What’s the real scoop on UrbanSitter? Is it safe? Are their sitters’ background checked? Can I really find trusted sitters? Is it worth the membership?
These are commonly asked questions about UrbanSitter and here’s a summary of what I found out …
Picture this. Suddenly you’re in a bind. You urgently need someone to watch over your precious little child.
🤔 What's The Real Scoop On Sittercity? This Is What We Found Out
Unfortunately, your spouse is also busy at work. Your parents or in-laws are not available. Your neighbor and relatives are too busy to help out. And to top it all, not a single one of them know of a sitter to recommend to you.
That definitely is one sucky situation to be in, right?
You’re only option is to find a trusted and dependable person to watch your child at the soonest possible time.
Now what if there was service that: 🤔
- You can access conveniently on your mobile phone, tablet, or computer which then …
- Recommends to you within minutes high quality sitters and nannies in your area who …
- Have passed strict and enhanced background checks from one of the best national verification companies in the industry and …
- Have been vetted, screened, and are currently still being hired by …
- Parents whom you may be affiliated with via your place of work, local elementary schools, community groups, professional associations, or clubs in your local neighborhood and …
- Be able to contact these parents directly for feedback or questions on sitters.
Do you think this service might be able save you from your sucky situation?
It could, right? It gives you possibilities. In fact, very realistic possibilities.
It gives you hope that you can significantly save time in the selection process and find yourself a verified and trusted sitter at the soonest possible time.
Well, the great thing is that such a sitter service really does exist.
The service: UrbanSitter.
To date, there are over 1,000,000 registered members (and still growing) who are solving their childcare dilemma with UrbanSitter.
To date, there are over 1,000,000 registered members (and still growing) who are solving their childcare dilemma with UrbanSitter.
UrbanSitter is not a typical online sitter service as the platform offers some great benefits which really sets it apart from other sitter services.
UrbanSitter is not a typical online sitter service as the platform offers some great benefits which really sets it apart from other sitter services.
Any parent using UrbanSitter stands to benefit greatly in terms of peace of mind, safety, time efficiency, and money-savings.
That’s the reason why UrbanSitter has been growing leaps and bounds.
Based on what I’ve seen and experienced, here are 5 things that sets UrbanSitter apart from its competitors:
👩🦰 Leverages Your Social Network.
UrbanSitter’s smart algorithm efficiently goes through your Facebook connections as well as your kid’s school, your local neighborhood, and your local community groups or clubs and matches you with babysitters that parents you may know are using on a regular basis.
It can therefore significantly cut down the hiring process since the service leverages your social network to help you find the best rated and most sought after sitters that people you may know are hiring.
UrbanSitter is as close as you can get to word-of-mouth recommendations as the service is able to leverage the power of your social network.
Unlike its main competitors, Sittercity and Care.com, you won’t be hiring complete strangers since the recommended sitters are those who are currently being hired or were hired by people you may know or are connected to.
Unlike its main competitors, Sittercity and Care.com, you won’t be hiring complete strangers since the recommended sitters are those who are currently being hired or were hired by people you may know or are connected to. I definitely felt more comfortable and safer knowing this.
Both Sittercity and Care.com do not have this special feature.
👩🦰 Leaves No Stones Unturned When It Comes To Safety.
When it comes to the safety of families and sitters, the company leaves no stones unturned. The company’s mission is to provide the safest and most trusted place for parents and sitters to connect.
In fact, they continue to set the bar higher with regards to safety in the childcare industry.
As of November 1, 2019, ONLY sitters and nannies who passed the comprehensive background check and screening will be available on the platform.
As of November 1, 2019, ONLY sitters and nannies who passed the comprehensive background check and screening will be available on the platform.
What does this mean for you? You get to hire quality people you can trust to care for your child. You won’t find sex offenders, criminals, terrorists, and other people who pose a threat to your family and society on their platform.
UrbanSitter uses Evident ID, which is one of the leading identification and background checking services in the nation. [1]
UrbanSitter also has very affordable price points for additional background checks that you may need.
👩🦰 Innovation At Its Finest.
The company’s proprietary repeat hire, feedback ratings, and review indicators as well as responsiveness and reliability badges can truly fast track your search for sitters to help you with your family’s needs.
UrbanSitter is also the first to include video profiles of its sitters within a sitter’s profile page. By watching a sitter’s profile video, you would have a feel for the sitter’s personality prior to contacting and interviewing her.
👩🦰 Very Affordable Price Points.
UrbanSitter has significantly more affordable premium membership price points and options compared to Sittercity and Care.com. In fact, it is the only service that has a “pay as you go” option with no long term commitment.
Like any service and just like its competitors, you’ll need to pay a fee to access all site features. The good news is you can test drive the service with the free basic access before deciding if you want to be a member.
UrbanSitter has three affordable payment options.
- The pay-as-you-go fee for a month’s access is $34.95. Both Sittercity and Care.com do not even offer such option.
- One-month premium access, which is automatically billed every month is just $19.95 compared to $35 for both Sittercity and Care.com.
- One-year premium membership, which is billed one time, is just $99.95 compared to $140 for both Sittercity and Care.com.
👩🦰 A Mobile App That Does Everything.
UrbanSitters mobile app makes finding, hiring, messaging, and paying sitters so convenient. You can find all the information you need about about a sitter including detailed profile information, background checks, experience and certification, hourly rates, and more.
You can book a job with a sitter and communicate with them directly via the app. And if you are short on cash to pay your sitter, you can just pay them directly via your app too.
The company has a strong market presence in major metropolitan areas and is gaining more presence outside major metropolitan areas as people are learning more about it.
Go ahead and jumpstart your sitter search now before your sucky situation becomes a reality.
I highly recommend that you “test drive” UrbanSitter to see if the service suits your needs.
For now, UrbanSitter offers FREE Basic Access (no credit cards required, no strings attached) so we suggest that you take advantage of this.
A lot of our readers who did the free basic access found UrbanSitter to be “surprisingly” perfect for their needs and never looked back. 🤗
If you want to find out more details about UrbanSitter, feel free to read the rest of the article.
Within this article, I have a section on how you should do your search on the platform to leverage the power of of UrbanSitter’s smart algorithm even while using the free basic access.
I also have a section that provides some important tips to fast track your selection process to help you find the perfect candidate to interview and hire.
I also suggest that you read through the comments section at the end of this article as people have been providing their feedback and experiences on the service.
I hope that you find this review useful and that you get to find the perfect sitter for your family’s needs through UrbanSitter. 😀
Table Of Contents
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So What Is UrbanSitter?
I envy parents who have family or neighbors who are available to help watch their kids. That makes life a lot easier for them.
So what about parents like us who do not have the luxury of having family or friends to watch over our kids?
What are our options?
These days, we now have more options when it comes to finding babysitters. The old and most trusted way of finding babysitters is via recommendations from people we know.
Recommendations from family and close friends are always welcome as it helps cut down the whole screening process for a sitter. This is because there is an element of trust associated with word-of-mouth recommendations from people you know.
Recommendations from family and close friends are always welcome as it helps cut down the whole screening process for a sitter. This is because there is an element of trust associated with word-of-mouth recommendations from people you know. [2]
Here is where UrbanSitter comes in.
UrbanSitter bridges the gap between parents who are looking for trusted, quality sitters and proven trusted, quality local sitters who are available to help families in need.
UrbanSitter bridges the gap between parents who are looking for trusted, quality sitters and proven trusted, quality local sitters who are available to help families in need.
The way UrbanSitter does this is what sets the company apart from its competitors.
What Sets It Apart From Its Competitors?
UrbanSitter’s competitors, Sittercity and Care.com, are both very similar to each other.
When you hire sitters from Sittercity and Care.com, chances are that the feedback you’ll be receiving on sitters you are planning to hire will be from parents who are total strangers to you.
These are people whom you may not be socially or professionally connected to at all.
With UrbanSitter, it’s different.
What UrbanSitter does differently is this. They leverage your social network — parents you already know or parents whom you might know because of some common affiliation within your neighborhood.
What UrbanSitter does differently is this. They leverage your social network — parents you already know or parents whom you might know because of some common affiliation within your neighborhood.
What do I mean by this?
The difference between UrbanSitter and other online sitter services like Sittercity and Care.com is that you can really cut down on the time involved in the screening process for potential hires.
How so?
It’s because the babysitter that you are interested in hiring is someone that your social or local network has already vetted, screened, and hired or still hiring on a regular basis.
UrbanSitter uses your Facebook connections as well as your kid’s school, your local neighborhood, and your local community groups or clubs and matches you with babysitters that parents you may know are using on a regular basis. [2]
Hence, it’s as close as you can get to word-of-mouth recommendations from parents who are or may be connected to you socially within your neighborhood.
Hence, it’s as close as you can get to word-of-mouth recommendations from parents who are or may be connected to you socially within your neighborhood.
Here is a video from UrbanSitter that explains how their service works.
🤔 Is Sittercity Right For You? Here's What Sittercity Isn't
The company’s app is also just amazing as you can search, contact, and do almost anything related to finding and working with a sitter even if you are away from your laptop.
Below is a video wherein UrbanSitter explains more about their app.
This gives me immediate access to people who could refer to me a sitter whom they’ve already hired and trusted with their babysitting needs.
It’s definitely a time saver since I can reach out directly to parents in my network to learn more about the babysitter I am planning to hire.
It’s definitely a time saver since I can reach out directly to parents in my network to learn more about the babysitter I am planning to hire.
UrbanSitter was even featured on CBS This Morning because of its growing popularity. I thought you might like to see this too (Check out the video below).
Please note that at the time this feature came out, UrbanSitter was only available in 12 major cities across the country. Nowadays, UrbanSitter is now available in more than 60 cities (and still growing) across the United States.
With over 1,000,000 registered users now across the country, UrbanSitter is solving the childcare dilemma for families everywhere.
Is UrbanSitter Safe? Are Their Sitters Background Checked?
There is no doubt that UrbanSitter takes the safety of families and sitters seriously. UrbanSitter was developed with safety as top of mind. Hence, the social aspect of hiring and word-of-mouth recommendations were built into the UrbanSitter ecosystem.
In fact, UrbanSitter’s mission is to provide the safest and most trusted place for parents and sitters to connect.
As of November 1, 2019, every babysitter and nanny on UrbanSitter will have passed a background check with Evident ID, which is one of the leading identification and background checking services in the nation.
As of November 1, 2019, every babysitter and nanny on UrbanSitter will have passed a background check with Evident ID, which is one of the leading identification and background checking services in the nation.
While UrbanSitter caregivers have always been required to pass a multi-step background review, the company believes it’s important to continue setting the bar for safety higher and lead the childcare industry in trust and safety.
The background checks are comprehensive and include the following:
- Nationwide Sex Offender Registry Check [3]
- Global Watchlist Check of terrorist, sanction, and other watchlists
- National Criminal Search for history of felony and misdemeanors
- Progressive county searches based on adverse records
You can order background checks on sitters starting at $9.95.
You will find that popular and trusted sitters within your neighborhood are most likely to have had background checks done on them by other parents.
You will find that popular and trusted sitters within your neighborhood are most likely to have had background checks done on them by other parents. They will have a background check badge displayed on their profile page. If they already have one, then there is no need for you to order a background check on them.
How Do I Find Trusted And Dependable Sitters?
UrbanSitter is not your typical online sitter service. A typical search process with a typical online sitter search service goes like this: (1) parents post for a job opening, then (2) sitter applicants will respond to the opening.
Sure, you can also do this on UrbanSitter. HOWEVER, your search won’t be as effective and efficient as you won’t be leveraging the power of their search algorithm.
Instead of having sitters come to you, have UrbanSitter provide you a list of the best sitters to choose from within your area. This gives you control of the search process right from the start.
Instead of having sitters come to you, have UrbanSitter provide you a list of the best sitters to choose from within your area. This gives you control of the search process right from the start.
Here is how I leverage the power of UrbanSitter and how you should also do your search on UrbanSitter. Let me walk you through the process.
1. First, I signed-up via the FREE basic access. Not a lot of people know about this!
By simply using the free basic access, I was able to find sitters. It’s a great way to test drive the service and see for myself if this service suited my needs so I took advantage of this.
By simply using the free basic access, I was able to find sitters. It’s a great way to test drive the service and see for myself if this service suited my needs so I took advantage of this.
During the sign-up process, I was given the option to sign-up via my email, my Facebook, or my Linked-In account. I was then asked about certain things like where does my child go to school and whether I am a member of certain local or community organizations.
2. After completing all the questions, that’s when their algorithm kicks in.
UrbanSitter’s algorithm then presented to me a list of potential sitters who are being used or have been used by people I may know within my circle of friends or local community group.
UrbanSitter’s algorithm then presents to me a list of potential sitters who are being hired or have been hired by people I may know within my circle of friends or local community group.
It’s not like I was hiring a complete stranger since someone in my parents network already knew the babysitter and may be hiring the babysitter on a regular basis, which is a great indicator of a quality babysitter.
It’s not like I was hiring a complete stranger since someone in my parents network already knew the babysitter and may be hiring the babysitter on a regular basis, which is a great indicator of a quality babysitter. [4]
3. Using my fast track selection parameters (see next section below), I then select a couple of sitters for my short list of candidates.
4. I then reach out directly to parents in my network to learn more about the sitter I am interested in or simply read the reviews that they have provided on a sitter.
That is what really makes UrbanSitter more attractive to parents who need a sitter as soon as possible as you can cut the screening process significantly.
That is what really makes UrbanSitter more attractive to parents who need a sitter as soon as possible as you can cut the screening process significantly.
In fact, once I started finding my connections in UrbanSitter, I found social connections I never thought I had via the groups that I was involved with. It really opened up a lot of possibilities when it comes sitters who I can hire.
To fast track the selection process, make use of the fast track tips discussed below.
Test Drive UrbanSitter Now
How Can I Fast Track My Search For The Best Sitters?
Here are some important screening tips to help you fast track your search for the best sitters on UrbanSitter:
1. Look For Repeat Hires. One great feature that you should take note of is the repeat hire indicator for babysitters. The more repeat hires a babysitter has, then the more you might like to consider that person for an interview or for hiring.
The more repeat hires a babysitter has, then the more you might like to consider that person for an interview or for hiring.
This is a good indicator of the quality of the babysitter cause obviously, the more families do a repeat hire of the person, then it means that they are really happy with the service that that person is providing.
2. Consider High Ratings. Of course, a five star rating speaks for itself as it’s the highest rating that a babysitter can get. Make sure to consider sitters with high ratings in combination with the repeat hire indicator.
3. The More Positive Reviews, The Better. The more reviews that are available on a babysitter, the better most especially if the reviews are positive. In addition, it gives you a better idea of the quality of service that a babysitter also provides.
4. Check Out The Video Profiles of Sitters. Make sure to watch the video profiles of the sitters. By watching a sitter’s profile video, you would have a feel for the sitter’s personality prior to contacting and interviewing her. [5]
5. More Connections Equals More Direct Feedback. If you live in the major cities such as San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Washington DC, Boston, Denver, San Diego, etc., you will find that you have more babysitters to choose from and potentially be connected to more parents who are using the babysitter you are interested in. You will have more parents connected to you to get direct feedback from about the sitter you plan to hire.
However, if you live in smaller cities, you will also find that even though you have less candidates to go through, you will find that some of the best trusted babysitters have a lot of repeat hires.
However, if you live in smaller cities, you will also find that even though you have less candidates to go through, you will find that some of the best trusted babysitters have a lot of repeat hires. This is a great indication that the sitter you are interested may be worth interviewing and eventually hiring.
UrbanSitter’s free basic access is a great way to test drive and get yourself familiarized with their platform. With the free basic access, you can search for babysitters and post jobs. If you need to use the other exceptional features on the site, then that’s when you can upgrade to a paid membership.
Test Drive UrbanSitter Now
Summary Of Great Benefits
Aside from the social aspect, here are some other great benefits that I love about UrbanSitter:
- The site is really easy to use.
- I was able to find quality sitters based on their recommendations within a matter of minutes of signing-up thanks to their powerful algorithm (more about this later).
- Posting a sitter job is really easy. I simply follow the posting process they have and get job applicants in no time.
- I can reach out directly to parents in my network to learn more about the sitter I am interested in hiring or simply read the reviews that they have provided on a sitter.
- I am able to find part-time, full-time, date night, occasional, or backup care anytime.
- I can easily view the days and times sitters are available via their posted schedules.
- I have anytime access to the service via my smartphone, laptop, or tablet.
- I can conveniently contact sitters directly using their app or my computer anytime I need them.
- When I post last minute jobs, I usually receive a response within 3 minutes or less.
- I can conveniently do extensive background checks on sitters I plan to hire through them.
- I have the option to conveniently pay sitters via their app which means I can save myself a trip to the ATM.
Is UrbanSitter Affordable? What Are Their Price Points?
Below is a price comparison table for UrbanSitter, Sittercity, and Care.com. Notice anything significant?
| Subscription Period | UrbanSitter Fees* | Sittercity Fees* | Care.com 🤔 Should You Use Sittercity? Check Out What Parents Have To Say About SittercityFees* |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-month access pass (pay as you go, no commitment) | $34.95 | not available | not available | |
| One-month premium membership | $19.95 a month (automatic billing every month). You get your first month free! | $35 a month (automatic billing every month) | $35 a month (automatic billing every month) | |
| Three-month premium membership | not available | $70, which comes out to $23.33/month | $70, which comes out to $23.33/month | |
| One-year premium membership | $99.95, this is the best deal at $8.33/month | $140, this is the best deal at $11.67/month | $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. | ||||
For Sittercity and Care.com, the one-month premium membership is $35 a month, which is billed monthly. Their 3-month premium membership is $70, which is paid upfront and billed quarterly thereafter. This comes out to $23.33/month. Both of their one-year premium membership is $140, which is also paid upfront and billed annually. This breaks down to $11.67 a month.
UrbanSitter has a no commitment Pay-As-You-Go Access Pass that goes for $34.95. This is good for one month and it does not renew. This is a great option that UrbanSitter offers. Sittercity and Care.com do not have this option.
UrbanSitter has a no commitment Pay-As-You-Go Access Pass that goes for $34.95. This is good for one month and it does not renew. This is a great option that UrbanSitter offers. Sittercity and Care.com do not have this option.
If you compare UrbanSitter with the monthly billing plans of Sittercity and Care.com, UrbanSitter, at $19.95 a month, is hands down more affordable than Sittercity’s and Care.com’s monthly billing of $35.
UrbanSitters annual billing plan of $99.95 is also hands-down significantly more affordable than both Sittercity and Care.com, both of which charge $140. That’s a significant difference of $40.
UrbanSitters annual billing plan of $99.95 is also hands-down significantly more affordable than both Sittercity and Care.com, both of which charge $140. That’s a significant difference of $40. That’s money saved that you can use to treat yourself, your family, and even your new babysitter for a nice meal at your favorite local fast food joint.
HOT Tip: Make sure to use the UrbanSitter coupon below in case you decide to sign-up with UrbanSitter so that you can get significant savings.
PLEASE NOTE: All the pricing information provided in this article may be subject to change as of this writing. We do not have any control with any pricing changes that UrbanSitter, Sittercity, and Care.com may decide to implement. However, we will do our best to keep up-to-date with the pricing schedules for both of these excellent services.
Also, once you are signed up … should you decide that UrbanSitter is not for you, you can simply visit your account settings and cancel your membership. It’s that easy. 😀
What Do People Have To Say About UrbanSitter?
I did some searched on the web regarding feedback on UrbanSitter.
Below are comments from parents about their experience with UrbanSitter.
“UrbanSitter has become one of those services that we absolutely couldn’t survive without as parents.” – TJ L., Boston
“UrbanSitter takes parents concerns and their children’s safety very seriously and I love that. I consistently find reliable, professional and high quality sitters on their app sometimes with notice as short as an hour to half hour! Wow!” – Sun B., Dublin, CA
“Whether we’ve got an event far in advance or need a sitter for our weekly date night, UrbanSitter has become our “go to” solution.” – Lance S., New York City
“I don’t always have time to interview my babysitters, so I like being able to watch a video. It helps me get familiar with the sitter ahead of time, so there are no surprises.” – Maia S., New York City
“I’ve been consistently impressed at how enthusiastic, smart and qualified the sitters are, especially with special needs kids. But my favorite thing? I can pay with my credit card. No more ATM stops!” – Jessica S., Boston
“Booking a babysitter used to be a serial process. With UrbanSitter, I can simply go online and I immediately know what my options are for any given evening or weekend.” – Megan M., San Francisco
“I had my choice of a wide array of excellent sitters. Pricing was far better than other sites. The trust system seemed good and intuitive. I quickly found a sitter who was fantastic and she was sitting for me the next morning.” – Julian G., San Francisco
“This service is a wonderful site for families to connect with sitters; and vice versa. The app is great and the site is easy to use.” – Clifford B., Washington DC
“Our sitter was prompt, reliable, and we were able to enjoy our 4 hour date night on a Saturday evening. Glad it all worked out! It was convenient to pay for the sitter about 1 hour after the sit, via the credit card on your app.” – Ashley G., Los Angeles
“Recommendations from friends are a must when it comes to a sitter for my kids. UrbanSitter has expanded our network of babysitters, and it has given us peace of mind.” – Matt K., San Francisco
“This is a very helpful app to locate a sitter and to find sitting opportunities … I recommended this app to friends and family that need a sitter for the date nights and so forth. It’s very convenient.” – Stephani H., Los Angeles
“So glad I found this! Networking is how I’ve always met great families before, and this service makes it that much easier to connect.” – Sarah G., Boston
Find A Sitter Now And Leverage The Power Of Your Network
As previously mentioned, UrbanSitter is not your typical online babysitter service. What sets it apart from its competitors is that it leverages the power of the social connections you thought you never had.
This makes the screening process for a sitter much faster since it’s like getting personal word-of-mouth recommendations from people you know.
Even though UrbanSitter may have a great platform to help you search and narrow down babysitter hires, please keep in mind that like any online sitter service, it isn’t perfect. You still have to do your homework when it comes to diligently screening and interviewing your potential candidate.
Services like UrbanSitter only facilitate the search process. It still is up to you to diligently screen, background check, and interview the babysitter candidate.
Services like UrbanSitter only facilitate the search process. It still is up to you to diligently screen, background check, and interview the babysitter candidate.
… we really think being able to leverage your social network in screening candidates makes a big difference in significantly cutting the time required for the search process. It’s really as close as you can to getting personal recommendations from family and close friends.
I really think being able to leverage your social network in screening candidates makes a big difference in significantly cutting the time required for the search process. It’s really as close as you can to getting personal recommendations from family and close friends.
That’s the reason why UrbanSitter members love this service as it gives them that element of safety and trust knowing that people within their social circle have already vetted and are regularly hiring a particular sitter.
I really recommend that you give it a test drive. UrbanSitter’s FREE basic access is really an awesome way to test drive, experience firsthand how their platform works, and most of all, get the search process for trusted and reliable sitters started.
When you decide to finally use the other exceptional features that UrbanSitter has, make sure to use the coupon we have here to get instant savings on the very affordable membership upgrade.
Take the first step now.
Hope this helps. 😀
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Disclosure: Compensated Affiliate. Click here for details.
Additional Fun Facts On UrbanSitter
Here are some fun facts about UrbanSitter that you also might like to know about UrbanSitter:
- UrbanSitter was founded by moms in 2010 and is based in San Francisco, CA.
- UrbanSitter’s founders conceived the idea with the mission of making the online search for babysitters a faster process by leveraging your social connections.
- The company’s service has grown from its starting base in San Francisco to more than 60 cities in the United States.
- UrbanSitter is also now gaining some good traction beyond the major cities and into the suburbs as people are now discovering the value that the service offers.
- UrbanSitter CEO and co-founder, Lynn Perkins‘ moment of epiphany was when she became a new mom:
“I started introducing my mom friends to nannies and sitters I’d met … I realized that there had to be a more efficient way for parents to get sitter recommendations from friends and make bookings online. And from that idea, UrbanSitter was born.”
Feel free to check out other articles related to UrbanSitter reviews and babysitter-related tips here on iParentingLife.com.
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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 wish I could stay but my work requires me to work even during a crisis. So, I am really grateful that I can find someone reliable to stay home with my kids at a time like this. Thank you, Urbansitter for lessening the load.
Urbansitter only approves sitters who have undergone background checks. These sitters are also vetted by parents who have hired them already. As a mom, I feel good about the safety measures Urbansitter has in place.
In my opinion, the vetting system of Urbansitter is what makes it stand out among the other childcare services. The sitters are vetted by parents who are also my friends. I am connected to them online and that helps me a lot. I don’t have to call anyone to ask around.
I was loyal to Sittercity for years but decided to switch to Urbansitter. To start with, I like Urbansitter’s vetting process for sitters cause this is a big time saver for me. Knowing that people I know have already vetted or employed a sitter is a stress-saver. If someone I know has been using a particular sitter, then chances are the sitter is someone I can also trust. This feature alone helps me narrow down my list for hires more efficiently.
Of course, knowing that I’m also hiring someone that other people know and trust makes me feel safe. UrbanSitter already screens and does background checks on the people they allow on the platform. So in essence, those 2 layers of safety gives me peace of mind. Of course, I still do additional background checks on the sitters I hire for added insurance. Others might say it’s overkill but I’ll do what I think is best for my family.
Another reason why I also switched to UrbanSiiter is their app. It makes everything really convenient. From vetting, getting in touch with a sitter, and paying them, I can do it all on my phone. I still use my laptop when I do searches but it’s really a great option to be able to also use my phone in case I’m not on my laptop.
The vetting system of Urbansitter is what makes it unique from other services. I used to rely a lot on reviews but I find that the vetting system is more convenient because the feedback is coming from people I know.
Yes, the vetting system of Urbansitter makes it so much easier to hire a sitter. But I don’t just rely on that. I try my best to run a background check, even if the sitters are now required to run one on themselves. Aside from the vetting system and background check, it wouldn’t hurt to take some time to check their badges on their profile as well. They’re there for a reason.
I never thought I would ever have a network of sitters to rely on. The most that I had before Urbansitter was a group of moms that I could call on. I’d be lucky enough to have one of them welcome my son to their home while I attend to some errands. Urbansitter has changed all that now.
You gave everything I needed to know about Urbansitter. I had heard about it from my friends but I wanted more information about it and I got it here. Thank you! I’m trying it out now.
OMG! I don’t need to picture a situation where I’m in a bind. With three kids (4, 6, and 8 years old), I am always in a bind. The only consolation is that I can always find reliable help from Urbansitter. It has never failed me specially at times when I need last minute help.
Finding a sitter online is not as easy as ordering food online. Reviews aren’t enough to get to know the sitter. The sitter has to be vetted by someone you know, preferably, very well. I think Urbansitter is the first service to do it. If not, they definitely made it easier to do it.
It makes a ton of difference when someone you know, like a friend, endorses a sitter. You get bits of critical information that you won’t be able to see on the sitter’s profile. That’s what makes the vetting process very helpful.
Up until Urbansitter came along, my friends were the last people I’d rely on when it came to finding a sitter. Recommending sitters was just not a thing my friends and I did. To start with, there were no sitters to recommend or even share among us. Now, I get lots of recommendations from them. The vetting system of Urbansitter works so well that it’s easy for us to share sitters.
Urbansitter takes out the burden of finding a trustworthy sitter. Now that it’s mandatory for their sitters to run a comprehensive background check on themselves, it’s a lot easier to find someone whom I can feel safe with. Urbansitter has really raised the bar in childcare service.
At first, I was kinda wary about Urbansitter. I just didn’t like the fact that my social media account was going to be used. I didn’t want to be connected with so many people and you know how social media just connects you to everybody. It gets pretty crazy. Apparently, it doesn’t work that way. I still get to keep my privacy since it’s my call to connect to the sitters. I connect to them when I want to, depending on the reviews they get from my friends.
I don’t need to picture anything because it happens to me all the time. With three toddlers (I have a set of 3-year-old twins and a 5-year old), I am always in a bind. That’s reality for me. My husband’s not just busy at work, he’s also exhausted from his daily commute. There is no way I can rely on him for that extra help. I just turn to Urbansitter, not just for the sake of my sanity but for the sake of my marriage. LOL!
It’s pretty obvious that the vetting process of Urbansitter is a lot more reliable than the other services. I’d rather have a sitter who has been vetted by someone I know than a sitter vetted by a complete stranger. I think that’s a no brainer.
The comprehensive background check on sitters is now compulsory with Urbansitter. So now, I feel more comfortable and safe when my friends recommend someone from Urbansitter.
Yes, you’re right about that. Urbansitter is pretty much the only one that’s requiring their sitters to do so. I think that’s great. It just shows how serious they are with the quality of their sitters.
It’s a must to run background checks on the sitters. As a parent, I feel it’s my responsibility to make sure the sitter is trustworthy. I owe that to my kids. In the same way, it’s also the responsibility of every childcare provider to run background checks on their sitters. I think they owe that to parents like us.
I’m a big fan of UrbanSitter’s compulsory background check and screening of all their sitters. That adds another layer of protection for my kids. As a parent, it gives me more peace of mind and I feel a lot safer.
My friend has been telling me about the latest sitter she recently hired. She’s really very happy with her. She hired her via Urbansitter and that’s why I’m curious about it now.
Sitters are hard to find especially at the beginning of the school year. Not a lot of them are available since they, themselves, are in school, adjusting to their schedules. Well, that was what I thought until I tried Urbansitter. A friend of mine recommended a sweet sitter who is a sophomore in the university nearby. She’s heaven-sent. I would have never found her if it weren’t Urbansitter.
Looks like you have a sitter and a tutor rolled into one!
Another thing that’s great about Urbansitter is that they approve the sitters who sign up. I’m usually notified each time they approve a sitter that matches my search. That helps me a lot in times when I’m in a hurry to hire.
I like the format of the sitter’s profile on Urbansitter. Almost everything that I need to know about the sitter is laid out for me. At a glance, I already have a good idea as to whom to contact and I find that very convenient.
I definitely look for repeat hires, most especially the ones who have been repeatedly hired by my friends. That way, I don’t hire a total stranger unlike if I were to hire somewhere else.
Urbansitter makes it very easy for me to recommend someone. I could never do that before. To start with, there wasn’t anyone worth recommending. The sitters I was hiring were really bad. They were late and lazy. I never hired any of them again. Of course, that was before I discovered Urbansitter. Now, it’s easy for me to hire great sitters. I don’t feel uncomfortable recommending them to my friends.
My friends and I are now using Urbansitter. It’s very convenient especially for those moments when we need a quick recommendation for a last minute sitter.
When I’m in a real hurry to hire a sitter, I usually get with the ones I’ve hired previously and if they’re not available, I get with the ones who have already been hired by my friends. Since it’s easy to do either one with Urbansitter, I find that their process of finding a sitter is more hassle-free as compared to the other childcare services.
I feel the same way about Urbansitter as well. Whether I’m in a hurry or not to find a sitter, I know I can always find one. That’s what makes Urbansitter my no.1 choice for childcare.
With three small kids, it’s hard to keep a regular schedule. Something’s always bound to come up. I used to fret over that until a friend of mine told me about Urbansitter two years ago. Since then, I can always get with someone who can help me through last minute changes of schedule.
This is not to say that I don’t run background checks; I do! However, there are times when I’m in a rush to find a sitter and I just have to rely on the feedback of my friends. That’s why I’m really happy that Urbansitter leverages my social network in screening the sitters. It really works well for me especially when I am in a hurry to hire a sitter.
The Urbansitter app is so easy to use. It’s makes it even more convenient for me since I can look for a sitter using my phone regardless of where I am. I don’t have sit on my computer to search for one.
I love their app as well. I can easily message the sitter right then and there.
Each time a mom from my daughter’s school raves about a sitter from Urbansitter, I look her up right away. It’s always good to have someone in mind so that I can easily get with her when the need arises.
Agree! That’s the thing I like about Urbansitter. It leaves us with plenty of options. 🙂
Urbansitter has made it a lot easier for me to work from home. I am able to get a lot of things done in spite of the kids being home for the summer. Working from home is not easy especially if the kids are around. I’m just really lucky that I can always find someone from Urbansitter who can help me out.
What I love about UrbanSitter is that I get feedback from people I know. Not just reviews from random parents but from people who are either friends or acquaintances.
I don’t have a village to help me raise my kids but I do have Urbansitter. 🙂
I’ve been using UrbanSitter to find and hire great sitters since the start of this year. I LOVE it!
This is the most straight forward review I have seen on Urbansitter. You covered pretty much everything I wanted to know about it. I like the way you explained how they use the social network to connect, not just the sitters, but the parents as well. The fact that I can easily get with a parent for feedback is quite comforting for me. Thanks for a very good write up.
The reviews on Urbansitter are mostly positive and that’s why I decided to try their Pay-As-You-Go Access Pass. I highly recommend that you guys try it out as well. In my case, I’m glad that I did. I found out, first hand, how easy it is to find someone for my kids.
I went for the Pay-As-You-Go Access as well, thanks to your recommendation. Although I was hesitant at first, I went for it soon as I saw that a lot of moms had tried it already. If you are on the fence with UrbanSitter, I highly recommend that you sign up for the free basic access and give it a try.
The fact that a friend or maybe an acquaintance of mine knows the sitter I’m interested in hiring is a comforting thought. I really don’t want to hire a complete stranger. I want someone who has already been tried and tested by someone I know.
I really wanted to try out Urbansitter but I didn’t want to commit to it first. So I went for their Free Basic Access (per your recommendation) just to see what they have to offer. Gosh, they offer a lot! Just the fact that I’m always informed of a sitter that matches my search is a big thing for me. I know who to contact soon as I’m in need of a sitter.
I am so happy that I tried the “test drive.” It gave me free basic access that made me more familiar with the services of Urbansitter. For those who are curious about Urbansitter, I highly recommend the test drive. It’s amazing to see how many sitters are available within my area.
That’s a good idea. I’ve been wondering about Urbansitter and I really want to give it a try. Thanks for the heads up.
I get a lot of matches on Urbansitter. Even if I’m not searching for a sitter, I get a couple of matches within the day. That’s pretty helpful for me since I can just get in touch with them when the time comes. That saves me a lot of time.
I am very familiar with Urbansitter. A friend recommended it to me six months ago and I’ve been using it ever since. It’s very convenient since I can always ask for recommendations without having to bother anyone. I also like the fact that the sitter is rated by people I know.
The hardest part about leaving my kids with a sitter is when I’m confronted with dreadful thoughts. It’s so hard to deal with such thoughts especially when already I’m out of the house. At least with Urbansitter, I can always get with anyone who has previously hired the sitter for some comforting thoughts.
I know how you feel about leaving your kids. As moms, we will always have those thoughts, as dreadful as they are. It’s good that Urbansitter can somehow tame those thoughts, you know. The fact that our friends know the sitter makes a big difference.
I’m a doomsday mom. I always think of the worst case scenario. My husband makes fun of me all the time but I don’t care. I super screen all the sitters. Even if they have good reviews and even if my friends know them, I super screen them. With all the bad news I hear about sitters and daycare centers, I should really screen anyone who claims to love kids. So I don’t blame you guys for having those thoughts.
Parents have a wider network of support with Urbansitter. Since Urbansitter connects them to other parents online, they’re not just dependent on the website for reviews. That helps a lot especially for parents who really want to get to know the sitter first.
Aside from the background checks, I also take some time to consider the repeat hires. Knowing that a sitter has been hired repeatedly by friends or even just acquaintances matter a lot to me.
I have been recommending Urbansitter to my mom friends and so far, they are all very happy with it. Since we are all connected online, it’s so much easier for all us to share feedback about the sitters.
I’m not one of those moms who have a village to rely on for childcare. I am a single, working mom with a year-old baby. It was a good thing that I came across Urbansitter a few weeks before I gave birth. Since it was affordable, I didn’t even think twice. That saved me from a lot of trouble. I was able to find a great lady to help take care of my baby. Most importantly, I was able to go back to work. I really wouldn’t have known what to do without Urbansitter.
I used to get so frustrated each time I’d ask my friends for a sitter referral. Only a few of them had helped me in the past but the sitters they referred to me weren’t so great. I can’t really blame them. After all, they were just trying to help. A lot has changed since Urbansitter. My friends and I can now refer great sitters to each other. That kind of system really works well, especially now that school’s back.
Before, I would just hire a last minute sitter and hope nothing happens to my kids. Well, I have been very lucky but I can’t rely on luck all the time. At least with Urbansitter, I can ask any of my friends for feedback. That shouldn’t take so much time even if I need feedback on a last-minute sitter.
I don’t mind sharing babysitters with my friends. I actually think it’s safer that way. My friends can either warn me or give the heads up.
Sittercity is often compared to dating sites where parents are connected to possible sitters. That used to work for me. Well, actually it still does. But I prefer Urbansitter where I get people whom I know pretty well recommending sitters to me.
Come to think of it, there’s a difference between the two. Reviews from random strangers are not as reliable as referrals or recommendations from people you know. I would also prefer to hire someone who has been referred or recommended to me. It’s closer to home and safer, of course.
While it’s pretty easy to post a job, I’ve hardly had the chance to do it because I get a lot of recommendations. When I need a babysitter, I just go through the recommendations and I’m usually able to find one. It really helps a lot that the recommendations I get are all within my area.
I just read a very disturbing news article about a toddler who drowned in the pool of her daycare center. The person assigned to her wasn’t a bad one at all. It’s just that she just took her eyes off the toddler for about a second and that’s it. It happened so fast. This kind of news is so disturbing that I would rather hire someone who can keep her eyes on my child every single second.
I had been with another childcare service for about 5 years. That was okay but when I found out about Urbansitter from another mom friend of mine, I immediately tried it. My friend told me it was affordable and the sitters were great. Well, she was right but she didn’t tell me how easy it was to hire a sitter. Anyway, I’m not complaining because I found out myself. Hence, I decided to stick with Urbansitter and drop the other service.
After some time with Urbansitter, you’re going to have a go-to list of last-minute sitters. In my case, I was able to draw up a list after about two months. They’ve all been background checked and recommended by my friends. You see, I don’t hire sitters on a regular basis …most of the time I’m in need of a last-minute sitter. After about two months, I was able to have a list of sitters to call on. They’re all darlings.
Urbansitter has actually helped me resolve certain issues with my mom. I used to always beg her to watch my kids and that really strained our relationship. It’s not that she doesn’t love my kids, it’s just that she isn’t prepared to watch them all the time. According to her, she has other things to do and I understand that. The thing is, it was very hard to find a sitter before. Now that I’m with Urbansitter, I don’t have to rely on her anymore and our relationship is a lot better now.
It’s fair to say that Urbansitter is not your typical babysitter search site because it really isn’t. To start with, you are familiar with the people who are hiring the sitters. To some extent, you know these people who have rated the sitters. That matters a lot especially when you’re gauging a sitter.
I like the vetting process of Urbansitter because it doesn’t get too personal. It focuses solely on the sitters and not on the parents. In my experience, I usually get more than just referrals when I come face-to-face with other parents. They say more than they should, stuff that’s really not related to the sitter.
I am definitely able to save more time with Urbansitter. What I normally do is that I create a list of sitters who have all been rated my friends. Then I visit their profiles to check on their badges. That saves me so much time. I don’t even have to call any of my friends and the best part is that I have more than one option for hiring.
I like that Urbansitter uses my FB to let me see the sitters my friends are hiring. That way, I don’t have to ask around all the time. It could be quite annoying to always ask friends for a referral. With Urbansitter, I can just go the sitter profile and check her out. Although there are times I still ask for feedback from some of my friends, I usually just refer to the sitter profile. That saves me a lot of time.
The fact that I can use the UrbanSitter app to pay the sitters makes it very convenient for me. I don’t have to worry about NOT having cash to pay the sitter.
Oh, yes! I agree with you totally. Imagine having to come home late at night (maybe after an epic date fail) and having to worry about paying the babysitter still. Seriously, I would find it unfair for the the babysitter not to get paid immediately. She might not babysit for me anymore.
I’m regularly informed by Urbansitter each time they find a babysitter that’s a good match for me. I get emails from them with recommendations of highly rated babysitters with a high number of repeat families. I find this very helpful because I know there is always a babysitter that I can call on anytime.
I know of a couple of friends of mine who use Urbansitter. They’re very happy with the service. Even if they don’t need a babysitter at the moment, they’re always in the know of one because of the local group they are part of. I plan to join it myself once I have a need for a sitter.