Babysitter Contract Template (US)
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 free version of this document that circulates most widely actually gets the safety and emergency section right — named emergency contacts, medical and allergy information, safety precautions, fire-evacuation awareness — which is more than most free contract templates manage.
Where it falls short is the employment and money details: it promises overtime pay without ever stating the overtime rate, and it uses "Employer"/"employee" language throughout without any acknowledgment that paying a babysitter above a certain amount can trigger household-employment tax obligations. This template keeps the safety structure and fixes those two gaps, plus adds a few details — transportation authorization, photo/social-media consent, and a notice period for ending the arrangement without cause — that real families ask about.
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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 authorized 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
"The babysitter shall be entitled to overtime pay" without a rate is a promise with no content — if the question ever comes up, there's nothing in the contract to point to. This template requires an actual overtime rate alongside the maximum hours per booking, so both sides know the number before it matters.
Know when this becomes household employment
The IRS treats a babysitter as a household employee once the family directs both what work is done and how it's done — which describes most regular babysitting arrangements. IRS Publication 926, the Household Employer's Tax Guide, sets an annual cash-wage threshold above which a family owes Social Security and Medicare tax on a household worker's wages and may need to file Schedule H with their federal tax return; that threshold is adjusted periodically, so check the current-year figure on the IRS's own page rather than assuming a number from an older source.
Most occasional, casual babysitting falls well under that threshold and creates no filing obligation, but a family paying one regular babysitter a substantial amount over a year should check where they stand rather than assume casual babysitting is always exempt.
Address transportation and photos explicitly
If the babysitter may drive the children — to an activity, in an emergency, or as part of the regular routine — that needs its own authorization, since it raises separate insurance and consent questions from in-home care. This template makes it an explicit toggle rather than something assumed by default.
Photos and social media are a modern, practical addition the source template doesn't address at all: many families have a clear view on whether a babysitter may photograph or post about the children, and stating it upfront avoids an awkward conversation after the fact.
Keep the safety and emergency structure, and add a real notice period
The named emergency contacts, medical and allergy information, safety precautions and fire-evacuation awareness in the source document are genuinely useful and are kept largely as-is. What's missing is a notice period for ending the arrangement without cause — the source only lists specific for-cause grounds (dishonesty, theft, unapproved guests, and similar) and says nothing about a routine, no-fault end to the arrangement, which is by far the more common way these relationships actually end.
A short notice period — even just a few days — gives both sides time to make other arrangements, whether the family is changing childcare needs or the babysitter is moving on to something else, without turning an ordinary ending into something that has to be justified under one of the for-cause grounds.
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 authorization
- States whether the babysitter is authorized to drive the children, and under what conditions.
- 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.
US household-employment note
This is informational, not tax advice — check the current IRS figures before relying on any specific dollar threshold.
Check the household-employee wage threshold
IRS Publication 926 sets the annual cash-wage threshold above which a family owes Social Security and Medicare tax on a household worker's wages; the figure is adjusted periodically, so confirm the current-year number directly from the IRS.
IRS Publication 926 — Household Employer's Tax GuideFile Schedule H if the threshold is met
A family that owes household-employment tax generally reports and pays it using Schedule H with their federal income tax return, and issues the worker a Form W-2.
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 authorized.
- Set the term. Add start and end dates and the notice period for ending without cause.
Frequently asked questions
Is a babysitter a household employee?
Generally yes, if the family directs both what work is done and how it's done — which describes most regular babysitting arrangements. Occasional, casual babysitting is common and usually falls well under the IRS's household-employment wage threshold.
Do I need to pay payroll taxes for an occasional babysitter?
Usually not, if total annual pay to that babysitter stays under the IRS Publication 926 threshold. If one babysitter works regularly and is paid a substantial amount over a year, check the current threshold rather than assuming casual work is always exempt.
What overtime rate should we set?
That's the family's own decision — there's no single required overtime rate for informal babysitting arrangements. What matters is stating an actual number in the contract, 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 to it — it raises separate questions about the babysitter's driving record, insurance coverage, and the specific situations where driving is authorized (routine activities versus emergencies only).
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 — most babysitting arrangements end this way rather than through a for-cause dismissal.
Should we ask about CPR or first-aid certification?
It's a reasonable and common request, particularly for infants or children with specific medical needs, though it isn't legally required for informal babysitting in most circumstances.
Does the babysitter need their own liability insurance?
Most informal babysitting arrangements rely on the family's homeowner's or renter's insurance rather than a separate policy held by the babysitter, but this varies by household and by how frequently the arrangement occurs. If the babysitting is regular and paid work, it's worth both sides confirming what coverage actually applies to an in-home accident.
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Disclaimer
This template and guide are for general information only. They are not legal or tax advice, and no attorney or the IRS has reviewed or approved them. Household-employment tax thresholds change periodically — confirm the current figures directly from the IRS before assuming any specific dollar amount applies.
