Find Babysitters Near Me (2023)

FAQs

How do I find a good babysitter in my area? ›

Undoubtedly, the best-known website and app for connecting parents with caregivers is Care.com. Their easy-to-use digital platform is a straightforward way to find and pay for a babysitter, nanny, or tutor. It's also a top pick when it comes to online reviews and ratings of caregivers.

Factors That Impact Rates

According to UrbanSitter, the national average hourly rate for a babysitter in 2022 was $20.57 for one child and $23.25 for two kids. However, how much you pay your babysitter depends on a variety of factors, including: Where you live. The babysitter's level of experience and education.

A nanny is an experienced professional who provides ongoing childcare, while a babysitter usually provides short-term or casual care for children.

The average hourly rate for a babysitter nationally is $20.57 for one child and $23.25 for two kids.

Highly specialized nannies' and sitters' rates may be $30-40/hour, while less experienced babysitters in positions with less responsibility may charge $20/hour.

Regular sitter

If you have a sitter who comes fairly regularly (weekly or biweekly on average), you may also want to tip her — though in this case, it may be appropriate to tip her at the end of the year, says Eyring. Experts say that in this situation, a night's pay and a small gift from your child is appropriate.

Preschoolers (3- 5) are the best age group for young babysitters to begin babysitting for. You shouldn't have a new, young teen sitter babysit for infants or toddlers. Even with experience, a newborn (less than one month old) is not an appropriate babysitting job for a teenager.

Nannies typically expect to complete any household chores which are related to taking care of children and essentially leave the home in the same condition it was in when they arrived/started their day. These could reasonably include: Making/changing the children's beds and keeping their rooms clean and tidy.

The nanny pay range is £11 – £14 ph, higher in London where the average is £15 – £16+ per hour* (Net). Nanny Pay Average Per Week and Per month (Based on a working work of 40 – 50 hours): Average Per Week: £11 – £12 ph: £400 – £500 per week (Net)

According to the Care.com 2022 Cost of Care survey, the average nanny makes about $694 a week in the U.S., or about $17.35 per hour.

Is $20 an hour for babysitting too much? ›

Average pay for a babysitter jumped 11% last year to $20.57 an hour for caring for one child, according to a new analysis from UrbanSitter, which connects babysitters with families looking for help. That jump means babysitting' wages are outpacing inflation, which rose 7% in December compared with the prior year.

You should definitely pay her. It's the fair thing to do. She raised you, she's done. You love her and trust her with your children, probably way more than you would trust a stranger, so you should pay her well.

When negotiating a babysitting fee, be flexible and be creative. For example, if you're stuck between $10 and $12 an hour when negotiating, offer to pay the higher rate, but ask the sitter to spend an hour or two helping your kids do their homework or clean their rooms.

It's the polite thing to do. While the etiquette surrounding this varies a lot by region, almost any babysitter would appreciate being provided food if they're going to be watching your children over dinner time.

How much does a Babysitting make in California? As of Jan 17, 2023, the average annual pay for the Babysitting jobs category in California is $42,475 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $20.42 an hour. This is the equivalent of $816/week or $3,539/month.

Generally speaking, you'll want to wear a fairly modest shirt that you don't mind getting messy in. I tend to wear darker, more neutral colors in case of kid spillage, boo boos or boogers. These colors tend to hide stains fairly well, and are very easy to style with a sweater on cooler days.

But your reward is knowing that your child is in capable hands. You'll want to find someone who is mature and friendly, has common sense, and is genuinely fond of children. The recommendations of people you know and trust are your best bet for finding a reliable and capable babysitter.

The best place to start looking is within the community you know, including your church, local schools, neighborhood, or your workplace. Once you have some options, it's important to check references. These may come from teachers, youth group leaders or from other families who have used the sitter.

Care.com does have plenty of talent on the site for people looking for quality sitters. If you are in the process of looking for a regular sitter, I would recommend paying for a short-term membership, fervently interviewing candidates, and canceling once you find someone you like.

Is Sittercity safe? Sittercity conducts a thorough screening process before they approve a sitter. To take safety one step further, they also offer the option to pay for a third-party background check on any prospective sitter. Depending on the type of background check, rates range from $15 to $60.

What is the best age to start babysitting? ›

Preschoolers (3- 5) are the best age group for young babysitters to begin babysitting for. You shouldn't have a new, young teen sitter babysit for infants or toddlers. Even with experience, a newborn (less than one month old) is not an appropriate babysitting job for a teenager.

The parents may be able to have a “right of first refusal.” Generally speaking, the only way a parent might be able to prevent an ex-spouse from hiring a legitimate babysitter during his or her parenting time is if there is a provision for the right of first refusal.

SitterCity

Our first Care.com alternative, SitterCity, has been around since 2001, and helps people get connected with in-home caregivers. If you're looking to hire a babysitter, petsitter, senior caregiver, nanny, dogwalker, or other type of at home care, you can find the right person for the job through SitterCity.

You can sign up for a basic account on Care.com and use the site for free. However, the basic account only gives you access to certain features, and doesn't allow you to easily communicate through the online messaging system. To get more features, you need to purchase a paid membership subscription.

While Sittercity focuses on finding sitters for your child, pets, and elders at home, Care.com encompasses all care services that you may need to run your household smoothly. On Care.com you can find sitters, nannies, care for your pets and persons with special needs, and also housekeeping services.

You've Invited an IRS or State Tax Agency Audit

But you still may need to pay back taxes, fines, and interest for not legally paying your nanny. According to The Motley Fool, failing to pay employment taxes can cost on average $25,000 in penalties and interest.

The site requires background checks and clear photographs of all freelancers. Though reviews of this site are overwhelmingly positive, a number of sitters have complained about getting booted for what they believe were minor infractions. The site does have the right to remove sitters for any reason.

Most experts say that by age 10 or 11, it's OK to leave a child alone for short periods of time (under an hour) during the day, provided they're not scared and you think they're mature enough to handle it. But you may want to wait another year or two before leaving them alone at night.

Contrary to popular belief, the law in Quebec does not indicate a minimum age at which children can be left at home alone.

The NSPCC interpretation on guidelines for leaving child home alone: children under 12 are rarely mature enough to be left alone for a long period of time. children under 16 shouldn't be left alone overnight.