In Which I Get A Lil Bit Annoyed With CPS

So, we got this email from our social worker last Friday:

I wanted to inform you that there has been a recent policy change regarding background checks and training on babysitters.  If you have someone that provides babysitting in your home, unsupervised, they will need to complete a background check statement, FBI fingerprints, and CPR/First Aid Training. If they are babysitting outside of your home, at this time they will only need the CPS and DPS checks that have normally been done after submitting a background check statements. Frequent visitors still need to complete a background check statement like normal.

In the future, homes that are out of compliance with this new policy will receive a violation and/or cited.  I realize that this change may make some of you unhappy by limiting potential babysitters and I apologize for that in advance. Thank you for being great parents and I enjoy working with you all.

Sigh.  

Getting this message wouldn't have been such a big deal if it hadn't popped up in my inbox while I was already trying to field texts and emails from the kids' social worker and lawyer about Brother's mysteriously swollen, purple ear that neither us nor daycare could explain last week (fall? kid bite? bug bite?), while at the Chamber of Commerce golf tournament, where I was supposed to be schmoozing and boozing at my firm's sponsored 7th hole instead of hanging over my smartphone.  

But anyway. 

CPR and FBI fingerprints for our babysitters, eh?  My reply via email boiled down to "ma'am, yes ma'am" but my reply in my head was more like "Grumble grumble grumble grumble." 

I understand that this policy is in place to protect the children and make sure they are getting adequate care.  I understand that this is not about us or our convenience.  But, man!  This'll be a hassle and this'll be expensive. Fingerprinting is $42 and the cheapest CPR I've found is $35. No way are we going to ask our babysitters to cover that.  A smart friend with whom I was texting/complaining reminded me that the kids' reimbursement money could cover it. Duh.

So I'm giving names to our social worker to put in the system so our people can make their appointment to get their fingers rolled.  I'm looking for a CPR trainer that could come to our house and maybe we round up our babysitters and some pizza and just have a CPR training party to knock it out all together.

And I have arranged for our babysitting needs for the next few weeks to be covered by appropriately background checked people outside our home.  Leave it to the tax accountant to look for the loophole...

Onward.