Gone are the days when parents could only call grandparents, Babysitting or the teenager next door when they wanted to go out for a night on the town or simply had to work late. Today, there is an entire industry created to help parents find nannies and other child care professionals online, giving parents options and freedom that grandparents never had when we were children.
Many of these sites and apps are designed to make finding child care easier and faster. These companies offer a complete package for parents to explore customer reviews, references, and personal profiles of child care professionals. Most companies also perform background checks on the nannies and babysitters on their rosters, meaning due diligence isn't just up to you.
Before you start your online search, talk to friends and family about the best site to find a babysitter. Look for parents you know at your child's daycare or in the neighborhood and see if they have any advice. Ask them if they have used online services and if they have any suggestions. You can also use social media to ask for suggestions.
Once you've decided to search online, decide what you're looking for in a child care professional and shop around to find the company that can best meet your needs.
What Are You Looking For?
The first step is to decide what you are looking for. You just need a manager who can watch the kids for a few hours after they're asleep while you go out for dinner and drinks with your partner. You need someone who can pick up the kids from school and stay with them until bedtime. Would you like a nanny who speaks a foreign language so you can have a bilingual child? Are you looking for a full-time au pair who also knows how to cook and clean? As for a male guardian, is that an option?
The question of what you need is one that only you can answer, and it will have a big impact on where and how you search. One thing is for sure: this is a very important decision and should not be rushed.
When looking for a saver.
- Look for recommendations from friends and family.
- Look at user opinions.
- Do you need extras? (someone who cooks and cleans or can teach her son a foreign language)
- Don't hesitate to ask about background checks and references.
Important Features
- Wide range of caregivers
- References and background checks provided.
- Searchable profiles that match what you're looking for
- Accessibility and ease of use.
- Safety and peace of mind will probably be the top priorities when looking for a babysitter.
- Most services perform background checks and background checks themselves, or outsource you to third-party nannies who sign up with their service. Be sure to check out these services for any babysitters you are interested in and check out links and testimonials.
Ease of Use
As a busy parent of a toddler, keeping things simple is probably your motto.
You want a website that is easy to navigate and doesn't require any technical knowledge or hours of writing.
Perhaps the most important thing in terms of ease of use is the mobile application. 9 of the 10 brands on this super list have a mobile application, although one of them, Sitter.me, is only available on iOS devices.
The best babysitting apps are not only convenient and easy to use, but they also ensure that you can schedule babysitters from the office, the supermarket or wherever you are when the need arises.
Here’s our breakdown of the 10 best babysitting apps and platforms around:
1. Care.com
- What we like. You can see the full profile of each babysitter online
Care.com is easy to use. Simply enter your location and you will be presented with a selection of available babysitters. Each babysitter on the site has been verified and has a personal profile with a photo, description of the experience and services, prices and user reviews. While Care.com is easily the best website for finding a babysitter, it uses its platform for more than just babysitting; You can also find tutors, as well as adult and elderly care and cleaning.
2. Sittercity
- That we like? You can interview potential babysitters before hiring them
Featured in the New York Times and Good Morning America, Sittercity is one of the largest babysitting apps with millions of members and a wide variety of childcare services, including special needs services. To find an assistant on the site, you can post an ad with your needs and schedule. You can interview your applicants and perform background checks once you have narrowed your search. Like Care.com, SitterCity.com also offers senior care and pet care.
3. Urbansitter
- That we like? You can read reviews from other parents in your community.
Urbansitter has over 150,000 caregivers on its platform and serves over 60 cities nationwide. Each babysitter profile has a video that allows you to get to know the babysitter as she introduces herself in a short 30-90 second video. You can post screening questions for potential babysitters to answer when they apply, as well as read reviews from parents in your community. The average booking time on Urbansitter is 3 minutes, which is a nice bonus for those last-minute babysitting needs.
4. Sitter.com
- What we like. optimizes the Telesafe calling system for greater security
Sitter.com works like other sites because it quickly connects you with babysitters in your area. While the platform doesn't perform its own background checks, it does offer parents the tools and resources to do so, with offerings like a social security number trace and a national criminal background check. It also offers private or secure ways to communicate with potential babysitters, including private text messages. With Sitter.com, TELESAFE's proprietary system allows you to communicate with other users as long as your identity is secure.
5. Nanny Lane
- What we like. advanced background checks
Nanny Lane is a well-designed and easy-to-use babysitting service that may not have as large a network as other sites, but it makes up for it with security measures and additional features. You can request a background check on any babysitter you are interested in, which will include an SSN trace, sex offender database, global watch list, and national and state criminal databases. Another cool feature is Nanny List's nanny sharing program, which allows you to share your nanny with other families to save money.
6. Zum
- What we love: 360-degree visibility of your baby with end-to-end technology
Zum has won multiple Fast Company awards for his innovation in school transportation. Along with more than 4,000 schools, Zum offers school district transportation for parents who are too busy to drop their children off at school, pick them up from practice or extracurricular activities. Parents get 360-degree visibility through the app, as well as constant communication with the driver. Zum is rapidly growing in size and popularity, although it currently only serves the San Francisco area.
7. Sitter.me
- That we like? a reliable option for temporary nannies
If you're looking for a more temporary or last-minute option, sitter.me was created by parents who want to help other parents who need to hire a sitter on the go and don't have time to find a long-term option. . With Sitter.me, you create a list of babysitters you approve, then you message everyone on your list and the booking is accepted first.
8. Au Pair in America
- What we like. US Department of State appointee with over 30 years of experience
Founded in 1986 and the first of its kind to be designated by the US Department of State, Au Pair in America has decades of experience placing full-time au pairs from abroad with families in the US. The company is takes care of the necessary paperwork to find you a full-time au pair for childcare and housework. Au Pair America has high standards for its au pairs, who are required to have 200 hours of experience, no criminal record, and a valid driver's license with a clean record.
9. Sitting Around
- What we like. reliable, builds on community strengths
Many sites have a community-centered approach to child care. At SittingAround you can participate in a babysitting cooperative. It's a community system where parents take turns caring for each other's children, and instead of exchanging cash, they exchange child care for child care. Points are earned when babysitting, which you can then “redeem” when someone is available and you want to go out.
10. Bubble
- What we like. Ideal for last minute emergencies.
Bubble is a free babysitting app that is advertised as great for your short notice, regular, and temporary babysitting needs. It works like ride-sharing apps like Uber; Enter the time and date you need a babysitter, then view the participants and their rates, then choose one. The app allows you to base your decision on recommendations from friends.
Safe, Reliable, and Trustworthy Childcare Made Easy
There are few decisions you as a parent can make that are as important as caring for your children. With today's online options, finding reliable child care is easier than ever, but there are still some basic guidelines to follow. Know what you're looking for, look for links and explore, and find a website or app that has the right features for you. The idea of finding an online tutor may take some getting used to, but you'll find that it makes tutoring easier and maybe even safer than ever.