Finding a Babysitter Online....

I had great success with sittercity.com. I had to interview and weed through several responses before I found a really good one, but it worked out really well in the end.

I used Sittercity to find my current sitter plus I have some contacts in case I need to find another. I think the site is great. There are some sitters on there that really should not be just due to their lack of response. I had appts setup with 3 different women, from 23 to 42 yrs old, that did not show up or call to say they could not. I had 2 that responded to my post for a sitter but never responded to my response to them. But I also had a good lot to choose from that did respond so you get both. Once you make contact, you can meet just like you would a person from church or a neighborhood person.

Do you need a sitter or actual daycare? For daycare, I believe your state has a referral system. If you want a sitter or daycare person, try craigslist, it is free and tho they are still strangers, you may find that you know common people through the interview process, contact your local colleges and high schools, churches, etc. When I was looking for a sitter, I would ask kids in the neighborhood as we were walking. They may not, but they may know someone that does. Also, childcare centers are a good resources. Often the workers will sit at night. At least they have usually had background checks etc. . .
Good luck!

I was in the same dilemma about 2 years ago and so I posted an ad on Craigslist and that was great, because I got lots of responses and was able to filter through. I narrowed the choice down to 3 and met with those 3 at a coffee store (neutral ground)- that helped a lot.
We still use the sitter occasionally and developed a friendship with her too- she is a college student....

I've used sittercity.com and enannysource.com and have been thrilled with the results both times. That's how I found both of our nannies. I was not so excited about the cost involved but I reminded myself that there's nothing more important than finding someone I could trust. Getting the criminal background check is a great bonus too, just to set my mind at ease.

Good luck!!

We've used sittercity for the past 5 years to find babysitters for date nights and errands. We had tried asking around the neighborhood and I even posted an add with the local college and high school but never got any responses. You definitely get a lot of responses on sittercity and can weed through to the ones that sound good to you. Each person has provided mulitple references and was very willing to meet/interview before sitting for us. Actually our biggest problem has only been that the sitters we've selected are very popular so I have to keep a pool of sitters to use. Good luck!

When I moved here, my kids became friends with some kids in the cul de sac and their mom told me who she used as a babysitter and I called and met the girls before they babysat for me - they were great. If you don't know any neighbors, you can also network through church, work, or schools. In my last neighborhood, I called the PTO president to see if she could provide me with school stats, neighborhood info, etc and she was an invaluable 'resource' to me....and I met tons of people through her and we are still friends. She knew of tons of young adults that could help me out - so it pays to just put yourself out there sometimes...go online and find the PTO staff and they would probably be more than happy to help - and they will be in your area....good luck!

Do you have any colleges nearby? If you do see if they have a babysitter's list. Or do you belong to a church? Maybe the pastor/priest/deacon can recommend someone within the church community.

You could ask your church if they know of anyone or a church near by. You'd still have to be cautious if it's a stranger but word of mouth from a church might be better, maybe.

we got a great sitter off of Craigs List. You get a lot of responses and you have to do a lot of wading through, but it is worth it. A lot of college students use it. You can also advertise in your local college paper.

I am currently registered on Care.com, and sittercity.com. I would trust both sites! Make sure you meet the person first in a public place and then do a trial run with anyone.

Hi K. - I just wanted to write you a quick note. My husband and I have difficult schedules to manage with our respective jobs and commercial daycare did not work for us. We found our nanny/babysitter on Sittercity.com and I was very pleased. In addition a dear friend of ours also utilized the site and had a great experience. We have both been blessed with exceptional caregivers for our children.

My only suggestion would be to be VERY selective and set high demands for your selection. I interviewed seven people, two over the phone and five in person without my children. Then I did a playdate/introduction with two of the people and ultimately selected one. I requested and received a resume, references and I did lots of homework.

I wish you the absolute best of luck. I have found that this decision to use a nanny/babysitter has been the greatest arrangement second to our daughter staying with family. In my opinion commercial daycare does not even remotely compare and we would do it all over again the same way if we have an additional child. Best of luck. A.

I'm sure people do it all of the time. I'd be too cautious though. Plus, I have a psycho dog and cannot just have "anyone" into our house.
Could you ask the people you do know if they know of anyone? I think I'd feel safer doing that than finding a stranger online....JMO.

On other source you could try...Our local high school has an early childhood education class. The teacher was glad to give me a list of names and numbers of the students in her class to use as babysitters.

K.,
The county government where I live has a child care referral service. For a small fee, they will send a list of all the licensed day care providers in the zip code you specify. You might want to check to see if your local or county goverment offers this service. That way, you can be certain your sitter is licensed by the county. I found a wonderful babysitter using this service when my daughter was a baby.
Good luck!