Fess up. You’d give up your credit card PIN and all your passwords before you’d pony up your favorite sitter’s digits. Guess what? Your friends feel the same way. Finding a good babysitter is hard and all the lessons we’ve learned about sharing fly out the window when it comes to this topic. Good news is there are plenty of services that make building your bench of trusted caregivers easy-peasy. . . and you don’t even need to break into your neighbor’s Rolodex. Read on to get the scoop on the most popular babysitting services for savvy Chicagoans.
Sittercity
Sittercity has been helping parents find nannies and babysitters for two decades. You post your job and review applicant profiles. It’s just that simple. You can look for coverage on a specific date or book an interview and evaluate for needs you have in the future. Need a part-time or short-term nanny? You can find one here. Bonus: They offer services nationally and offer specialty services for pet and senior care.
Online: sittercity.com or the Sittercity app
UrbanSitter
UrbanSitter is great about using technology to connect users with sitters in their “network”, allowing searches based on local school or parent groups. You can also sync your account with social media pages so you can see what sitters your friends have already used. Get to know great sitters through video profiles, parent reviews and repeat family badges. Booking is fast and you can post one-time or recurring jobs. This is also a great site to use when looking for a tutor or virtual babysitting.
Online: urbansitter.com or the UrbanSitter app
College Nannies + Sitters + Tutors
Similar to K.Grace in that they’re a concierge-focused service, they also provide specific caregivers that specialize in after-school pickup and tutoring, as well as short notice care 24/7.
Online: collegenanniesandtutors.com
Care.com
Care.com began in 2006 with a belief that quality care for your family is fundamental to the success of economic growth and stability. Research also suggested when seniors have quality in-home care, healthcare costs decline due to fewer hospital stays. They're still going strong 15 years later, never wavering from their commitment to family. Care.com not only offers a robust network of caregivers but payroll services for families to help track and manage costs.
Online: care.com
K Grace
K Grace is a mom-owned business and offers a strictly concierge-focused model. They specialize in last-minute and emergency care. In order to use their service, you need to be registered with them in advance and pay a subscription but they can likely accommodate any of your more unpredictable special requests—overnights, temporary nannies, hotel stays, etc. Expecting a baby and need middle-of-the-night care for your toddler for when you go into labor? They'll have you covered.
Online: kgracechildcare.net
— Maria Chambers & Christa Reed
Featured photo: publicdomainpictures via Pixabay
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