As child care needs evolve, sitters should be mindful of the unique expectations and responsibilities that accompany each job type. While you continue your search on Sittercity, consider the different opportunities that may be available, and how they might fit your schedule, qualifications, and the child care profiles you have created.
Remember—since child care opportunities are classified by the requested schedule and job requirements, you must have an active profile for each job type you’re applying for.
Sittercity Profile Types
Babysitter
Families hire babysitters to fill in gaps in their schedules. A babysitter may be tasked with the occasional date-night, one-time weekend playdate, or become a regular presence during an after-school routine. Babysitters might be asked to provide transportation to and from school or extracurricular activities, but typically function on a part-time basis with a family.
Nanny
Nannies are full-time child care professionals who typically require a minimum of 20 hours of work per week. Duties may include light housekeeping and household management, simple meal prep, facilitating kid-friendly activities, and transportation. Parents often expect a long-term commitment, as nannies become a valuable member of the family.
Special Needs Considerations
While special needs opportunities may look like part-time babysitter positions or full-time nanny careers, you must select this option within your profile set-up in order to be considered for these jobs during your search.
Children with specific disabilities or conditions may require special attention or qualifications. To ensure the quality of care, families will specify the diagnosis, and note any additional services that the sitter is expected to provide. Possible special needs considerations include, but aren’t limited to, physical disabilities, cognitive disabilities, speech or language impairments, learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, visual impairments, and mental illness. If applicable, these needs and conditions will be indicated on a Sittercity job post.
For more resources, you could check out organizations like the Schoolyard Blog, Autism Society, Easterseals, and the Federation for Children with Special Needs.
Child Care Job Specifics
Once you have chosen the profile type that best fits your availability and expectations, you may discover that babysitter or nanny jobs are certainly not “one size fits all.” While sitters can take advantage of Sittercity search filters when browsing opportunities, all postings will include a title and a detailed description.
Babysitter Job Types
Occasional/Date Night Sitter
Many families feel most comfortable with a handful of sitters they can depend on in a pinch, or for an evening out. Want occasional work? You can filter on this job type by selecting “occasional” or “one-time” under the frequency filter.
Regularly Scheduled/ After School Sitter
Families with school-age children may not need a full-time sitter, but prefer somebody to arrive on a regular basis to help with activities or after-school care. These families want a sitter who can commit to a recurring schedule, typically for the duration of a school term. Since families can search for school support through Sittercity, sitters can indicate whether or not they’re comfortable with tutoring or homework help.
Mother’s Helper/WFH Support
A mother’s helper role is typically an assistive position that supports a stay-at-home parent with child care duties, light housework, or errands. The title of this role varies, especially during periods when remote work is more common—some families will expect similar support from a traditional babysitter. For tips on how to perform your child care duties while parents are working from home, take a peek at this helpful article.
Learning Pod
In a quarantine scenario, many families are turning to learning pods to support their kids in sustained socialization and homework help. In a learning pod, families with school-aged children spend time together and receive schooling assistance from a sitter. Both the sitter and the families are typically expected to respect social distancing and face-covering guidelines outside of the immediate pod.
Virtual Sitting
Virtual sitting is a new feature that’s now offered to families seeking care on Sittercity. For sitters and families who are practicing social distancing from home, virtual sitting can provide a much-needed reprieve for families who are struggling to balance work and entertaining their kids. While a parent is near to supervise, sitters are typically expected to engage kids in activities, help with homework, and provide a welcome distraction through video conferencing tools. Check out our virtual sitting resources for more information about how to apply to, prepare for, and lead these virtual child care sessions.
Nanny Job Types
Nanny
Most nanny positions found on Sittercity follow a traditional, recurring schedule. While the exact requirements will be specified in the job description, most traditional schedules will require full-time availability.
Nanny Share
In a nanny share arrangement, two families “share” a nanny who watches over children from both households together. Families may choose this child care option for financial reasons, additional socialization, or a change of scenery if both homes are utilized. While a nanny should expect to be compensated for the total number of children, families will typically split the cost, or each pay two-thirds of your hourly rate.
Newborn Specialist/Night Nanny
After the birth of a child, many families require the expertise of a qualified newborn specialist or night nanny to help them get through the night. A night nanny may teach a first-time family how to care for their infant, assist with middle-of-the-night supervision, and help to establish a sleep schedule. This allows for new parents to rest while the night nanny tends to the infant’s needs.
Live-in Positions
A live-in nanny position looks just like how it sounds: sharing a home with a family to support their busy lifestyle. In many cases, a family will provide a nanny with a living space of their own, as well as a vehicle for transportation. As the family’s needs may include vacations or trips, they will traditionally pay for all travel, food, and lodging. A child care contract is very important in this scenario, which will be used by the nanny and the family to define expectations and hours when the sitter will be working “on the clock.”
While engaging in your sitter job search, remember to look over the job description carefully. While the job types listed here are a great overview of what you might expect, it’s important to feel comfortable with a family’s expectations and requirements before committing to an opportunity. Don’t be afraid to ask additional questions, or to reach out to our Customer Success team.
