Babysitter Contract Template (Canada)
Updated on August 9, 2026
A babysitter 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 Canadian market is money and screening: it promises overtime pay with no rate attached, and it says nothing about the CRA's employee-versus-self-employed test, which is the real question that determines whether a family needs to withhold CPP, EI, and income tax from a babysitter's pay — a genuinely different framework from a simple pay or hours threshold.
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Other details
Babysitter Contract
This Babysitter 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 that Canada's test is employee-vs-self-employed, not a threshold
Unlike a simple pay or hours threshold, the Canada Revenue Agency's approach to a caregiver, babysitter, or domestic worker turns on whether the working relationship makes them an employee or a self-employed worker — assessed through factors like who controls how and when the work is done, who provides tools and supplies, and whether the worker bears any real chance of profit or risk of loss.
If the relationship makes the babysitter an employee, the family is generally expected to deduct and remit Canada Pension Plan contributions, Employment Insurance premiums, and income tax, and to register as an employer with the CRA. A truly casual, irregular babysitting arrangement is more likely to fall on the self-employed side of that line, but the answer depends on the facts of the arrangement, not a single number — families with a regular, ongoing babysitter should look at the CRA's own guidance rather than assume casual work is automatically exempt.
Know the difference between a police check and a Vulnerable Sector Check
A Vulnerable Sector Check is the most thorough Canadian police record check, used for positions of trust involving children, seniors, or people with disabilities, and it can only lawfully be requested for roles that actually meet that description — it isn't a routine background check families can request for any purpose. Some families instead ask for a standard criminal record check as their own reassurance for an informal babysitting arrangement, which is a different, less extensive check conducted through local police services.
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.
Canadian tax and screening notes
This is informational, not tax advice — check the CRA's current guidance and your own facts before relying on any specific position.
Assess employee-vs-self-employed status
The CRA determines a caregiver's or babysitter's status using factors like control over how and when work is done, ownership of tools and supplies, and chance of profit or risk of loss — not a simple pay or hours threshold.
CRA — Payments to caregivers, babysitters and domestic workersRegister as an employer if the babysitter is an employee
If the working relationship makes the babysitter an employee, the family generally needs to deduct and remit CPP, EI and income tax, and register with the CRA as an employer.
Confirm the check type actually needed
A Vulnerable Sector Check can only lawfully be requested for a genuine position of trust with children, seniors or people with disabilities — not as a routine background check for any babysitting arrangement.
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
Do we need to withhold CPP and EI for a babysitter?
Only if the working relationship makes the babysitter an employee under the CRA's factors — control, tools, and chance of profit or risk of loss. A truly casual, irregular arrangement is more likely to be self-employed, but the answer depends on the facts, not a simple pay or hours number.
Is a Vulnerable Sector Check the same as a regular police check?
No. A Vulnerable Sector Check is the most thorough Canadian police record check and can only be legally requested for a genuine position of trust with children, seniors, or people with disabilities — it isn't available as a routine background check for any purpose.
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.
Does provincial employment standards legislation apply to babysitting?
Provincial employment standards can apply to household workers depending on the province and the nature of the arrangement; check the specific rules where the family is located rather than assuming babysitting is always excluded.
Related templates
Disclaimer
This template and guide are for general information only. They are not legal or tax advice, and no lawyer, the CRA, or a police service has reviewed or approved them. Employment-status determinations and screening requirements are fact-specific and can vary by province — confirm the current position before relying on this document.
