Sitting pretty
Agencies connect families with reputable caregivers for kids, elders and pets
Parents seeking a night on the town can face a challenge that's downright daunting: finding a sitter they trust with their kids.
Local agencies are trying to help by offering to do the legwork, which often includes background checks of the sitters.
"We have an extensive list of requirements. We make them go through a lot," said April Andujar, owner of Aloha Nannies. "Our nannies are from all walks of life - we have lots of teachers, college students and retired and semi-retired older women.
"We require the nannies to have one year of child care experience. Just because someone is a mom, doesn't qualify them to be a nanny. They need to know how to follow other people's rules and communicate well."
Tutoring is even among their services, Andujar said. "Tutoring can be held in conjunction with the nanny services. Some people have their kids tutored for an hour and the nanny stays with them until the parents get home from work." Other duties include taking kids to the beach or to swimming-related activities.
A service fee for the agency is $25 for the first day and $15 for additional days. The sitter is paid separately - $13 per hour for one child; $14 for two; $15 for three. Cost evaluations are conducted for families with more than three children.
Kathy Custer, owner of keikisitters.com, started her site last March, and has more than 200 available sitters. A family's request is sent to all of the child-care providers in that area. Parents choose based on how much they want to pay, available dates or specific skills.
"Each of the sitters has a photo, a background check and parents can choose their favorite," Custer said.
And it's not just about kids. Many of the sitters also provide elder care and pet sitting. "If people have a loving nature towards a young child, they typically have that same patience to take care of pets. They are nurturing, in general, so it made sense to combine all three services," she said.
On Oahu, keikisitters' services range from $8 to $15, with services for pets ranging from $10 to $60.
Custer's site was inspired by the difficulty both parties (the sitter and parent) had finding each other. "I came to Oahu from California and posted a listing on Craigslist (offering baby-sitting services) and got numerous responses. I wanted to find an easy solution for the two to find each other."
Fees to use the site's services are $120 annually; or $10 per month, with an additional one-time $39 start-up fee.
Parents who decide to seek child care on their own should ask a lot of questions and keep an open channel of communication with their sitters, according to Cindy Ballard, the Oahu Coordinator for PATCH, a statewide child-care resource.
"Look at the environment and make sure it's safe and that they have resources that are age-appropriate for the child," she said. In a group setting, be sure to count the number of children in comparison to adults.
"Ask about the provider's background ... how they handle discipline or how guidance is handled," Ballard added. And most importantly, once a sitter is chosen, "keep each other informed."
