Not So Average Mama

North Dallas Texas Mom Blog

Finding Childcare and A Giveaway!

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Comments are now closed.  Winner will be announced Monday 4/27/09

Finding childcare is not an easy task. I am so afraid of hiring a babysitter. On the rare occasions I go out it is because my husbands sister sits for us, or sometimes his grandmother. If they can’t do it…then I guess I’m out of luck. I think my luck just changed!

Care4Hire.comI signed up for Care4Hire.com last night and emailed 2 girls that I found on there. I was able to view pictures of them, read about them and contact them. One girl just emailed me back, so the next step would be to call her and meet her.

Care4hire.com has ongoing relationships with Dr. Phil, Supernanny & The Discovery Channels, TLC Jon & Kate + 8.

With Care4Hire.com you can even have the option to run a background check through a recommended site!

You can find:

  • Childcare
  • Eldercare/Companion
  • Pet Sitters
  • Tutors
  • Housekeepers
  • as well as a Misc section.

A free preview of available caregivers is available to families through our local neighborhood mapping technology. Whether you need a caregiver for a few hours to a few days, you will find it at Care4hire.com. Once you are a registered member, you will be given immediate access to babysitters through email and phone. In addition, helpful tools are available, including sample interview questions, a sample reference form and a sample contract. Care4hire.com also gives you advice, tips and information that will help you and your caregiver connect on a social and personal level.

Care4hire.com has been affiliated with the caregiver industry since 1987 so all of us here are no strangers to matching families and caregivers. Besides Care4hire.com, we are also affiliated with Nannies4hire.com, Babysitters4hire.com and a full service Nanny Placement Agency.

In today’s society; there are many benefits of hiring a babysitter/nanny:

1. *If you have 2 or more children; it may be cost effective for you to hire a babysitter/nanny; as many daycares could cost you more.

2. * If your children are sick; you can still go to work as the babysitter/nanny can stay home with the children. You may also have healthier children keeping them in their small home environment.

3. *A babysitter/nanny can simplify your life. For example; a babysitter/nanny can be an extra pair of hands helping with household duties, laundry, errands, transporting children and starting the evening meal. This allows for more family time when the parents arrive home.

*You can keep the kids in summer activities where the babysitter/nanny can transport them.

* No need to rush in the morning to get the kids out the door for daycare or school. A nanny is an extra pair of hands in the morning.

Here are some tips from Care4Hire.com on hiring a sitter

1.  Do a background check on the caregiver that you hire.  Definitely run a criminal background check.  If the caregiver will be transporting the children or doing errands; you will also want to run a driving record.

2.  Do your reference checks. When getting phone #’s on the references; we highly recommend you can call land lines – since you can track the land lines on who the # belongs to.

3.  Make sure you spell out and have a detailed conversation on the expectations for the caregiver. Have the caregiver ask numerous questions as well.  Communication is the best tool for a successful relationship.

4.  Not sure what questions to ask the caregiver?  Take advantage of the sample list of questions we have for registered members at www.care4hire.com.

5.  If you do not see the caregiver often; have a notepad where you can both make notes for a communication tool.

I am so impressed with the site. It was loaded with nearby babysitters, most are even students at the local colleges.

Care4Hire.com has been so super generous!  They are offering one lucky reader of Not So Average Mama a free membership ($29.99 retail value) to Care4hire.com; which will give you 1 month to login and contact caregivers babysitters, housekeepers, tutors, pet sitters, elder/companion care and other misc. services.

What must you do for a chance to win?

  1. For the MAIN entry: visit Care4Hire.com and check it out.  Come back here and let me know what you think, as well as how you might use it….Child care? Elder care? House keeper? Pet sitter? Tutor? Misc?.
  2. For an additional entry: Follow me and Tweet this giveaway with the following info: “@stitchblade is having another great giveaway https://notsoaveragemama.com/2009/04/12/finding-childcare-a-giveaway/” Leave me a comment with your Twitter ID
  3. Another entry? Blog this giveaway! Leave me a comment with the link to the post
  4. Digg it! Just click the Digg button below! Comment that you have done this and link me!
  5. Facebook it! Again, just click the facebook button below! Comment that you have done this and link me!
  6. Subscribe to NotSoAverageMama.com and comment letting me know.

Get to it already!

Giveaway will run April 12th 2009 until April 26th 2009

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Girl on Fire

Photographer at Loudmouth Photography
Brandy is the wife to a carpenter/musician and the mother of 3 amazingly awesome homeschool/unschooled girls. Brandy is a Photographer as well as a Coach for the Weebellion as part of Rolling Rebellion Jr. Roller Derby. Brandy is passionate about many things and suffers from a very painful and degenerative neurological disease called CRPS/RSD.

Comments

  8. I love the fact that the caregivers have profiles so you can see pics and read about them. Also, I like that this site is backed by dr phil and others. This would be very helpful tool for my family because we live an hour away from any family and when the kids get sick I always have to take off work so this would be very beneficial!

  12. Awesome site, and I love the fact that you can get so much info about the person before you even meet them. I would def be interested in this service to find babysitters in my area.

  14. This looks like a great service. As a military family, it is sometimes hard to know people in the area you live and even harder to try to find someone you trust to watch your children. I also think this could be a great resource if you are planning a trip to some place like Las Vegas and want to have a night in the Casino or just dinner w/ the hubby. You could find the sitter and communicate by phone before the trip, or find them on the spur of the moment once you get there.

  18. I’ve been to the site before (i’m a registered sitter) but I would love to have a membership to find a sitter for my child!

    autumn398 (at) yahoo.com

  19. Dear Brandy,

    Recently I found your blog and enjoyed reading your posts. If you’re interested in additional articles or information about background checking, please let me know.

    We would enjoy sharing our expert insight with your readers on the various topics related to background checks. Please contact me anytime if we can help with informative content for your blog.

    Sincerely,

    Joanne

  20. I think the site is great! It is hard to find quality child care. I would use it for just that! It would be nice to go out with my husband once in a while.

  22. Wow! Over 1000 babysitters with listings in my area! I would use this to find weekly childcare while my hubby and I go on a date. We are new parents are really want to keep up that tradition and our relationship. Thanks!

  23. I would use the housekeeping and the child care- I would love to have someone come over and play with the kids while I organize.