Tag: how to find child care

There comes a point in every parent’s life when they have to find a good babysitter but you don’t just want to find a good babysitter, you want to find a great babysitter! Finding the right babysitter for your family will give you the peace of mind you need to leave your child at home knowing they’ll be safe and secure.

STEP 1: GET RECOMMENDATIONS

Get personal recommendations from people you trust. This is hands-down the absolute best way to find a good babysitter. Ask friends, family, church members, coworkers, moms at preschool, or moms’ group pals if they have any recommendations of sitters they use and like – don’t be shy about it. Your friends know you and your parenting style, so they’ll be able to refer you to sitters that would be good for your family. It saves you a lot of time in your babysitter search.

You can use UrbanSitter to make this easy. Connect with friends on our babysitting app.

If you don’t have friends who use babysitters, or you’re new to the area, you can ask neighbors (UrbanSitter also allows you to connect with neighborhood sitters near you). It’s a great way to meet new people. If that’s not really your thing, you can search online sites or post on a nearby college job board.

STEP 2: CONDUCT A “WEED-OUT” INTERVIEW

You can tell a lot about a sitter by asking a few simple questions. This can be over the phone, chat, or email.  The tone of their voice or answers to a few key questions can tell you a lot about whether you would feel comfortable with them.  You’re looking for a sitter who’s a good fit for your family. Someone with similar values and a compatible personality. Use the weed-out interview to weed out any sitters that you don’t “click” with. Take a look at our Questions to Ask a Babysitter post for what to ask them.

STEP 3: INTERVIEW THEM IN YOUR HOME

Arrange a time for the babysitter to come to your home and meet your child. See how they interact with your child. If you’re comfortable, leave the sitter with the child while you take a walk around the block or go out for a short period of time, even just 20 minutes. For a complete list of questions, check out the Questions to Ask a Babysitter post.

Beyond listening to the answers to their questions, here are some finer points to look for:

• Did the babysitter arrive on time? If they show up to the interview on time, it’s a good indication that they’ll show up to your jobs on time.
• How did they greet the child? Did they get down to the child’s height and introduce themselves warmly? Did they seem comfortable with the child?
• How did they greet you? Were they professional and respectful?
• When you left the room, how did the sitter handle that initial handoff?
• When you returned, how did the sitter act? It’s possible the child may cry while you’re gone, especially if you haven’t left your child before. This is normal. Your sitter could be the most loving, wonderful babysitter in the world, but the child may still cry. It takes time for sitters and children to develop a relationship. The thing to look for is how the sitter handled it when your child cried. Did they look frazzled, overwhelmed, or impatient when you returned? If they did, then it’s probably not the right babysitter for your child. You’re looking for someone who can maintain a calm, patient demeanor when faced with a crying child.
• If you have animals, observe how the babysitter interacted with them as well. They’re part of the family too. Did they feel comfortable with your animals?

STEP 4: CHECK BABYSITTER’S REFERENCES

If the babysitter wasn’t referred by a friend and you can’t read reviews on their online profile, ask for 2-3 references and call them.

STEP 5: TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS

You know best. If you don’t feel comfortable with the babysitter for any reason, don’t leave your child with them.

Once you find that great babysitter, learn how to keep them.

Considering hiring a babysitter or nanny during the coronavirus pandemic, but not sure how to do so safely? Here we share some best practices to evaluate the viability of an in-person childcare relationship and how to manage that relationship moving forward.

Best Practices for Hiring Childcare during COVID-19

• Verify that in-home childcare is allowed in your area. Consult your local city and county government websites.
• Ask COVID-19 related screening questions when hiring a caregiver such as:

1. Are you following CDC guidelines on social distancing?
2. To minimize the potential for exposure to COVID-19, would you be willing to work with just our family?  If so, what minimum hours would you require?
3. Would you be willing to have your temperature taken upon arrival at our home?
4. To the best of your knowledge, have you been exposed to the COVID-19 virus?
5. Are you currently, or have you recently, experienced symptoms that could be related to COVID-19?
6. How many families do you currently work for?
7. How will you be getting to and from the job?

• Set clear expectations with your caregiver. When hiring, be sure to describe your unique in-home childcare situation, your needs and any rules. For instance, “I will be at home, but I’ll be upstairs. I will make sure my child knows I’m working during that time. It’s okay to take them to the park, but they may not go on the playground and need to stay 6 feet away from other people.”
• Follow CDC guidelines for keeping homes safe. Families and childcare providers should mutually agree to follow safe hygiene practices.
  Create an arrival routine for your care provider that includes things such as removing their shoes and coat by the door, washing hands upon arrival, and having a conversation with you about any changes to their health status.
• Check-in regularly. Set up a time each week for you and your caregiver to discuss how things are going. It is a stressful time for everyone and situations change constantly, so make an extra effort to check-in with each other and modify your childcare plans as necessary.
• If a child, a family member or caregiver is sick or has a fever, disclose the information with symptoms and relevant doctor information, to the other party so that families and caregivers can make informed decisions about whether to cancel a job. Specific to the COVID-19, the CDC recommends that people should self-quarantine for 14 days if you have been in contact in the last 14-days with someone diagnosed with COVID-19.

More Creative Childcare Solutions for COVID-19

• Shelter-in-place together. Families that have a spare room may offer to have the childcare provider “shelter in place” with them.
• Be exclusive. Caregivers may ask for a minimum number of hours per week to work exclusively with one family or to limit the number of families they work with.
• Offer transportation. Caregivers may ask for rides to and from the family’s home to avoid public transportation.
• Combine groceries. Families may offer to do the caregiver’s grocery shopping with their own to help limit the caregiver’s exposure.
• Try virtual sitting. Families with older children may request “virtual sitting” with a caregiver using video chat (while the parent still remains at home), to keep kids entertained and assist with homeschooling while the parent works.

UrbanSitter is open for business during the pandemic. Read more about our COVID-19 precautions and resources or visit us to book virtual sitting or in-home childcare.