Wondering how babysitters and nannies are being impacted by shelter-in-place and social distancing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic? In April 2020, we surveyed more than 600 UrbanSitter sitters and nannies and here’s what they had to say:
Income struggle
- Sitters & nannies reported an average of an 84% drop in babysitting business since COVID-19.
- 15% of sitters and nannies are supplementing their income by working in food delivery, finding online work such as teaching, tutoring and virtual babysitting, or by filing for unemployment.
Eager for work
- 68% are willing to work for parents who are “essential workers” in fields such as healthcare, grocery and government.
- 20% would move in and “shelter-in-place” with a family and another 24% said they might consider it.
- 90% would also commit to working with just one family if enough hours were guaranteed. 45% of those sitters said they’d want more than 20 hours of work per week guaranteed.
Virtual babysitting
- 74% of sitters are interested in “virtual babysitting” jobs to entertain kids for limited periods of time over video chat, while a parent is at home but working or occupied with other tasks.
- Of these sitters, 57% would charge their normal babysitting hourly rate, while 32% would charge less, and 11% would charge more than their normal rate.
- 89% have a special talent that would engage kids virtually. Top talents include reading stories, singing, teaching yoga, helping with homeschooling/tutoring, teaching a foreign language and dancing.
Looking to hire a virtual or in-person babysitter or nanny during COVID-19? UrbanSitter is open for business.
