Babysitting Contract Template (Australia)
Updated on 9 August 2026
A babysitting contract sets out who's responsible for the children, when, for how much, and what happens in an emergency. The safety and emergency structure in the widely circulated free version of this document — named emergency contacts, medical and allergy information, safety precautions — is genuinely useful and is kept here.
Where it falls short for the Australian market is money and screening status: it promises overtime pay with no rate attached, it says nothing about the very different, hours-based superannuation guarantee threshold that applies to household workers, and it's silent on the Working with Children Check position — which surprises a lot of families, since it works differently for a private, personally-engaged babysitter than for care arranged through an agency or service.
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Other details
Babysitting Contract
This Babysitting Contract is dated and is entered into between , of ("Parent"), and ("Babysitter").
1. Children and responsibilities
Children in care:
Responsibilities:
2. Payment
Parent agrees to pay Babysitter per babysitting event, for up to hours. If an event lasts longer than hours, Babysitter is entitled to overtime pay at for each additional hour.
3. Work schedule
4. Safety and emergency procedures
Emergency contacts:
Medical and allergy information: . Babysitter agrees to be familiar with this information and to follow any instructions Parent provides.
Babysitter agrees to comply with the household's safety precautions, including childproofing measures, safety gates, and securing hazardous items, and to understand the fire evacuation routes and gathering points for the home.
5. Transportation
Babysitter is not authorised to transport the children except in a genuine emergency.
6. Photos and social media
Babysitter shall not photograph or post about the children on social media without Parent's separate written consent.
7. Term and termination
This Agreement begins on and ends on , unless ended earlier under this section. Either party may end this arrangement without cause by giving days' notice to the other.
- Dishonesty
- Non-performance of responsibilities
- Theft
- Misuse of appliances, equipment or vehicles
- Unapproved guests
- Smoking, alcohol or illicit drug use while responsible for the children
- Breach of any term of this Agreement
This Agreement, together with any attachments, is the entire agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior discussions or understandings on this subject.
Parent/guardian
Date:
Babysitter
Date:
Fix the overtime gap
"Entitled to overtime pay" with no rate attached is a promise with nothing behind it. This template requires an actual overtime rate alongside the maximum hours per booking, so both sides know the number before it matters.
Know the Working with Children Check position for private arrangements
A Working with Children Check (WWCC) is the check legally required for regulated child-related work in Australia — it differs from a general national police check, and covers people working in child care services, schools, and similar organised settings. Several states exempt a private arrangement made directly with a family — the ordinary case of a family engaging a babysitter themselves, rather than through an agency or care service — from the WWCC requirement, though the exact scope of the exemption is state-based and worth checking directly.
Some families still ask for a national police check as their own reassurance even where it isn't a legal requirement for the arrangement — that's a reasonable request, but it's a different check from a WWCC, and doesn't carry the same ongoing monitoring some WWCC schemes provide.
Know when superannuation guarantee applies — it's based on hours, not pay
Unlike a pay-based threshold, the Australian superannuation guarantee for a domestic or private worker like a babysitter turns on hours: if the worker works more than 30 hours in a week for you, you're generally required to pay superannuation guarantee contributions on their earnings for that week, regardless of how much they're paid. Below that 30-hour weekly threshold, the standard domestic-worker exemption generally applies. Most casual, occasional babysitting stays well under 30 hours a week for any one family, but a family with one regular babysitter working substantial hours should check their position with the ATO rather than assume the exemption always applies.
Address transportation and photos explicitly
If the babysitter may drive the children, that needs its own authorisation — a separate insurance and consent question. This template makes it an explicit toggle. Photos and social media are a practical modern addition: stating upfront whether the babysitter may photograph or post about the children avoids an awkward conversation later.
Add a real notice period
The source document lists specific for-cause grounds for ending the arrangement but says nothing about a routine, no-fault end — which is how most babysitting arrangements actually end. A short notice period covers that ordinary case.
Clause-by-clause guide
- Children and responsibilities
- Names the children in care and the babysitter's specific responsibilities.
- Payment and overtime
- Sets the rate per event, maximum hours before overtime applies, and the actual overtime rate.
- Work schedule
- States the agreed days and times of care.
- Safety and emergency procedures
- Emergency contacts, medical/allergy information, safety precautions and fire-evacuation awareness.
- Transportation authorisation
- States whether the babysitter is authorised to drive the children.
- Photo and social media consent
- States whether the babysitter may photograph or post about the children.
- Term and termination
- Sets the arrangement's start and end dates, named for-cause grounds, and a notice period for ending without cause.
Australian screening and superannuation notes
This is informational, not legal or tax advice — check current thresholds and your state's specific rules directly.
Check your state's WWCC private-arrangement exemption
Several states exempt a private arrangement made directly with a family from the Working with Children Check requirement, but the exact scope varies by state.
Raising Children Network — Working with children checksCheck the 30-hour superannuation guarantee threshold
A domestic or private worker becomes eligible for superannuation guarantee once they work more than 30 hours in a week for you, regardless of how much they're paid.
ATO — Work out if you have to pay super
How to complete the contract
- List the children and responsibilities. Name the children in care and the specific duties the babysitter will handle.
- Set pay and overtime. Add the rate per event, maximum hours, and the overtime rate.
- Complete the safety section. Add emergency contacts and medical/allergy information.
- Set transportation and photo rules. Decide whether driving and photos/social media are authorised.
- Set the term. Add start and end dates and the notice period for ending without cause.
Frequently asked questions
Does a babysitter need a Working with Children Check?
It depends on your state and how the arrangement is made. A private arrangement engaged directly with a family is exempt from the WWCC requirement in several states, while care arranged through an agency or organised service is more likely to require one — check your specific state's rules.
Do we need to pay superannuation for a babysitter?
Only if they work more than 30 hours in a week for you — that threshold is based on hours, not pay. Most casual babysitting stays well under this, but a regular arrangement with substantial hours should be checked against the current ATO position.
What overtime rate should we set?
That's the family's own decision — there's no fixed statutory rate for informal babysitting. What matters is stating an actual number, rather than promising overtime pay with no rate attached.
Should the babysitter be allowed to drive the children?
Only if both sides have discussed and agreed it — it raises separate questions about the babysitter's driving record, insurance, and the specific situations where driving is authorised.
What should happen if either side wants to end the arrangement without a specific reason?
The contract should state a routine notice period for either side to end the arrangement without cause, separate from the specific for-cause grounds like dishonesty or theft.
Is a national police check the same as a Working with Children Check?
No. A national police check is a general record check some families request as their own reassurance, but it's a different process from a WWCC, and doesn't carry the same ongoing monitoring that some WWCC schemes provide.
Does the babysitter need their own liability insurance?
Most informal babysitting arrangements rely on the family's home insurance rather than a separate policy held by the babysitter, but this varies by household. If the babysitting is regular and paid, it's worth both sides confirming what cover actually applies to an in-home accident.
Related templates
Disclaimer
This template and guide are for general information only. They are not legal or tax advice, and no lawyer, state regulator, or the ATO has reviewed or approved them. WWCC exemptions and superannuation thresholds vary by state and change periodically — confirm the current position directly before relying on this document.
