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How to Find a Babysitter in Indianapolis
As a former professional nanny who now has children of her own I know how important (and how difficult) it can be to find childcare for those special snowflakes. Luckily for us parents finding a sitter has moved beyond ads in the sorority house mailroom (how I found my favorite family in college). Check out this list for the basics of local services.
The Basics: Offers care options for regular nannies/sitters, date-night sitters, pet sitting, and care for elderly persons. A basic profile for a family is free but does not offer caregiver contact information. Care.com provides features such as the ability to pay through their website and caregiver reviews. Once you have a profile you can search for caregivers that meet your criteria and connect with them (with the Premium Membership). They can also reach out to families that interest them.
Background Checks, etc.: Sometimes on file with the caregivers, can be requested if they are not
(They can also request a background check on persons seeking caregivers.)
Membership Options: $35/month, $70 for a 3 month membership, $140 for a year
The Basics: Post a job, review qualified applicants, interview, choose. It’s as easy as it sounds with the Sittercity app. This website specializes in child care and has a huge pool of sitters (it tells me there are 36 within a mile of me at this moment!).
Background Checks, etc.: Available for $15.
Membership Options: 1st month free then $35/month auto debit
The Basics: All sitters are local college students who have already been vetted by the company. They offer a range of services from occasional sitting to “part-time parenting”, as well as tutoring, overnight sitting, and pet sitting. The website is clear and concise making it easy to tell if the offerings fit your needs.
Background Checks, etc.: All sitters have clean background checks and driving records and are CPR certified.
Membership Options: Memberships start at a $50 one-time fee for a Casual Family Membership for occasional babysitting. Pet sitting starts at $30/day, and fees vary for tutoring, summer nannies, and more specified placements.
College Nannies+Sitters+Tutors
The Basics: This nationwide company includes full-service care-finding which matches families to nannies (as well as sitters and tutors) through their Complete Family Approach which aims to create a good match of family and sitter. The process takes 2-6 weeks but on-call nannies are available while you wait for your match. Each placement is guaranteed for 12 weeks. College Nannies serves as the sitter’s employer handling payroll, taxes, FICA, medicare, and more.
Background Checks, etc.: All employees go through a quality assurance screening process and training before being matched with a family. They are covered by workers compensation insurance, liability insurance, and the appropriate auto insurance.
Membership Options: Fees vary greatly and are dependant on the rate and hours of your particular sitter. Your card on file will be billed bi-weekly for the nanny’s pay as well as for payroll services, backup care, and other company benefits.
The Basics: SHS is a staffing agency working with highly qualified caretakers who are looking for professional nanny positions. They hire full and part-time nannies, house managers, caretakers, cooks, full-time housekeepers, and even domestic couples. All candidates must first submit an application and complete an interview with SHS staff and, if deemed an appropriate match, they will be connected with a family for an interview. Full-time nannies must have at least three years of full-time child care experience and will sign a contract for a minimum of one year with the new family.
Background Checks, etc.: All candidates must pass a background check, complete CPR certification, and have a clean driving record. Other checks can be requested by the client.
Membership Options: The price for the hiring family is based on a percentage of the nanny’s contract.
The Basics: This Indianapolis-only business caters to high-end clients in need of child care. Services range from last-minute babysitting, to overnights, to regular care. They are available for vacation sitting, child care during conventions, newborn care and senior care.
Background Checks, etc.: All sitters are bonded and insured, have passed background checks, and are CPR and First Aid certified.
Membership Options: Services are $23/hour with a 4 hour minimum or $230 for a 24 hour period.
There are a lot of options for finding someone in Indy to take care of your children, but these were some of the babysitting services in the Indianapolis area that some of our friends and readers recommend.
If you have a child with special needs look into Bright Star Care where they offer nursing care and other more specialized options. If you are interested in a live-in nanny from around the world visit Great AuPair which matches families with qualified nannies looking for a job in a particular part of the world.
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