As a babysitting job seeker, you probably already know that there are tons of apps out there designed to help you find jobs.
The problem is, most of them aren’t that great. They’re either too small or too niche to be able to do much for you—or they charge a fee that’s way too high for the value they provide.
That’s why we’ve done the hard work for you: we’ve found the five best apps for babysitting jobs out there, so all you have to do is download them and start applying!
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10 Best Babysitting Apps and Websites to Find Trusted Childcare
Need to find a babysitter, stat? Don’t freak. These top apps and websites help you find, screen and book your family’s next go-to sitter.
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ByStephanie Grassullo
Associate Editor
Updated
September 17, 2020
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Image: Emily Anne Photography, LLC
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Grandparents make great babysitters, but even they need a night off every now and then. Of course, finding an amazing babysitter who you and your kids adore can be easier said than done. Luckily for you, there’s an app for that. (Naturally.) Whether you’re in search of a weekly nanny or a pinch-hitter babysitter for date night, these babysitting apps and websites will help with the hard part. Here, we break down 10 top parent-trusted resources for finding superstar caregivers to help put your mind at ease.
In this article:
Best babysitting apps
Best babysitting websites
Image: iStock
Best Babysitting Apps
Your next babysitter is at your fingertips. When you need someone to watch the kids but don’t have time to sit down and do the research, pull up one of these convenient babysitting apps and let it do the heavy lifting for you. They’re the best in the biz when it comes to vetting and scheduling a sitter that’s right for you and your family.
UrbanSitter
If you don’t have the luxury of hiring a babysitter you know personally, you can at least find a sitter who a friend in your circle can vouch for. UrbanSitter is one of the best babysitting apps around because it plugs into your social networks to find a caregiver mutual friends already know and love.
In your profile you can add preschools, elementary schools or daycares your kids attend, as well as parenting groups, churches, temples, sports teams and other groups and organizations you belong to. Each sitter’s profile features parent reviews and badges to let you know which candidates are favorites. You can also view a potential caregiver’s background checks and other certifications they may have, such as CPR training.
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Even if you don’t consider yourself tech-savvy, you’ll still find the platform easy to navigate. The three-step process lets you post a job, book interviews and schedule appointments (it’ll even send you reminders and contact information) and allows you to pay right from your phone. It’s no wonder this babysitting app is a favorite among many parents, and is available in more than 60 cities in the US.
Price: Free basic membership; $35 for one month, $20 per month and $100 per year
Get started: UrbanSitter.com
Sittercity
Sittercity is a babysitting app that navigates like a social media site, letting you find out everything you need to know about potential sitters quickly and easily. Each babysitter’s profile includes personal details, location, experience, skills and parent feedback. Before a caregiver can even join the Sittercity community, the company runs a background check using several databases to make sure an applicant has no reported problems. They then review the profiles again for identity verification and review. Parents also have the option to run their own background and identification checks within the app.
Another reason Sittercity is one of the best babysitting apps out there is because of the freedom and flexibility it offers. Whether you need an overnight job, an after-school cover or a regular weekend nanny, you can post your job requirements or search for someone who’s available—just click into a profile to see a babysitter’s calendar and hourly rates. You can even find a babysitter with specialized skills, like someone who will also clean the house (hooray!), a sitter with first aid training or someone who will tutor your kids. And if you end up in a tight squeeze and need a babysitter fast, you can alert sitters you’ve already pre-screened so they can respond to your emergency posts ASAP.
Pricing: Free basic membership; $35 per month
Get started: SitterCity.com
Bambino
Bambino lets parents find a babysitter who lives nearby and who has already sat for people they know. To use the app, sitters need to sign up with their Facebook profile and have a recommendation from someone in the community. Perspective babysitters also need to agree to reviews of their profiles for quality and random checks on their social media accounts to identify any risks based on their posts.
Instead of creating a posting on Bambino, parents handpick who sees their babysitting requests. When parents search for a babysitter on the app, the caregivers are organized based on who you know, who your friends know and then by distance—so you’re selecting from sitters that have already been tried and trusted by your friends and community.
Time is automatically tracked during the babysitter’s stay; parents simply confirm the hours and pay straight through the app. Each sitter lists their hourly rates in their profiles, so you can see an estimated total before booking. And good news: Parents who use this babysitting app don’t have to pay a monthly fee, but there is a small booking fee added to each payment: $2 for junior sitters and $3 for standard, advanced and elite level sitters.
Pricing: Free to download and create a profile
Get started: BambinoApp.com
Sitter
Like other babysitting apps, Sitter lets parents connect with friends and see the babysitters they use. There’s also an option to set your location and see sitters near you. When you find someone you think would be a great fit, you can introduce yourself through the app’s chat option. Once you get talking, you can work together to set up a time to meet in person for a formal interview.
When you find a group of babysitters you love, you can keep them near and dear by adding them to your go-to babysitter list. Once that’s established, it’ll be a breeze to lock in a babysitter when you’re in desperate need. Just select the date and time you’ll need a sitter, and an alert will go out to all your trusted caregivers. Pro tip: You can even mark a lucky few as your favorites, so they get the alert first. Your sitters don’t even need to have the app. The message goes out via text; the first one to respond with a “y” books the gig and an alert is sent to the other sitters letting them know the job has been filled.
Pricing: Free basic membership; premium membership for $10 per month, $100 per year
Get started: Sitter.app
Helpr
Helpr is a babysitting app designed with working parents in mind, and provides high-quality, affordable backup childcare. Parents can review profiles of vetted sitters and request care in as little as three hours.
Helpr has it all figured out. Its pool of highly screened sitters with extensive experience and strong work ethic are on-call for when you need them most. They typically include graduate students, former nannies and kindergarten teachers. All Helprs must have at least two years of childcare experience and complete an in-person interview, background check, ID verification, CPR certification check, social media check and provide references.
You can browse photos, videos and profiles of potential caregivers through the app. If you’d like time together beforehand, you can book your Helpr for an interview or trial run while you’re home. And if you end up loving your Helpr, you can save her in your account so she gets requested first the next time you need to hire a sitter in a pinch.
Plus, you only pay for the hours booked, meaning there are no monthly fees. Most hourly rates start at $25 (including tip).
Pricing: Free to download and use
Get started: Helpr-app.com
Image: iStock
Best Babysitting Websites
Top-notch childcare is only a click away. These best of the best babysitting websites provide all the resources you need to find a babysitter who meets your standards.
Care.com
Used by more than 25 million users in 20 countries, Care.com is a leader when it comes to helping parents find a babysitter. The babysitting website (and app!) lets parents find, review, book and pay babysitters, whether you’re looking for a nanny, special needs caregiver, date night or after-school sitter, tutor and more.
Care encourages parents to create a super-detailed job description, including information about your kids as well as the type of personality you look for in a sitter—and what type of sitter your little ones want (because they should have a say too!). The more detailed you make it, the better the chance you have to find a babysitter who works for you.
Rest easy knowing Care runs its own basic background checks and encourages members to complete additional standard background checks themselves. With a premium membership, families can purchase a background check on any caregiver they’re considering. If you expect to run multiple background checks, you can also purchase an unlimited background check package for an extra monthly fee.
Pricing: Free basic membership; $37 per month, $24 per year
Get started: Care.com
SeekingSitters.com
Last minute, full time, part time or one-time, SeekingSitters is a babysitting website designed to help you find a babysitter who suits your needs. When you set up a recurring babysitting gig, you have the option to book the same sitter.
SeekingSitters sets itself apart with its customized, in-depth background screenings performed on each referred babysitter by a licensed private investigator. It’s responsible for thoroughly screening and running background checks for each of sitter, and it also personally interviews each applicant. If you don’t like a caregiver you were matched with, you can request a different sitter.
Like with other competitors, parents pay directly through the site, avoiding the awkward shuffle of scrounging enough cash after a late night.
Pricing: $6 per month for unlimited requests (and a $30 one-time set-up fee)
Get started: SeekingSitters.com
SittingAround.com
If you don’t have the luxury of a big, extended family who lives nearby to watch your kids, this is the next best thing. The babysitting website functions as a caregiver co-op where local parents swap childcare services, free of cost. Instead of exchanging cash, members simply exchange time spent babysitting.
There’s a method to the madness. Babysitting co-ops make sure everyone plays fair by tracking points. You get points when you sit for someone else, and you spend points when others watch your kids. Because you’re part of a group, you never have to worry about reciprocating with people specifically sitting for you; it all evens out. Search co-ops near you, then fill out a co-op request form for approval to join.
Not only do you get free babysitting, but you also tap into community support and get better acquainted with your neighbors.
Pricing: $5 per month or $15 annually
Get started: SittingAround.com
eNannySource.com
Meet your personal assistant to help find the perfect nanny for your family. You can search the babysitting website’s roster of nannies, and enjoy the vetting tips and tools like the Nanny Success Kit and background checks to hire a nanny the same way a professional agency would.
Keep in mind, it’s specifically for people who want to hire a nanny—you won’t find one-time or occasional babysitters here. The site offers part-time nannies, live-in nannies, college educated nannies, nannies who specialize in infant care, and nannies who can double as housekeepers. The site constantly checks to make sure the caregivers it suggests are still available for work. Nanny profiles expire in 30 days if not renewed.
Once you become a member, create a profile to describes your family, job specifications and the ideal nanny. Then review resumes from professional nannies and au pairs who are interested in full-time, part-time, temporary, permanent, live-in and live-out positions.
Pricing: $25 per month for six months, $40 per month for three months and $50 per month for one month
Get started: eNannySource.com
Babysitters4Hire.com
With more than 20 years in the biz, this babysitting website is a staple. It’s affiliated with Care4Hire and Nannies4Hire, and encourages parents to do as much digging as they need to lock in a trusted sitter. Where as some babysitting websites do most of the outreach, Babysitters4Hire believes families will be most at ease when they can be hands-on in the selection process.
Once you’re a registered member, you gain access to babysitters via email and phone.There are a bunch of helpful tools available to help you find eligible candidates, including sample interview questions, reference forms and contracts.
Pricing: $20 per month (with an initial $30 fee for the first month) or $100 annually
Get started: Babysitters4Hire.com
Published October 2018
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