Protecting Your Family: In-Home Workers
Protecting Your Family: In-Home Workers Posted Monday, October 23, 2006 ; 06:05 PM Keeping your family safe from people working in your home Story by Martina Bills Email | Bio HUNTINGTON - Who's in your house when you're not there? Whether they're cleaning the house or watching the kids children, people are often working in homes when the residents or owners are not there. For Connie Mastrangelo, it's all about trust when Kathy Whitt cleans her home. She's been doing the job twice a week for nearly four years. "I have my jewelry, my jewelry box, there's never been anything gone, not even anything small. We trust her whole heartedly," said Mastrangelo. When it comes to trust, Jim Scheidler, chief deputy for the Cabell County Sheriff's Department, said homeowners can never be too cautious. "You can't trust anyone and therefore you have to take those extra steps and precautions," Scheidler said. Scheidler said it's a good idea to take extra precautions that could keep your valuables safe. He recommends before hiring someone, ask key questions and ask for references. "Anyone that doesn't want to give a reference of someone to speak of previous jobs they've done, obviously has something to hide. You need to consider that," Scheidler said. When it comes to babysitters, they’re often under 18. To make sure kids are in good hands, word of mouth may be the best bet. When you do find someone you trust, it's a relationship that could keep both your home and family safe. "It's a feeling that's really hard to describe, to be able to go into someone's home knowing they trust you that much," said Whitt. Experts also recommend before hiring someone to work in your home, ask if you can request a background check. Most local police departments do background checks, including The Cabell County Sheriff's Department’s field office in Ona. It only cost $5.00 and should be back within a few hours. The number is 304-743-1594. http://www.wowktv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=15389