Leaving a Baby With a Caregiver: A Clear Handover for Routine and Emergency Care

A useful handover helps another person care for your baby without having to remember a long conversation. Combine a short written note with a walk through of the home and equipment. Leave time for the caregiver to ask questions and show you anything they will need to use.

Check readiness before the first visit

Choose someone with the maturity, experience and training for your baby’s needs. Check references where appropriate and discuss infant first aid and CPR. Familiarity with older children does not automatically mean confidence with a newborn or a medical care plan.

Spend time together while they care for your baby. Show where supplies are stored, how doors and gates work and how to leave the home in a fire. Agree whether outings, visitors, bathing or driving are part of the arrangement. If driving is needed, the caregiver must know how to use the installed child restraint correctly.

Put essential information in one place

Record your baby’s name, date of birth, relevant conditions, allergies and clinician’s contact details. Include the exact address, your number, another reachable adult and the local emergency number. Explain how emergency responders can enter the property.

Write where you will be and when you expect to return. A charged phone and a printed note provide a useful backup if one method fails. Update the note when treatment or contact details change.

The caregiver should call emergency services immediately for a baby who is unresponsive or not breathing normally. Begin CPR if the baby is unresponsive and not breathing normally, following dispatcher support. Trying to reach you must not delay emergency care.

Demonstrate feeds and the sleep space

Explain the usual feeding cues and the current feeding plan. Show how the baby’s milk is labelled, prepared and stored, and what to do with leftovers. Ask the caregiver to repeat the important steps rather than relying on “I know how bottles work.” Leave suitable prepared food and clear instructions if your baby eats solids.

Show the actual safer sleep setup. Place the baby on their back for every sleep, on a separate firm, flat surface with a fitted sheet and no soft objects or loose bedding. Do not let a tired caregiver settle to sleep with the baby on a sofa or armchair.

Make medicine instructions unambiguous

Keep medicines in their labelled packaging with the appropriate measuring device. Record the prescribed dose, timing, last dose and any specific directions from the clinician or pharmacist. The caregiver should record each dose they give and ask for clarification instead of guessing or using a household spoon.

Our medicine storage guide covers keeping products inaccessible to children. Emergency medicines must remain quickly accessible to the responsible adult. If your child has prescribed adrenaline, demonstrate the exact device with a trainer and leave the clinical action plan. Suspected anaphylaxis needs prompt prescribed treatment and an ambulance, without waiting for parental permission.

Agree how to handle an unsettled period

Describe familiar soothing methods and how your baby shows tiredness. If the caregiver becomes overwhelmed, they can put the baby safely in the cot and briefly step away to regain calm and seek support. Never shake a baby.

Invite questions during the visit and ask for a brief account of feeds, sleep, nappies and any concerns when you return. If you are arranging regular care, our childcare selection guide covers the wider questions to ask.