I think the problem here is more than the physical safety of our kids. It is very real, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg. We leave our kids with non-frum people at their most vulnerable stages. We want them to grow up with yiras shamaim and yet we throw them into the care of those who are not even sure that there was Creation. No amount of singing “Hashem is here…” will help. It’s really a miracle that most kids do not go off the derech after spending most of their vulnerable years with people like that. Those so-called babysitters need to be babysat by us – not the other way around. They should be helped to realize the existence of Hashem, not be left in charge of our kids.
Why do we do it? I think it’s a matter of misplaced priorities. We value our comfort. It’s much easier to have a babysitter come to us – and do our housework while she is at it. We don’t have to trouble ourselves – and our kids – to get everyone ready, shlep them to someone else’s house. There are literally dozens of frum babysitters who would be happy to take care of our babies in their homes in the frum environment. Our frum house does not provide frum environment for our babies. The caretakers do. And, even though we do not want to acknowledge this for our convenience, even babies have eyes, ears and feelings. Their thinking abilities are not as underdeveloped as we tend to give them credit for. And whatever their brains can’t understand, their neshamas do. What are our priorities as parents? That is for us to decide. That is what our free will is all about.