When you join the babysitters' club, a whole new world of childcare becomes available. Babysitters can provide regular care, last-minute care, temporary care, and special event care. Whether you're looking for after-school assistance, emergency backup or a cosy date night, there is the right babysitter to suit your circumstances. A babysitter can be booked through a professional agency or may come recommended by family, friends, neighbours, other parents from their children's centre, and colleagues.
Both are good options, and to help you decide whether to use an agency or find a babysitter yourself, we've put together this table pointing out the benefits of each approach:
Benefits of Choosing a Babysitter from a Babysitting Agency
- A good agency saves you time by using tried and tested processes for advertising, recruiting, and screening potential babysitters.
- Babysitting agencies have established policies regarding things like placement and billing.
- Established agencies with good reputations attract high-quality carers which improves the choices for families looking for childcare.
- An agency should be able to source a good babysitter who matches your family and your specific requirements or special circumstances.
- Agencies can assist with the interviewing and recruitment process by providing information on which questions to ask and how to make your final decision.
- Agencies can help you write an employment contract covering things like house rules, salary, hours and leave entitlements.
- Good agencies will maintain regular contact with families to ensure they are satisfied with the arrangement and to collect feedback on the carer.
- Agencies have insurance coverage and can mediate between both parties in the case of disagreement.
Benefits of Finding Your Own Babysitter
- No agency booking fee or cancellation fee and may come at a cheaper hourly rate, depending on age and experience.
- May not have a 'minimum hours per booking' limit, meaning you can hire them for less than three hours. This is especially beneficial if you only need an occasional sitter e.g. when you need someone to watch over your older children while you take your young child to a pediatrician's office.
- Interviewed and reference-checked by you, so you get a sense of their experience, character and childcare approach before booking them.
- Are usually located near you, for convenience and peace of mind.
- Come recommended by someone you trust so no need to do a thorough background check.
- May have an existing bond with your children, e.g. they live next door, so that your kids connect with them and feels immediately comfortable.
- May have child care experience, e.g. they might be a child care worker or retired teacher who does casual babysitting, or a friend or neighbour who has children the same age as yours.
- May represent a 'win-win situation', e.g. asking the teen older sibling to watch over the young ones mean zero cost or booking a friend's teenager means you get affordable child care and the teen earns some money.
- Can babysit on a trial run so you can see if they're a perfect fit for you.
CareforKids contains information, advice and practical materials that will support your babysitter experience.
Our Overview on Babysitting is a great place to start. Before booking your babysitter make sure you print off our Babysitter Checklist and have our Parent/Babysitter Notes form on hand for when they arrive.
All you need to do is leave the house and take full advantage of those child-free hours!
