eligible for the Child Care Benefit.

So next time you decide to hire a nanny or think about installing a nanny cam click here to search for a reliable agency instead.

For other useful information to help you with your nanny, au pair and babysitter search check out our resources below:

What is a nanny?

What is an au pair?

How to use an agency

Interviewing a nanny

What are your obligations when you employ a nanny?

Retaining your nanny

Nanny Sharing

Employing a male nanny

Nanny Tool Kit for Parents

Babysitter toolkit for parents