How do babysitting websites work?
If you’re wondering
how to find a nanny for your child, then nannying websites can be your go-to resource. Babysitting or nannying websites basically help bring parents and nannies together. Hence, most parents look for the best nanny sites to fulfill their babysitting requirements.
Their customer-friendly interface provides background checks, identity authentication, and verified profiles.
We’ve made our own nanny services review that can be of help for you to choose the right website.
Care.com Overview
Care.com was first launched in the US in 2007 and was expanded internationally in 2012. It now operates in over 20 countries and has 29.6 million members worldwide.
The company is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, and it’s currently the largest caregiving platform online.
The services offered by this nanny service are
- Child care
- Pet care
- Senior care
- Housekeeping
- Tutoring
Key Features and Benefits
- Childcare services: This website has profiles for babysitters and nannies, on either a full-time or part-time basis according to your needs. There’s also different pre-schools and other child care facilities.
- Also has some other services: Tutorings, care for elders and pets, and housekeeping.
- Membership fee: $35 for a monthly subscription; $70 for three months; $140 for an annual subscription.
Overall Pros and Cons
Pros |
Cons |
- The membership fees are relatively affordable for
- families that are looking for regular nannies or babysitters
- The website is easy to use and navigate.
- It helps to be able to keep all the information about caregivers in one place.
- You can be updated about potential caregivers via your email or phone
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- With so many options of caregivers, sometimes it gets confusing to choose from
- The scheduling and calendar options are a little complex
- If you’re from a remote area, it might be hard to find a caregiver within a reasonable distance
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Sittercity.com Overview
Sittercity has been in the business since 2001. It has built a huge, loyal customer base till now. And with services such as in-person interviews for shortlisted candidates, continues to do so.
Key Features and Benefits
- Offered types of childcare: The different categories of childcare on Sittercity include full and part-time nannies, before and after school care, date night sitter services and infant care.
- Other care available: In addition to all of the different childcare offered, Sittercity also has caregivers for senior care, special needs, pets.
- Membership fee: The fees for Sittercity parents are as follows — $35 for a monthly subscription to $70 for three months.
Overall Pros and Cons
Pros |
Cons |
- You can run a background check on prospective babysitters with the motor vehicle history check option
- The site interface is very user-friendly
- Can browse caregivers in your area without having to sign up, by which you can make sure your membership if you take it, is worth it
- Sittercity was around for a much longer time than Care
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- If you don’t cancel subscriptions in time, you’ll continue to be charged
- Sittercity doesn’t outright screen their sitters, so there are chances of coming across unreliable or unsuitable sitters
- Dealing with customer service regarding your account can be a challenge sometimes
- More suitable for finding part-time services, than full-time in-home ones
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Care.com vs Sittercity Comparison
If you’re wondering whether you want to go for Sittercity or Care, then you can check out the comparison below. Keep reading!
According to Care. com vs Sittercity reviews, pricewise, Sittercity costs less, especially if you are going for an annual subscription. At the current market price, you’d save about 33% at Sittercity, if paying 12 months at a time.
The biggest issue for users of both services are the automatic charges.
For those that are overseas or just searching for a larger pool of options, Care nanny service holds a bigger global footprint and has roughly four times more members than Sittercity. On a positive note, people that use both are happy that caregivers appreciate the extra information given in the user profiles for background checks and
safety qualifications.
If you’re looking for a job, then you’ll need to pay for a Care premium membership to have a good chance or purchase the Sittercity featured sitter option.
Safety and Background Checks
In the Care service
background check policy, it is mentioned that either a caregiver or one hiring them, is eligible for purchasing background checks. It’s also a bit difficult to find the background check price listing on official site unless you’re a member.
In the Sittercity review background check policy, the sitters with background checks get 5 times more profile views than those who don’t have one.
While signing up initially is free, it’s going to cost some money for a caregiver to have a boosted profile.
Pricing
- Basic membership: Free
- Premium membership: $35/month, $49/3 months, $98/year
The pricing for a monthly subscription for pet care, babysitting, or other services is the same on both sites. Nevertheless, Sittercity jobs subscriptions cost a bit less if their annual rate is paid at a markdown price.
Comprehensive Features
Each of these sites has comprehensive lists of features that can be used to find the perfect sitter for your family, which could include:
- Experience with special needs children or infants
- Sick care
- Special certifications and qualifications and many more
The main difference is that Care. com is somewhat of a one-stop-shop for all kinds of care. From senior care to childcare and even pet sitting, it provides all the convenient solutions.
People's Rating
All in all, the worldwide customer base is very satisfied with both of these companies.
Parents that used both services appreciate the ease of being able to search for specific information about potential caregivers before meeting them. This makes the entire process simple and makes it more likely that you’ll find the right match.
Conclusion
Our Sittercity vs Care
nanny service may have given you a broad understanding of what you can expect. All of these websites for caregivers and babysitters are almost close when it comes to user ratings. Whether you’re looking for a babysitter for date night or a trusted caregiver for an older adult, they both look like good choices.
When you sign up, please be sure to read the fine print so that you know what costs to expect for using the service.