Most Sittercity reviews that you will find only scratch the surface, which means that you may not be getting the full scoop on this service. If you need a sitter soon, then this article is for you.
In this article, I will provide you with details about Sittercity that you won’t find anywhere else. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to decide if Sittercity is the right choice for you and your family’s needs.
So is Sittercity right for you and your family? Read on to find out.
Sittercity Limited Time Offer: Save Up To 65% With Our Value Plans
Here’s what some parents have to say about this article:
“Thanks for your very complete review of Sittercity. I really appreciate it. 🙂 It seems you’ve covered all of the things I had questions about their services. This is tremendously helpful for moms like me who are very careful with choosing a childcare service.” – HCunningham
“This is a very comprehensive review of Sittercity. I was looking online for some reviews but most of them were more focused on the part of the sitter. I’m a mom and I need to know the mechanics of Sittercity. I’m glad I saw this review. Thank you. – Darlene JP
“I’m glad I stumbled upon your review of Sittercity. A lot of things have been said about it but your article has really given me a wider perspective on their services.” – peaches8
“Thank you for this article. If I hadn’t read this I wouldn’t have tried out Sittercity. Now I’m able to find sitters who are reliable and caring.” – scranberry
Table Of Contents
Highlights Of This Sittercity Review
- Sittercity is the market leader in the online sitter space and is America’s largest and most trusted online resource for child care, elder care, pet care, housesitting, housekeeping, and tutoring. In fact, the company invented the online sitter and caregiving services industry. To date, Sittercity serves more than 7 million users in cities across the United States.
- Part of the appeal to members of Sittercity is the social media, and community feel of the website and this naturally leads to another benefit — the detailed profiles of sitters and the feedback from parents. More importantly, you also have complete access to feedback provided by parents who have used the services of the sitter.
- Sittercity recommends a four-step process for screening and finding the best sitter for your family. This screening process includes the use of the site’s internal feedback system, conducting personal interviews, checking references, and conducting thorough background checks.
- Safety and security for both family and sitters are top priorities for Sittercity. Sittercity takes safety and security very seriously. The company uses a couple of highly respected safety and security organizations such as Family WatchDog, Experian, and Sterling Talent Solutions to assist them in the sitter review process. The profiles of sitters are redundantly reviewed for identity verification and quality review as soon as they register on the site.
- One of the great things that I like about Sittercity is the ability for parents to do affordable background and identification checks right within the site. In-depth background checks are available for both parents and sitters to purchase and process.
- Sittercity also allows you to contact the sitters’ references directly so that you can talk to them to learn more about the sitter that you are interested in hiring.
- With Sittercity, you can find sitters passively or proactively. With a passive search, all you have to do is post a job on the site and wait for qualified sitters to apply for the job. The proactive way of looking for a sitter starts with you going through the search process using various filters based on your requirements. Once you narrow down your list of potential sitter candidates, you can then contact them.
- Regardless of whether you decide to find sitters passively or proactively on Sittercity, the site provides parents and families a great search platform that is really so convenient and very easy to use. There is no doubt that this Sittercity helps parents like us take the stress and inconvenience away from what used to be a very time-consuming and stressful endeavor.
- Sittercity is one of the best online sitter services that you can find in the market today. However, Sittercity isn’t perfect. Just like other babysitter services, you may find certain issues with the service if you think that this service will do everything for you. Detailed solutions on how to deal with the service’s shortcomings are provided.
- Sittercity offers 2 types of memberships: (1) free Basic Membership; and (2) paid Premium Membership. The difference between the two types of memberships is discussed in detail. If you want to give Sittercity a test drive, give the free Basic Membership a try.
- Paid membership cancellation is also very easy. Cancellation contact information is also provided in this article.
- Bottomline thoughts and recommendations on Sittercity are discussed at the end of the article.
Everything You Need To Know About Sittercity
There comes a time when parents really need some help with regard to taking care of their child.
Whether it’s because you need to be at work, have an important appointment that you can’t miss, or simply need to have a break from family life to keep your sanity … finding a babysitter whom you can trust your precious little one can be quite a challenge.
For the lucky ones who have family members, relatives, or neighbors to depend on for babysitting, I envy you.
For parents like us who need outside help for babysitting or do not want to hassle others, we have two options: find babysitters the old-fashioned way through recommendations from family and friends or find babysitters the modern way via the internet.
There was a time when I was also in desperate need of a sitter. Not having someone to watch over my daughter when I had to be at work while my husband was away on a trip had put me in a tight situation.
Based on my experience and knowledge now about Sittercity, I’m going to provide you with some important insights on this service which I hope can help you decide on whether Sittercity is the right solution for your child care needs.
As a result, I had to find a solution to the issue and set my mind on using an online sitter service. That’s when I came across Sittercity.
When I was doing my own research at that time, I came across various online sitter services that have been sprouting online, and believe me, some of the sites I found did not impress me as being safe or can be trusted.
When I started focusing on finding out more about Sittercity, information on this service was very scarce. I did not have enough information to make an informed decision.
Based on my experience and knowledge now about Sittercity, I’m going to provide you with some important insights on this service which I hope can help you decide on whether Sittercity is the right solution for your child care needs. [1]
I will also provide you with some tips on how to make the most out of the service so that you don’t make some costly mistakes in hiring the wrong sitters to care for your precious kids.
With that, let’s move right along.
So What’s The Real Scoop On Sittercity?
Sittercity is the market leader in the online sitter space and is America’s largest and most trusted online resource for child care, elder care, pet care, housesitting, housekeeping, and tutoring.
To date, Sittercity serves more than 7 million users in cities across the United States.
In fact, the company invented the online sitter and caregiving services industry when it was founded back in 2001 by Genevieve Thiers while she was still a Boston College student.
The service offers a great choice of potential babysitters for your kids via an easy-to-use website. The idea of a simple online resource for babysitters is highly appealing to all us parents and that is exactly what Sittercity aims to offer us. [2] Once you sign up as a member you can easily access the database of available child care providers and post the details of the job you require.
From there, it is just a matter of waiting for the applications to come your way. Or, if you want to be more proactive with your search, you can screen and narrow down potential sitters to contact through the use of various screening filters that suit your family’s needs.
Part of the appeal to members of the site is the social media, community feel of the website and this nature leads to another benefit — the detailed profiles of sitters and the feedback from parents.
Part of the appeal to members of the site is the social media, and community feel of the website and this naturally leads to another benefit — the detailed profiles of sitters and the feedback from parents. Profiling sitters that sign up gives you an easy way of viewing their personal details, location, experience, and skills so that finding the perfect choice is quicker and easier.
More importantly, you also have complete access to feedback provided by parents who have used the services of the sitter.
Another advantage of using Sittercity over other websites is the freedom and choice that it offers. There appears to be no limit on the type of jobs you can post on this site.
Whether you need a simple overnight job, some after-school cover, or a full weekend, you can post your job requirements for applicants or do a proactive search for someone who is available.
Additionally, if you require a sitter with specialized skills, for instance, if you would like the house to be cleaned or prefer someone with first aid training, you can find someone with a suitable match.
You can also find sitters who can tutor your kids. If you have pets, the site also offers pet sitters.
One thing is for sure, this website offers peace of mind for busy parents. There is nothing worse than finding out that you have to be out of the house in an hour and there is no one available to watch over the kids. With Sittercity, this nightmare could potentially be resolved because members have been known to post job requests at short notice with success.
Because of the speed and simplicity of the process, available sitters whom you have already pre-screened (through the four-step screening process; more on this below), can instantly view and respond to your emergency posts and be at your door in time just so you can be at your important engagement.
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Safety and Security For Both Family And Sitters Are Top Priorities
Sittercity recommends a four-step process for screening and finding the best sitter for your family. This screening process includes the use of the site’s internal feedback system, conducting personal interviews, checking references, and conducting thorough background checks.
By following this four-step screening process, you can put your mind at rest and be able to make better hiring decisions.
In-depth background checks are available for parents or sitters to purchase and process. The background check processing is completed by Sterling Talent Solutions. Sterling is considered one of the best in the world when it comes to checking and verifying the background of anyone.
Sitters are screened through the Family Watchdog database, both with the information provided at registration and continuously thereafter.
Sitter identities are authenticated at registration by Experian, which compares user information against publicly available data. This helps Sittercity determine that the person who created the profile is a real person. [3]
You would think the high-level background and database checks would be enough. Well, Sittercity realizes you can never be too careful. They take safety and security so seriously that they have a third-party review process. The profiles of sitters are reviewed again for identity verification and quality review.
One of the great things that I like about Sittercity is the ability to do background and identification checks right within the site.
In-depth background checks are available for parents or sitters to purchase and process. The background check processing is completed by Sterling Talent Solutions. Sterling is considered one of the best in the world when it comes to checking and verifying the background of anyone.
However, Sittercity doesn’t stop there.
They’ve also partnered with an organization called Family Watchdog, which tracks down registered sex offenders within your area, for added security in your screening process. I think that is also really a great feature that parents should be aware of.
As a heads up, a background check using Sterling costs $15 per background check per person. Sittercity’s comprehensive background check includes an identity check, a national criminal search, traffic violations, and a check through the sex offender and violent crime registry.
However, most of the time, you will find that a sitter already has a background check in their profile. If such is the case, then you wouldn’t have to do one as the background check was already done by other parents or subscribers, or by the sitter themselves.
According to Sittercity, it is pretty common for sitters to pay for their own background check in order to complete their profile and make it more convenient for parents to hire them. By having a complete background check in their Sittercity profile, a babysitter usually has a better chance of being contacted by parents since they are making it convenient and cheaper for parents to hire them.
By the way, even if sitters request for their own background check on Sterling, there is absolutely no possibility that sitters can influence or tamper with the findings in the background check.
Now in the event that a hiring party needs to do a background check since no background check has been done on a sitter, do I think that the cost is justified at all?
I sincerely do think it is still very much justified.
Considering that we are ensuring the safety of our family and kids, I truly think that a $15 background check is well worth it. I think of this as an investment for our peace of mind and more importantly, for the safety of our kids.
Aside from being able to do background checks conveniently as a Sittercity member, you can also read actual reviews on the sitters left by other moms and members of the site. While identity and background checks are extremely important, being able to read reviews about a sitter from other parents is priceless.
Sittercity also allows you to contact the sitters’ references directly so that you can talk to them to learn more about the sitter that you are interested in hiring.
In addition to all of these, sitter profiles on the site also come with photos, experience, training, safety skills, availability calendars, reviews, and more. You can interview sitters before making a final decision. In fact, it is highly recommended that you do so. You are always in control of the whole process.
While identity and background checks are extremely important, being able to read a review about a sitter from other parents who are using or have used a potential sitter is priceless.
Like any other online sitter service, there is no guarantee that the system is foolproof but as long as you use common sense and do your own research on applicants, then you should be safe. If one sitter has a five-star rating and good references and the other has a two-star rating and nothing to back up their application, then the choice is obvious.
How Do You Actually Use Sittercity To Find A Sitter?
I found Sittercity to be one of the most convenient ways for finding a babysitter since you can do your searches right in the comfort of your home. [4] You no longer have to make calls or bother your family, friends, relatives, office mates, or local community centers to find a recommended sitter.
You do not even have to make a special time just to make a trip to your local college, university, or church just to get hold of a list of potential sitter candidates. It’s really such a time saver.
The service even becomes more valuable if you don’t know anyone who can make recommendations for a sitter or if you are pretty much new in your neighborhood. As long as you have a computer or an electronic mobile device and an internet connection, you can do your sitter searches right in the comfort of your home.
With Sittercity, you can find sitters passively or proactively. Let me clarify that.
With a passive search, all you have to do is post a job on the site. When you post a job on Sittercity, you can provide specific details about the job that you are looking for someone to fill in. Within a few hours (sometimes even minutes), qualified local sitters who are interested in the job posting will respond to you.
You can then review further details about the sitters who responded to your job posting and start the process of creating a shortlist of sitters that you would be interested in getting in touch with and interviewing.
The proactive way of looking for a sitter starts with you going through the search process. This simple search starts with you going to the sitter search box and typing your zip code.
You are then taken to a screen where you can refine your search through various filters that include the following filters: distance from your home, has own transportation, ok with pets, nonsmoker, availability of photo, gender, availability of background checks, last time the sitter signed in to the site, availability, availability of user reviews and feedback, the preferred location for sitting whether your own home or the sitter’s home, years of experience, hourly rate, educational level, first aid certification, CPR certification, teacher certification, nurse’s assistant certification, special need experience, languages spoken, age of care provider, and more.
Once you have set your parameters and done your search, you can then do further research on the potential sitters you are interested in. Since you have full access to their profiles, you can read all their background info and background checks prior to getting in touch with them for phone and face-to-face interviews. Also read: Free Trial Search On Sittercity
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Sittercity also provides tips and articles for you on how to conduct searches to help you find sitters who are best suited for your needs. For example, some of the articles that you will have access to cover topics such as interview questions to ask potential candidates or how you should conduct interviews to spot sitters who seem to have chemistry with you and your kids.
Regardless of whether you decide to find sitters passively or proactively on Sittercity, the site provides parents and families a great search platform that is really so convenient and very easy to use.
There is no doubt that this online sitter service helps parents like us take the stress and inconvenience away from what used to be a very time-consuming and stressful endeavor.
U.S. Department of Defense Partnership
As proof of the site’s quality of service and high standards, I just thought that you might like to know that Sittercity is fully endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense. In fact, the U.S. Department of Defense partnered with Sittercity back in 2010 to help military families with their childcare needs. [5]
Military families have free access to this online sitter service thanks to funding from the Defense Department. Military members and their families can activate their membership by going to http://www.sittercity.com/dod.
So if you or a member of your family are in the Army, Marine, Navy, or Air Force, you don’t have to pay for membership and will have full access to all the benefits that Sittercity has to offer. Watch the video below to learn more about this.
[Update: As of 31 July 2015, Sittercity’s free access for military members was discontinued. However, the company still provides discounted offers for its services to military families. You can find more details regarding this matter here.]
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Need To Cancel Your Subscription? It’s Really Easy
Just like any service that you use for your home and family such as electricity, gas, water, cable, garbage collection, insurance, newspaper, magazines, or ant-virus software, it is your responsibility to cancel your subscription for such services. Sittercity is no different from these.
Also, it is important to note that when it comes to renewing your premium membership, Sittercity does not send you a notice of billing. For some reason, this appears to be the practice at Care.com too. A lot of people are usually surprised to see automatic renewal billing on their credit cards thinking that since they did not receive any billing notification, then they would not be billed at all.
Make sure you cancel your subscription if you intend to only use Sittercity for the amount of time you signed up for. Otherwise, your credit card will be automatically billed without any email notification.
Make sure you cancel your subscription if you intend to only use Sittercity for the amount of time you signed up for. Otherwise, your credit card will be automatically billed without any email notification.
In the event that you decide to end your subscription to Sittercity, cancellation is very easy. They have provided every possible option for you to cancel your subscription. All it really takes is just a couple of keystrokes on your computer or a few buttons on your phone to cancel.
If you plan to no longer use the service, below are your multiple options to cancel your subscription:
To Cancel Via Account Settings: To cancel your subscription to Sittercity, you can go to your Account Settings on the site and turn off automatic renewal (see instructions here).
To Cancel Via Support Team: If you want Sittercity to cancel your subscription for you, you can just fill up a form and they can take care of it for you within 1 business day.
If you still need help canceling your subscription, here’s the link to Sittercity’s customer service: Sittercity Support.
To Cancel Via Direct Phone Call: If you want to call them directly, you can also do that by scrolling to the bottom of the Sittercity Support page for their Toll-Free number.
Refund Policy. If ever you want to cancel your subscription and were charged within the past 5 days, Sittercity can still process a full refund for your most recent charge. If more than 5 days have passed since you were charged, Sittercity will prorate a refund of your most recent charge.
You Need To Know That Sittercity Is Not The Following …
I think that Sittercity is one of the best online sitter services that you can find in the market today. However, Sittercity isn’t perfect. Just like other babysitter services, you may find certain issues with the service if you think that this service will do everything for you.
Keep this in mind because this is important: Services like Sittercity only facilitate the process of the search. It provides you with the tools to help narrow down your choices from an extensive pool of babysitting providers.
This means that if you do not know how to narrow down your choice of candidates to a few choices, then you might have a tough time finding the right set of candidates to interview. Eventually, the screening criteria starts with you.
Keep this in mind because this is important: Services like Sittercity only facilitate the process of the search … Eventually, the screening criteria starts with you.
If you know what you are looking for in a babysitter, the service can actually do a good job of paring down your choices. The key is for you to know exactly what your requirements or credentials are for your ideal babysitter.
Do you want them to still be in college or a mother who does babysitting on the side? Do you want someone who has their own means of transportation? Do you require someone who knows how to communicate in other languages? How about CPR or first aid? Do you require these?
Again, it is important that you know the requirements that will make you feel that you are getting the right babysitter for your child.
Another potential issue that we see with using Sittercity is that some people might let down their guard regarding background checks. Just because a babysitter is listed in Sittercity does not mean that you should assume that Sittercity has done its due diligence in screening people.
Remember, Sittercity is like eBay or Amazon.com for babysitters and those who need babysitting services — it facilitates the process of finding the right match for those who need the service with those who can provide the service.
Once you have chosen your final list of candidates, it is your responsibility to do the final screening through in-person interviews, going through the reviews of the babysitters, checking with references, and most importantly, background checks.
Sittercity can facilitate background checking. Even with the $15 fee for background checks, I found this worth the investment since I do not think I can do the comprehensive background check myself. Doing so will also cost me more dollar-wise plus time-wise so I really think that this is a great feature.
As I have mentioned previously, Sittercity is my main choice for finding the perfect sitter and childcare for my family’s needs. And just like any great service or product, it has its advantages and shortcomings.
Of course, I love it when the advantages and benefits of using the service make my life a lot easier. However, knowing the shortcomings of the Sittercity allows me to further make the most out of the service so that I can manage my expectations and integrate solutions to make the search for the perfect sitter a more rewarding experience.
Is Sittercity Really Worth It?
Did you know that Sittercity offers FREE Basic Membership to its site?
Yes, you read that right. You now can have Basic Membership for free, which is really great!
The free Basic Membership allows you to view sitter profiles, sort and filter for sitters based on your requirements and needs, view sitter messages, and post limited jobs. It’s really a great way to test drive the service prior to having a paid membership so we highly suggest that you take advantage of this.
The free Basic Membership allows you to view sitter profiles, sort and filter for sitters based on your requirements and needs, view sitter messages, and post limited jobs. It’s really a great way to test drive the service prior to having a paid membership so we highly suggest that you take advantage of this.
Like all online sitter services, Sittercity also has its Premium Membership.
So what exactly is the Premium Membership all about? In addition to the features that you have access to with the free basic access, with the Premium Membership, you get to contact the sitters, run background checks, and read references and reviews provided by other users on the site.
Below is a summary of the membership pricing for Sittercity:
| Subscription | Sittercity Fees* | |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Membership | FREE | |
| One-month premium membership | $35 a month (automatic billing every month) | |
| Three-month premium membership | $70, which comes out to $23.33/month | |
| One-year premium membership | $140, this is the best deal at $11.67/month | |
| *Please note that the three-month and one-year memberships are billed upfront and not on a monthly basis. | ||
As you can see, you can sign up for a monthly membership of $35, go for a three-month membership of $70, or a one-year membership of $140.
So if you prefer a monthly billing of $35, you are more than welcome to do just that. Now if you prefer to save more and don’t mind paying upfront, then the three-month or one-year memberships would definitely be better options.
Important: Before you decide to join Sittercity, do make sure to use any available promo codes so that you can get more savings with your membership. Sittercity coupon codes, which often offer deep discounts, definitely make this service much more affordable for parents so we highly recommend that you take advantage of them.
Sometimes, Sittercity offers discounts and we are not talking of just 5% to 10%, but deep discounts of 30% or more (sometimes up to 65%!). So when the opportunity presents itself, make sure that you take advantage of these great savings.
Some would argue that they are not willing to pay a subscription fee since they can just go through classified ads or craigslist to find a sitter.
However, if you think about it, when it comes to the care and safety of your child, the membership fee is a small price to pay especially when you have access to background checks, all the screening filters, and references to make sure that the person you are hiring is someone that you can trust and depend on.
… if you think about it, when it comes to the care and safety of your child, the subscription fee is a small price to pay especially when you have access to background checks, all the screening filters, and references to make sure that the person you are hiring is someone that you can trust and depend on.
Furthermore, the site offers you the convenience of finding potential sitters right in the comfort of your home. Once a member of Sittercity, you have complete access to sitter profiles which also come with photos, experience, training, safety skills, availability calendars, reviews, and references from other people who had actual experience using the sitter candidate, which I think is a very important factor to consider in your sitter search.
Please Note: We just wanted to let you know that membership prices for Sittercity may be subject to change as of this writing. We do not have any control over any pricing changes that Sittercity may decide to implement. However, we will do our best to keep up-to-date with the pricing schedules for this market-leading online babysitter service.
Our Bottomline Thoughts On Sittercity
Overall, I think Sittercity is well worth its membership fee as the service offers parents a convenient and easy-to-use platform where we can post specialized and varied sitter jobs, read detailed profiles of prospects, and efficiently find a sitter who has been carefully screened to fit our needs.
Sittercity may be close to being the most viable and convenient solution to helping us find sitters to care for our precious kids.
A great benefit of using the FREE Basic Membership, which is like a free trial of some sorts, is that you will get to know firsthand how many child care providers are available within your area. You can even do a proactive search using the filters that the site will provide you. Again, the free basic membership is highly recommended. It’s a “no strings attached, no credit card required” membership so you really have nothing to lose.
Now that I have presented to you my experience and thoughts on Sittercity, the decision as to whether you should become a member of the service is really all up to you.
If you are still on the fence regarding joining Sittercity, I suggest that you give it a test drive instead so that you will have a better idea of how the service works. That’s what I did when I first joined.
Disclosure: Compensated Affiliate. Click here for details.
P.S. A great benefit of using the FREE Basic Membership, which is like a free trial of some sort, is that you will get to know firsthand how many child care providers are available within your area. You can even do a proactive search using the filters that the site will provide you.
Again, the free basic membership is highly recommended. It’s a “no strings attached, no credit card required” membership so you really have nothing to lose. If you decide Sittercity is for you, you can easily upgrade your membership.
Below is a link to a FREE Basic Access for Sittercity in case you decide to give it a try.
Here Are Actual Feedback From Sittercity Users …
I thought it might be interesting to find out what other parents had to say about Sittercity on the web. I searched around the web and this is what I found:
What’s your take on Sittercity? Are you using Sittercity or have you used this service at all? Did you find our Sittercity reviews helpful? Would you pay a subscription fee to use Sittercity? Feel free to share your thoughts.
A nerd at heart (haha), I have been following and analyzing the world of online sitters for a couple of years now and have seen a lot of innovations and changes in this market. In between taking care of my loving (and demanding 😜) family and writing, I also do a lot of “traveling” on the Travel Channel and Discovery Channel. Read More
I tried the free membership and it didn’t require me to put in my credit card. I was actually able to experience how it is to search for sitters on the site. You weren’t exaggerating at all. There really are a lot of sitters to choose from. It’s really worth signing up for a paid membership. That’s why I’m doing it now.
The one-year premium membership isn’t bad at all It actually comes out cheaper and for one whole year, there’s a guarantee of finding a sitter. I think that’s pretty good for the price.
Yes, it’s very reasonable and so are the rates of their background checks. I can actually afford to run more than just one background check and that’s pretty cool. At least now, I’m confident with the sitters I hire.
The first time I hired someone from Sittercity, I did everything to make sure I went with the right one. Even with the right one, there were still some adjustments in the beginning just like anything else, I guess. But as time went on, my kids and the sitter were able to adjust pretty well to each other.
The search for the right sitter doesn’t really end when you hire one. The sitter and the kids would have to adjust to each other. It’s our job, as parents, to see how well they get along with each other. If that doesn’t happen, then we need to start all over again and look for another sitter.
I agree. You never stop evaluating the sitter even after you’ve hired her.
I like Sittercity because I can easily run background checks whenever I have to. I also find the reviews from other parents to be very helpful.
I’ve hired a couple of babysitters from Sittercity. They were very professional and reliable. If the need arises again, I’ll definitely be hiring from Sittercity.
Not everybody in Sittercity is perfect. I’ve hired a couple who weren’t so great but I guess I had some lapses on my part as well. If you really want Sittercity to work for you, you have take some time to really connect and communicate with the sitters. You just can’t meet with one and think she’s good enough. You just can’t do it that way.
I absolutely agree with you. It’s vital we communicate with the sitters.Before I do that though, I make sure I have enough details about them. I gather as much as I can from the reviews and background checks. It takes some time but for me that’s the only way to do it.
Planning is the keyword. I usually plan ahead to have ample time to get to know the sitter. For a last minute sitter, I get in touch with the ones I’ve hired before. So far, that works well for me.
I’m just curious. How do you contact the ones you’ve hired before? Since you know them already, do you call them directly? I’m really just curious because I’m still thinking about signing up. Thanks.
I don’t know how Ginger does it but in my case, I contact the sitters on their profiles. Keep in mind that Sittercity is a platform for you to connect to sitters. Even if you can contact the sitters directly (like thru their smart phones); your protection comes from the fact that you used Sittercity. You’ll see it clearly once you’ve signed up. It’s very easy to contact a sitter on Sittercity.
Thanks, Maggie. I appreciate that. I’ve already signed up and you’re absolutely right.
I feel comfortable knowing that I can read reviews about the sitters from people who actually have used them. That’s a lot better than word-of-mouth.
It was my first time to hire from Sittercity and I had to ask a huge favor from my sitter. I couldn’t get back home right away and I begged that she extend her hours. She willingly did and I appreciated that a lot.
I got a subscription today and I’m really looking forward to meeting some sitters on Sittercity. I need someone for my ten-year old daughter and I’m pretty excited to see how my search will turn out.
The sitter we hired had a driving record, evictions. She was hostile and left our infant unattended. She tried to steal furniture. She demanded cash payment and asked for a lot of time off. Sittercity still has her on their site. Be careful who you hire from them. It was a nightmare of an experience that has left us in total shock.
It’s really crucial that you ask the former employers of the sitters. They can give you feedback that really matters.
I find the comments and reviews about sitters from other people in the Sittercity community to be a great resource. It’s really helpful when it comes to screening potential sitters that I am interested in. The background checks are also a great help. Having the ability to access background checks on the site is really a big plus. These are great features I cannot do without.
Background checks are a great tool for these kinds of services. I would only suggest that these checks be more in depth to include a spouse or even siblings. I was searching a site not long ago and seen someone from my area listing as a babysitting/pet care service. It was very disturbing because this person has a sibling who has raped and molested children. Also, the person is known to lie and steal from clients. That being said, it’s hard to trust a person just because a site says they have did the background check.
Good point , William. I also wouldn’t just rely on the background checks. Although they’re pretty helpful, they’re not a 100% accurate. That’s why I take full advantage of the reviews posted by the parents on Sittercity. There’s just no way I’m going to hire anyone without reading their reviews on the sitters they’ve already hired. That’s a good way to get the heads up on a particualr sitter you have in mind.
My advice is to list down the qualities you are looking for in a babysitter before posting a job on Sittercity. You have to know what you are looking for in a babysitter. That way you won’t be overwhelmed with the responses you get. You have to stick to your list of qualities if you really want the selection process of Sittercity to work for you
That’s a great tip. Thank you for sharing it. I’m definitely taking your word for it. It really is my first time to hire from Sittercity and there have been a lot of interested applicants. I find them all to be very qualified but you’re right. In the process, I’m forgetting exactly what I want in a sitter. I should put everything in writing first before interviewing the applicants.
I didn’t even think about daycare for my 4-month old daughter. It’s just too scary. The most ideal childcare for a baby who is less than two years old is a one-on-one service that comes only with babysitting. When it comes to babysitting, it’s really just Sittercity for me. Nothing else can compare to the way they help moms, like us, screen babysitters.
I did some in-depth research before I joined Sittercity. Safety features such as background checks are in place and are very affordable. Most of the other online sitter providers don’t have safety features in place and I thought to myself there is no way I’m using them.
I’m actually doing some kind of research on the various online sitter services right now. It does seem like Sittercity has more safety features in place as compared to the others.
Should I go back to work or not? That is a major decision every mom has to make. About six years ago, I also had to make that choice and it was very hard for me to do. One of my major concerns was finding childcare for my baby, should I decide to go back to work. The funny thing is that I decided not to go back to work and thought I could do everything myself. After having another baby and setting up a home-based business, I resorted to signing up with Sittercity. It turns out that a mom doesn’t necessarily have to be in the office to avail of the the services of Sittercity.
There’s just no way we, moms, can do everything ourselves.:) We also deserve a break.;) 🙂
I wouldn’t trust any daycare center to watch my baby. NO WAY! I have just given birth about a month ago but unlike Alicia, I am a stay home mom. I don’t have to worry about going back to work or anything like that. However, my husband and I still signed up for Sittercity so that I can get some help and some rest as well. Out of all the sitter services we looked at online, we felt a lot safer with the Sittercity. The background checks and the feedback from parents are very crucial to our search. Most sitter services online don’t offer those.
You are definitely on the right track by getting the background of the sitters checked. Background checks and previous employers’ reviews are definitiely very crucial. Unfortunately, only a few online sitter services offer background checks. While almost, if not, all online sitter services have previous employers’ reviews posted on their site, you have to be very careful. To be very sure of such reviews, you need to be with a site that requires membership. That is the only way real parents or employers can actually share real reviews. Anyway, you have nothing to worry about since you are signed up with Sittercity.
Choosing between daycare or babysitter is a dilemma for most moms. Personally, I would go for the latter. Alicia’s doctor is 100% right in recommending a babysitter instead of a daycare center.
I don’t think I would be able to concentrate on my work knowing my newborn twins are in a daycare. Just the thought of it is heartbreaking. However, you really have to screen and get to know your sitter so that you get to feel comfortable with the arrangement.
I know enough about Sittercity as I have friends who actually make use of it. I haven’t tried it though but I will now. if my friends and the U.S Dept.of Defense trust it, why shouldn’t I? Seriously, I feel safer knowing that the sitter I’m going to hire is connected to a legitimate childcare service provider. At least, I’m not hiring just anyone. I have access to her personal information and that’s comforting for a mom like me.
It’s great to know that there is an online service such as Sittercity where I can actually find some babysitters. Thanks for the tip. 🙂
It’s not enough to have an amazing sitter. Nor is it enough to have an awesome one as well. With all the horrible stories that I have been reading on my news feed, it should really take a lot to find a sitter who can truly and sincerely take care of the kids. I can’t tell if Sittercity is really the best one for us, moms, but what I can say is this. At least Sittercity can make it possible for us to share reviews. So as a group, we can help each other decide if the sitter is actually worth trusting.
I think it’s every mother’s fear to hire a sitter who’s just not that caring. A lot can happen when it’s just the sitter who’s physically available for the kids. It’s for that excruciating reason that we should always be careful in hiring a sitter. I don’t think Sittercity is 100% safe (personally, I think nothing is) but compared to others, it is the safest.
It’s hard to trust anybody especially when it comes to babysitting. We will never really know what happens when we’re not around. I think the reviews on Sittercity are very crucial since those are all coming from parents who had already hired the babysitter. These reviews really make Sittercity worth it for me.
I’ve always found it very hard to trust anyone to babysit my kids. So the few times I had hired one, I pretty much freaked out. How could I not freak out when I hardly knew anything about them? I have never tried Sittercity but after reading your review, I will. I like the way Sittercity gives their members access to the profiles of the babysitters. That is a good way to get to know them.
It’s great that I can get feedback from the people who have hired the babysitter previously. That and the background check can really help me decide on whom to hire.
Taking some time to read the reviews of the babysitters on Sittercity is a vital step in the selection process. You can’t skip that. Since the reviews are all written by the babysitters’ previous employers, you can be sure that the information you are reading is very reliable.
I’ve been trying to get more detailed info on Sittercity and am just so glad to have come across your site. Thanks so much. I’m taking advantage of the free month and will let you know how it goes. Based on what I’ve learned, I think this might just work for my family.
I like the fact that I can get to use the service for a full month to find out for myself if I can find a sitter for my kids. I have found a couple of potential candidates and plan to contact them to see if it’s a good fit.
It’s great to know that Sittercity can help me filter out the applicants not worth interviewing.
We travel a lot for work. With three kids, I always need help. I found my sitters at Sittercity so I can safely say it’s really a great resource to have if you need some someone to take care of your kids.
It’s really irritating when a babysitter cancels at the last minute. Everything just stops when a babysitter calls at the last minute and gives a lame excuse not to show up. Having experienced so many last minute cancellations from babysitters, I finally decided to sign up for Sittercity. So far, I’ve found some reliable sitters from the service.
I’m happy that Sittercity can always help me out when I need a babysitter. This means I don’t have to rely on neighbors to watch my kids.
I get a safe feeling with Sittercity. Although it does take a lot of work to find the right sitter, I find that I feel safer after I have maximized all the services offered by Sittercity. I don’t think I can ever hire anyone whom I have not run a background check on.
After reading your review on Sittercity, I feel assured that I made the right decision when I joined a few months ago. I was really interested in learning more about the safety and security that the site offers. Glad to read that they seriously consider safety as a priority for its members as well as sitters.
I’ve read a lot of positive feedback from Sittercity users about Sittercity. Just like any service, I came across some people who were not too happy with it. However, most of the feedback I found were generally very positive with a lot of them highly recommending the service to people looking for sitters. I’m actually going to try it out to see for myself whether I can find a sitter for my 8 year old. Worst comes to worst, I can always cancel and not hire anyone through Sittercity. Thanks for your comprehensive write-up on the service.
Sittercity is the safest way to connect to a babysitter. If it’s right for me, I think it’s right for every mom out there.
I must say that your Sittercity review is very helpful. And yes, I would pay a subscription fee to connect to a babysitter that matches our needs very well. If that’s the only way to do it, then I’m all for it.
Sittercity is perfect for newborn babies. You can get babysitters with professional background. Newborn babies need special handling. No parent would ever want to entrust their newborn to just anybody.
NO WAY I’m depending on some stranger to watch my kids.The background check is perfect for moms like me that are always paranoid.
If not for Sittercity, I wouldn’t be able to find babysitters within our area. I feel safer with babysitters that live within our area. It’s good that Sittercity can connect me to them.
It’s usually hard to get a sitter over the summer. Everybody is usually on a vacation and that’s not good for working moms like me. Thank goodness for Sittercity. I can still find someone reliable for the summer.
I would rather post a job on Sittercity than anywhere else. It’s safer.
I really think Sittercity is very affordable. The additional discount from the promo code makes it a lot much easier on our budget.
You’re absolutely right;) Sittercity is very affordable most specially with the discount code.
A friend of mine recommended Sittercity to me. The only time I tried it was when we moved to a new area. I got pretty lucky with it and decided to use the services for good.
I would much rather hire a sitter than rely on a daycare to take care of my kids. That’s why I signed up for Sittercity. I feel that my kids are safer with Sittercity.
It really depends on what kind of child care service you’re looking for. In my case, daycare works well for me. I can just drop off my daughter before work and not worry about her. To add to that, I know there are other kids she can interact and play with. But there are times when I hire a sitter from Sittercity. These are the times when I need to go out for the evening or when I have an out-of-town assignment. I find that both childcare services work well for me.
I thought I would share my experience about finding a math tutor for my 5th grade son to hopefully help parents with their own search (sittercity also provides tutors). After asking other parents and teachers for recommendations and coming up empty-handed, I turned to the Internet and was surprised to find out that there were quite a few Websites that list tutors that provide one-on-one tutoring.
I started my tutor search by using Websites such as sittercity, care, varsitytutors, teacheratlas, tutor, takelessons, wyzant, tutormatch and instaedu. All of these Websites seemed to operate in the same way by providing detailed information on their tutors including their hourly rate, background check information, their experience, etc. You generally type in the subject you are looking for a tutor, and you will be presented with a list of tutors. You can then contact the tutors for more information.
Overall, all of these Websites including sittercity.com seem to provide very capable tutors. All of the tutors were very responsive to our questions. While I did not end up selecting a tutor from sittercity (we ended up getting a recommendation from a neighbor), I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend sittercity (or any of these Websites) if you are in need of a tutor.
Yes, there are a lot of websites that can help us find tutors for our kids. In my case, I was able to hire a sitter from Sittercity that doubled as a tutor. I was really happy.
For me, Sittercity is the safest way to connect to babysitters. I have peace of mind with Sittercity. That matters a lot to me.
After Sittercity, I just can’t imagine hiring sitters from anywhere else. I really feel a lot safer with Sittercity.
Fifteen dollars per background check isn’t back at all. Hiring a total stranger to take care of my kids is a big risk and if it takes just fifteen dollars to make sure the babysitter has not been charged with any criminal offenses, then I’m all for it. It’s a very small investment for the safety of my kids.
The thing I like about Sittercity is that I’m able to contact the previous employers of the applicants. I can get a lot of information which can help me decide on which applicant to hire.
I like the in depth security measures of Sittercity. With that, I’m sure that Sittercity is right for my kids.
I want to try sittercity now. My question is, how long will it take for me to find a sitter?
If you follow the whole 4-step screening process for finding a sitter per Sittercity’s recommendation, it should take you a couple of days. It really depends on you. Try posting a job request first. Within hours, you should see some applications for the job. Then you can start your screening process by checking on their profiles, background checks, reference checks on Sittercity, then the interview process, and some additional reference checking of people who have used the sitter. It’s a whole process which I think really provides you with some time to really find out whether the candidate is the perfect match for your child care needs.
Thanks. I will definitely go with the 4-step screening process. I don’t mind waiting a couple of days so long as I’m able to find someone that I can trust.
It’s important that I’m able to establish contact with the previous employer of the applicant. It’s a good way to gather information about the applicant. That and the background check are very useful tools for us parents.
The first time I posted a job on Sittercity, I got around 25 responses. I interviewed ten applicants from all the responses and found them all very qualified. Before I made the final decision, I chose three from the ten and had their background checked. I ended up with a very good sitter. The background checks are really worth it.
thanks for your detailed review of sittercity on your site. this is really very helpful.
I never thought finding a sitter was this easy. I’m glad I signed up with Sittercity.
I always recommend sittercity to my friends cause it really is a great resource.
I definitely agree with you. I don’t look anywhere else now. Every time I need a sitter, I only look in Sittercity. I really think I’m getting my money’s worth.
Out of all the online sitter services, I’m very comfortable with Sitter city.
I learned about Sittercity from a friend of mine. She had some good words about the services so I’m here to try it out.
After a few weeks with sittercity, I knew for certain that I had found the most reliable child care provider,
I want only the best for my kids. This seems to be it.
A mom from my daughter’s school sent me the link to this review. I’m glad she did.
I’m giving it a try now. Thanks for all your info about this service.
Great review you’ve got here. I’m signing up now.
This is all I need to get me that perfect sitter. Thanks,
It’s really the only online sitter service that I trust:)
You know I still can’t imagine leaving my two-year old with a complete stranger. But I think sittercity is worth a try. Thanks to your insightful articles here.
I appreciate your review and the promo code. I’m quite sure now that I chose well. Thanks.
It’s good to know that the emphasis of sittercity is safety. That’s just about what I’m looking for in a sitter service provider.
I find it very hard to trust someone I had just met to watch my kids. How can I possibly have the peace of mind with a complete stranger? But if you say sittercity emphasizes on quality, safety, and security; then I will give it a try.
To tell you honestly, I was reluctant to try this. But after a while I did. Now, I’m really happy that I’ve signed up. I can just always rely on it every time I need a babysitter.
I don’t mind trying this at all. Finding the right sitter will give me some time for myself.
Take my word for it…the membership fee is worth it 🙂 I know for a fact that some people don’t want to sign up because of the paid membership. But I can honestly tell you that it’s the best way to hire a babysitter.
With regards to finding someone that can watch my two sons, it hasn’t been easy for me. I often depend on my younger sister. At times when she can’t come over, I hire a last-minute sitter online. I haven’t tried sittercity though. I probably will now.
You probably should. You won’t have to depend on any of your family members to watch your two sons. It works, believe me.
I’m glad I came across this article on Sittercity. A lot of things have been said about it but your article has really given me a wider perspective on their services. I’m quite sure about it now.
Well if sittercity works exactly the way you described it, then I certainly will give it a try. It seems to cover all the safety concerns we, parents, are always worried about.
Wow, it seemed like you really spent some time researching about the various online child care services. I wasn’t really surprised that you decided on sittercity. I like it as well. I agree with you that it offers a lot of job options for members. I’m usually very specific with my job requirements and I never fail to find someone that fits the bill.
I’m still not sure about the service. But I’ve gone through the website and yes, it seems easy to get around it. I’m still a little reluctant about doing anything online but this seems pretty easy. I’ll be giving it a try.
I like the sittercity process. It is more reliable and credible than the others. Sure, I have paid extra to get those background checks done. But I always end up with amazing sitters. It really takes some time and effort to get what you want.
I want those spooky savings now 🙂 I had already tried sittercity but my membership expired and I never had the chance to renew it again. So I hope I can avail of those spooky savings as soon as possible. But wait a minute, that’s good for three months only, right?
You got me at quality, safety, and security. I really don’t want to open our door to some crazy nut. Your screening procedures can somehow calm me down.
Hey, your offer seems reasonable enough for me to try it. My friends have been telling me about it, but I’m still not sure if I should sign up. I’ll do the trial and decide after. Thanks for the tips.
So far, I have no complaints. The sitters are okay, not perfect but I’m able to find one when I need one. But just to make sure, I get their background checked. Because even if I am not able to find a sitter that has all the fancy training, at least I’m able to find one with a good personal record.
If I can get quality child care, safety, and security then I’ll go ahead and join sittercity. Those three things are exactly what all parents are looking for. Thanks for the assurance.
At first, I wasn’t comfortable with the thought of paying for a subscription. But I ended up trying it because I was really desperate for a babysitter. I signed up for a monthly subscription and found a wonderful lady that really took care of my son at the last minute. So I figured, it I could find someone so wonderful at the last minute, what more if I weren’t in a hurry? Then I understood why we had to pay for a subscription.
Now I can find someone that can handle my son. I couldn’t do that before. It wasn’t easy to find someone that had enough patience for my son. But when I signed up, I found out that I could actually do a search that could fit my son’s needs. This is heaven-sent for me.
Having been with sittercity for the past 3 years, I can safely say that I can leave my kids with the the babysitter all the time. Even if I have to call on someone on the last minute, I know and I’m sure that I can always find someone. I don’t know how the other child care services work, but I’m comfortable here.
I haven’t tried sittercity yet. But seeing that I can sign up for three months, I think I should give it a try. The membership is fair and long enough for me to know if this is good for me and my family.
These are great tips for first time moms like me. I still haven’t tried hiring a sitter for my baby but when the time comes, I now know where to look. I’ll sign up now.
My three years with Sittercity can prove that I’m very satisfied with it. I never had to try the other child care providers. I can always find a suitable person to watch my kids.
I don’t know if luck has something to do with it. But somehow, it’s easy for me to find someone really amazing from sittercity. Most of the time, I am able to hire someone that my kids love. Finally, I don’t feel guilty leaving my kids with a babysitter.
Not all the babysitters I hired from sittercity were that great. But they weren’t that bad as well. But now that I’m getting to be really familiar and comfortable with sittercity.
My kids deserve the best care. I would do anything to make sure that the babysitter is not just reliable but is devoid of any criminal records. I’m glad sittercity has this integrated with its service.
My suggestion to you is to make use of the background checks. It will really help you find the right sitter. Also, make sure to follow the selection process. Take a look at this as well https://www.iparentinglife.com/how-to-find-a-sitter-on-sittercity/
I want to be able to find babysitters on a short notice. But that doesn’t mean that I want just anybody to watch my kids. I feel that sittercity can give me the person I can trust to watch my kids even on a short notice.
After just two months, it’s still hard to say if it’s right for me. In spite of the fact that I’ve been lucky with the babysitters so far, time can only tell if this is right for me and my kids.
I have never been disappointed with the sitters I hire from sittercity. So far, they have all been very professional. Their credentials and child care skills are highly commendable.
Since I signed up, I’ve never had to cancel any meeting or date. The babysitters I hire always come on time, all the time. I have never been stood up by the babysitters. They are very professional.
One of the nicest things I like about sittercity is that don’t have to go anywhere to find a babysitter. Your’re so right when you said that we can find a babysitter within the comforts of our home. I find this feature of sittericty very convenient. It saves me some time and effort. I just love it.
I read somewhere that sittercity actually encourages a lot of ladies to sign up as sitters. For example during the summer season, teachers are most welcome to sign up. At a glance this is great. But then we really need to do our homework. With so many ladies signing up, I find that the background checks are very important.
That’s exactly the reason why I really get those background checks done. It really wouldn’t hurt. I just don’t feel comfortable leaving the kids with a complete stranger. The more I know about the sitter, the better. It’s not 100% guarantee, but it helps somehow.
Sure I’ve come across a lot of good reviews about Sittercity but I’m not one to believe all of the reviews. Nonetheless, I did try out sittercity. One thing I like about it is that I get to post the job myself. This means the job is specifically tailored to my needs. Hence, the applicants that reply are pretty much amenable to the terms posted.