John W asked:

Our current AuPair is due to return home. We trust her completely but after reaching the two year max on her visa (J-1) she will return to Peru in late July. We will get another AuPair soon. Child abuse and simple negligence is a concern each time we get a new person to watch the children (We have had two nannies and our current AuPair). We are considering installing cameras in our house. A second question follows, should we tell the employee they may be being observed? Of course we recognize that it would clearly give greater respect for their right to privacy. However any calculated mistreatment could simply happen off camera.

We have heard of systems where you can access live views of your home over a secure internet connection. We have no intention of placing cameras anywhere but the high use areas (kitchen, children’s rooms and a playroom). We have no intention of taping/recording anything.