What a caregiver handover should include

The core information every handover needs

Whether it's a grandparent stepping in for a weekend or a nanny starting a regular arrangement, the same core information needs to travel with the child: current medications, allergies or medical conditions, emergency contacts, and daily routines. The American Academy of Pediatrics' own guidance for parents leaving a child with a sitter or substitute caregiver is consistent on this point: this information should be written down and left with the caregiver, not relayed from memory in a rushed conversation before you leave.

Medication details a substitute caregiver needs

A substitute caregiver needs to know what medications the child is currently taking, where those medications are kept, and who to contact with any question about them, whether that's you or the child's doctor. A substitute caregiver should never be put in the position of deciding on their own whether to give a dose that isn't already clearly scheduled; the standard, widely repeated guidance for babysitters and other substitute caregivers is that they should never give a child medicine unless a parent has specifically told them to. If your household uses an as-needed medication, like a fever reducer, make sure the caregiver knows the last time it was given, not just that it exists in the medicine cabinet.

It also matters that medications are kept out of a child's own reach, including any that a visiting caregiver brings with them in a bag or purse, which is one of the more overlooked sources of accidental exposure according to CDC medication safety guidance.

Emergency contacts and permissions

Leave a list that includes how to reach you directly, the child's pediatrician, and the Poison Help line (1-800-222-1222), along with your address in case it needs to be given to emergency responders. If the caregiver might need to consent to emergency medical treatment on your behalf and you aren't reachable, talk to your pediatrician or a local attorney about whether a signed permission form makes sense for your situation. A grandparent or nanny may have no legal authority to authorize care for your child unless you've arranged it, and the rules vary by place, so it is worth asking.

Routines that aren't obvious to someone new

Beyond medical information, a handover works better when it includes the routines that a regular caregiver just knows: nap and meal timing, any foods to avoid, what calms the child down, and anything about the home itself the caregiver needs to know, like where the fire exits are. None of this feels urgent to write down when everything is going smoothly, which is exactly why it's worth doing in advance rather than trying to remember it all as you're walking out the door.

Keeping the handover current, not just accurate once

A handover sheet that was accurate three months ago but hasn't been updated since is a real risk, especially for medications, which change more often than most other parts of a child's routine. The safest approach is a record that updates itself as things change, so whoever is stepping in, whether it's the same grandparent every week or a new sitter for one evening, is always looking at the current picture instead of a stale printout.