Calgary Herald Babysitting Website Links Parents to Babysitters

The Calgary Herald - Website Links Parents to Babysitters

December 2003

Who ya gonna call when the babysitter next door – the one you trust and your kids adore is no longer next-door? “When my wife and I were teens, we’d just post a note on the bulletin board that we wanted to baby-sit, but people don’t do that anymore,” says Mark Taylor, who found himself suddenly sitter less when he moved his family of five soon to be six-from one Calgary suburb to another.

“I figured the Internet is good for everything else, why not this?” That’s how the EnCana team leader discovered an all-Canadian online registry that connects parents with university or college sitters in more than 115 communities. Canadiansitter.ca is the new community notice board. It was launched a year ago by Martha Scully, a graduate of Ryerson University’s early childhood education program. And offers access to more than 2,000 sitters.

Now parents can easily find help nearby or a caregiver in another city in another province for those times when they travel with their children.
“It really is a sign of the times. In some ways we’re not as close to our neighbours and we’re busy,” says Scully, 32 who hatched the program while on maternity leave with her second daughter.

Parents pay $39.95 for three months’ access to the database, or $79.95 a year.
Although people get a little nervous about using online services, Scully pre-screen sitters to ensure they’re over 18 and registered at college or university.

After that, the process of selecting, hiring and keeping or firing sitters is not that different from dealing with one you meet through word of mouth. After parents scan the resumes of possible sitters in their area, they follow up with an e-mail and specific questions. Each sitter profile gives basic information on experience, qualifications and availability.

Some are also interested in tutoring, pet-sitting and house-sitting. Some have experience with special-needs children and many are enrolled in related fields such as social work, health care or education. “Every parent is looking for something specific,” says Scully.
“I base my choice on pure child care, not cleaning skills. And with two creative daughters, I’ve hired a music or drama student and the other was an art student and, for my particular girls, they were a perfect fit.”

Taylor was impressed with the procedure, security and quality of caregivers. “You look at their resumes and many have experience in day care or as camp counselors. These are not teens who only worked for a neighbour,” he says. “The other advantage is they are very mature and responsible individuals”.

Although no criminal background check are required, Taylor believes parent have the moxie to winnow out the best for their children. “you’re till relying on your won due diligence,” says Taylor. He and his wife hired Katie Caldwell, a third-year University of Calgary education student with extensive babysitting experience. “My wife made the contact and we had Katie come over one evening when we weren’t going out so the kids could meet her. Within five minutes, they’re climbing all over her, so it was set.”

Scully encourages these face-to-face sessions while parent and sitter are present.
“Ask for reference and check them. And once you hire a sitter, get regular feedback from your children.”

Meanwhile, Caldwell, 20, was relieved to find a safe and manageable process for part-time work while going to school. “I like it because you can make your own schedule and pull yourself off when you go home for the holidays. But my friends keep saying don’t a lot of creeps call you?” That hasn’t happened, says the student from Invermere, B.C.
“The parents have to pay to be on the site and I contact the parents directly by e-mail.”
She now has three or four regular clients and the $10 hourly fee helps pay for rising school costs. “Parents are willing to pay more than minimum wage for someone to car for their children. It’s important to them.”

Scully, meanwhile, is expanding the site into Montreal in February hopes to launch a nanny search service of part-time and full-time caregivers.
These candidates, she adds, will be pre-screened by her company.

TIPS FOR A SITTER SEARCH

• Once you’ve found a few possible candidates, use e-mail to make the initial contact and ask specific questions.
• Once you find answers you like, follow with a phone call.
• Be present the first time or two with the caregiver This allows children to gain confidence with a new person, the sitter a chance to ask questions and you to observe activity levels and comfort of your kids.
• Sitters set their own rate – usually $8-11.00 an hour.

Calgary Babysitters available through Canadian Sitter