Contact the local board of education to obtain a list of tutors who are willing to come to your home. Find out whether the district checks the credentials and performs background checks on these individuals in the same way it does with teachers.
Contact a local homeschooling organization for personal tutor recommendations. Ask whether they check credentials and perform background checks on prospective tutors. Be willing to perform these tasks yourself if needed. The fact that someone recommends a tutor is not a good enough reason to hire the tutor without concrete data. Some of the most dangerous people are seemingly charming individuals.
Use a tutor referral service. Many tutor matching services are available. Check the services out with the Better Business Bureau before contacting them. Consult them regarding their screening process and ask to see reliable documentation of the qualifications and background of potential tutors.
Set up a meeting with the tutor once your security and credentialing conditions have been met. Meet with the tutor without your child initially. You'll want to pre-approve a tutor before letting your child give his input.
Set up a meeting with yourself, your child and the tutor after the initial meeting goes well. Notice how your child and the tutor interact with one another. Take your child's opinion into consideration since she will be the one to spend time learning from the tutor.
Always ensure that you are close by when your child works with the tutor. In spite of background and criminal checks, this person is still a virtual stranger to you. Keep the safety of your child a top priority. A professional tutor will understand and respect your concern for your child.