How can a single mother find reliable baby sitters?

Question

A friend of mine just became a single mom. Her little boys are ages 1 & 2. Her husband has walked out, and her only baby sitter (mother-in-law) is no longer an option. She is new in the area and knows few people. She needs help finding reliable baby sitters that could watch the boys 1) during the week if they cannot go to daycare because of being sick but she must go to work, and 2) every so often on a week-end so she can have time to run errands & maybe have a moment to relax. Money is tight, but she is willing to pay for someone who is reliable and trustworthy.

How does she go about finding people who could baby sit for her? Yellow pages? There have to be a lot of ladies that have had to deal with this problem. What has worked for others?

God bless you for your thoughful suggestions.

Answer 1

i am a member on the website, care.com, and they interview your past bosses, and do extensive background searches. they find you via  zip code and are able to set you up with a perfect match. good luck and i hope those little boys are awesome.

Answer 2

I would talk to people at work, church, etc.  See if they recommend anyone.

Answer 3

Michael Jackson , he can baby sit your kids .

Answer 4

There is a web site sittercity.com.  The sitters on this website can be rated by people that they babysat for.  They also have to give references with phone numbers.  My cousin used it and found a nice baby sitter.

The other thing is post something at a nearby college.  My friend did this and interviewed 4 girls and had 2 of them babysit quite a bit the past year.  One of the babysitters has become like a family member, they all love her.  My friend has 3 kids that are definitly a handful but this one girl is so wonderful with the children.

Good Luck.

Answer 5

What about a friend in her neighborhood? As for help on the weekends, asks some of the older children children in the neighborhood.  

Answer 6

She should go to a community centre that has groups for toddlers and mom's and ask other mom's who they use for daycare and she can get some names; there may also be ads posted on bulletin boards as well.  She can also call agencies like Wee Watch to find home daycare.  Another way is to check the community newspaper classifieds.  Sounds like the best thing is to find a person who can come to her home since if the child(ren) are sick most daycares will not let them attend.

Answer 7

i have no idea

Answer 8

No, not the yellow pages, I would suggest your local Family Independence Agency, they have names of reliable people who will sit for your friend's children, and if you go to your local Family Independence Agency, you know they have names of people who will take care of your friend's children, they are the same place that issues food stamps and help for families that need it.

They were there when I needed them, and boy, did they come through!!!!!!

Check em' out!!!! :-) You will be glad you did :-) !!!!!!!!!!

If you advertise in your local supermarket, like we did years ago, you can't trust anyone, they can lie about their experience and that is just not right anymore these days.

Your best bet would be your local Family Independent Agency, there, they can help.

Answer 9

go to church(es) and ask if they could announce or print or post your request for a babysitter.  tons of teens and retired folks need the $.

i would recommend a retired person, as likely they would likely enjoy the company of the children.  the older person probably has lots of childcare experience, probably has their own residence and is probably on a fixed income.

no you do not go to the yellow pages

you also call everyone on your sim card and tell them your friend is looking for a babysitter.  everyone that you know will have aunts, sisters, moms and mother's in law, cousins, you name it.

so by putting the word out there, you maximize your chances of finding someone who is eager for the income, but also has some ties to either you or others in the community and likely treat the children very kindly (like their own).

lots of folks that just moved to this country may not have the skills to get their first job, or their paperwork, so many times you can find people like that who would love to earn the extra $.  and your kids get to learn another language and be around another culture.  win win.

good luck.

Answer 10

she could try a website called   care.com

they have decent sitters on there that are specified by zip code, so she can find someone close and have them come to her house if she wants...

good luck, I know finding a sitter can be scary.

Answer 11

word of mouth.

check with churches and maybe neighbors might know someone.

I used my co-workers daughter to watch mine on weird days i had to work. however, sitter was 15,my child was 9 and sitters mother was with her too, younger children would require a more experienced sitter