Choosing the right babysitting service these days is becoming as difficult as picking the right flavour of jam. Let’s face it: having someone look after your children is daunting. But add the anxiety of not knowing the person, and daunting turns into manic frenzy. Therefore, the obvious first step for any parent looking for childcare is to understand the options available, and make the right choice. Below is a summary and comparison of the types of different childcare options available to parents in London.

 

Childcare Directories

Directory-style services like FindaBabysitter.com and Childcare.co.uk are excellent for finding a full-time or permanent solution to childcare. These services require you to sign up and pay a monthly subscription fee, and in return you can connect with people offering childcare. You can either post a job to these websites, or you can search people’s profiles and contact them individually. The only caveat is that for the most part, these services do not do any of the vetting. So it is incumbent upon the parent to check paperwork, schedule and conduct interviews, and carry out reference checks. If you need someone urgently, or you don’t have time to do the vetting yourself, such services may not work well for you.

 

Childcare Agencies

There are agency-like services, for example, Sitters.co.uk, which have been around for many years and have an excellent reputation for providing trusted childcare. Once you sign up to such a service, you can be rest assured, whoever they send you will be thoroughly vetted. However, such services charge you a recurring membership fee, a booking fee each time you book, and then you still need to pay cash to the babysitter.

 

On-demand Childcare Services

Finally, there is a swath of On-demand childcare services, offered either via an app or a website. Such services provide an easy way for parents to find and book childcare with a few clicks, and the entire booking and payment process takes place online. But within these on-demand babysitting services, one must clearly understand the differences between the different types. KidSitter is one such service, which operates in London. It is important to distinguish KidSitter, as a network of experienced nannies, childminders, nursery staff, teachers and other childcare professionals, all of whom have been thoroughly vetted. KidSitter works exclusively with childcare professionals. In fact, their vetting processes are second to none. DBS checks, paediatric first-aid, in-person interviews, reference checks and of course, ID and address verification are a must for any childcare professional to undergo before they are added to the KidSitter network. In comparison, some other online services may use third party ID checks and/or social networks for their vetting, and hence are not limited just to professional childcare providers. With such services, there are no ongoing subscription fees, although some of them do charge a booking fee.

 

So when you are in the market for a babysitter, ask yourself how thoroughly they have been vetted and how much of the vetting would you have to do yourself. Do you prefer to pay online or pay cash to the sitter and is the service being offered charging you a subscription and booking fees? The guide below will help you in choosing the right babysitting service for your needs.

 

Comparison between Babysitting Services

 

Tags: Babysitters, Babysitting, Childcare, services