What the verified badge means
It means we checked their ID and their WWCC with the NSW Children’s Guardian ourselves — not that they ticked a box. There is no self-declared badge anywhere on this site. A claim we display is a claim we checked.
What we check
A government photo ID, with a matching selfie
Run through our identity provider. They confirm the document is genuine and that the face in the selfie is the face on it. The provider holds the images — we never receive or store ID documents, only the pass or fail and the name and date of birth match.
Their WWCC status, checked by us with the Office of the Children's Guardian
We enter their family name, date of birth, and WWC number into the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian verification and record what comes back, with the date. Only a Cleared result passes. Barred, interim barred, not found, and application-in-progress all fail.
That the two agree
The name and date of birth on the ID have to match the WWCC details they gave us. A mismatch goes to manual review every time and never passes automatically. Someone using a borrowed or stolen WWC number is the attack this step exists to defeat.
The badge carries the month we ran the check. Because we did the verification, the Office of the Children’s Guardian tells us if that person’s status later changes. A barred notification takes the profile down the same day.
What we don’t check
References
We do not contact past families. Ask for two and ring them.
First aid certificates and qualifications
These appear on profiles as the sitter's own claim, labelled as a claim. Ask to see the certificate.
Years of experience
Self-reported, like the rest of a profile's biography.
Whether they are any good with children
No screening check measures that, ours included. Meet them first.
We are an introduction service. We are not an agency, not an employer, and the badge is not a guarantee about anybody’s conduct. It is a statement about two specific checks, on a specific date.
What you should still do
- 1.Meet before the first booking, with your children there. Half an hour tells you more than any document.
- 2.Ask for two families you can call, and call them. This is the check that catches what screening cannot.
- 3.Run the WWCC check yourself if you want to. It is free, takes about two minutes, and the Office of the Children’s Guardian will then notify you directly if their status changes. Step by step.
What “not yet verified” means
It means nobody has checked this person yet. It does not mean we found something, and it is not a warning — most sitters list before they get around to verifying, and casual babysitting does not legally require a WWCC in NSW.
Wherever a badge would sit, an unverified profile says this instead:
Not yet verified — ask to sight their WWCC
Unverified profiles rank below verified ones in every suburb list. They are never hidden — you can see everyone, and decide for yourself.
Sitters: how to get verified
It is free, and it is optional — you can list and be messaged without it. About five minutes of your time, then a day or so of ours.
- 1
Opt in from your profile
Legal name as it appears on your Check, date of birth, and your WWC number.
- 2
Confirm your ID
Photograph a government ID and take a selfie, in the browser. Two minutes. We never see the images.
- 3
We check with the OCG
A person here runs the verification and records the result. Cleared, and your badge goes live with this month on it.
Common questions
- Does the badge mean the sitter is safe?
- No, and we will not say that it does. It means two specific things were checked on a specific date: a government photo ID with a matching selfie, and a Cleared Working With Children Check status confirmed with the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian. It is not a character assessment, a guarantee, or a substitute for meeting someone and calling their referees.
- Do you store ID documents?
- No. Our identity provider holds the document and selfie images. We receive the outcome — verified or not, and whether the name and date of birth match the WWCC details — and that is all we keep. WWC numbers and dates of birth are encrypted in our database and are never shown to anyone but the person who is checking them.
- How long does a badge last?
- It carries the month we checked, and it comes off automatically when the Working With Children Check expires. The profile stays listed and simply drops back to unverified until the sitter renews. We also nudge sitters 60 days before expiry so there is no gap.
- What happens if a verified sitter is barred later?
- Because we ran the verification, the Office of the Children's Guardian notifies us when a status changes. A barred notification takes the profile down the same day, and we contact any family who has been in recent contact with them.
- Does a babysitter legally need a WWCC in NSW?
- Not for casual, privately arranged babysitting in your own home. Nannies, au pairs, and tutors do need one, and the parent is expected to verify it. That two-tier rule is why verification here is optional to hold but real when displayed. Where the line falls.