FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Sitly is an online hub where neighbourhood families and local childcare providers can find and meet each other. You can take control of your babysitting search with our customizable web tool, which shows you potential matches in your area. Then, connect with your favourite candidates on your own terms as you conduct interviews and decide which babysitter, home daycare provider, nanny, daycare centre, or family is the best fit for you.

We do not perform background checks or screen new members because we are not a job or babysitting agency. Rather, think of Sitly as a neighbourhood hub where parents and independent childcare providers – including babysitters, nannies, and home daycare centres – can find and connect with each other. As an inclusive community, Sitly’s equitable access ensures that finding the right person for the job – or the right job for the person – remains fast and flexible for everyone.

That means screening is in the hands of our members. Parents, nannies, babysitters, and home daycare providers can vet each other based on their own priorities and preferences. Beyond exercising common sense when it comes to sharing personal details, we suggest you carefully review provided references and plan an official interview before making any final decisions. When you’ve found the perfect match, you’ll be glad you took the time to make sure everything was on the up and up.

Whether you’re online or in the real world, your safety is important to us. So, if you receive any inappropriate messages or mistreatment, be sure to file a report with our team so we can check it out. Remember, all reports are private and investigated seriously by Sitly’s staff. In addition, we perform manual checks on a routine basis and follow up on system alerts that notify us when anything out of the ordinary happens on our secure platform.

Yes, Sitly has a free app that you can download to sign up, create a profile, and search for other members in your area. Based on your profile information, we’ll show you local families or babysitters, nannies, and home daycare providers near you.

You can reply to messages you receive from other Sitly members, or use your Premium account to get in touch right away with matches that interest you. From the app, you’re able to chat 24/7 so you can request references and schedule interviews even when you’re not at home!

With the Sitly app, you can also enable push notifications to keep you in the know and in touch with your babysitting contacts. Download the app from the Google Play Store or Apple Store today to get started.

Google Play Store
Apple Store

Yes, you can delete your Sitly account anytime by going to your profile and selecting “Account Settings” to cancel your membership. Or, you can simply deactivate by setting your account to invisible if you’re not actively seeking a match and would like to hide your profile until the next time you log in.

Yes, you can cancel your Premium membership anytime you wish. There are no cancellation fees, and you won’t lose access to your Sitly profile if you choose to cancel. With the Basic account, you’ll still have access to many of our interactive features, including a personalizable profile, custom search tool, and free replies to messages you receive.

To cancel your Premium subscription with Sitly, go to the “Account Settings” section of your profile, and click the “Cancel subscription” link. If you subscribed through Google Play or Apple Store, you’ll have to unsubscribe where you made your initial purchase in order to stop further changes. Please note that we can’t end Google Play or Apple Store subscriptions for you.

Remember, your Premium subscription automatically renews when your payment cycle renews. For example, this means that when you’ve taken out a subscription for 1 month, your Premium membership renews automatically 30 days after payment. However, if you’ve chosen a 3-month subsciption, it will automatically renew after 90 days.

If you decide to cancel your paid subscription, you will still retain access to Sitly’s Premium features until the end of the current billing period.

Before starting your search, take a little time to figure out what your needs are. Full-time support? Part-time care? On-call help? Make a wish list of necessary and preferred characteristics so you can apply the right filters to our web tool.

We’ll provide you with a list of available sitters near you. Then you can personally screen and vet promising candidates by asking for references and organizing an official interview. If you find a babysitter or nanny who meets your requirements, set up a Premium Sitly account to get in touch with them right away. Or, you can take things slow and wait for interested childcare providers to message you first.

There is no standard hourly rate for childcare services. Rather, each nanny or babysitter’s rate is determined by several factors – including their age and level of experience, the number of kids who need looking after, and how far they need to travel for the job.

In order to come up with an appropriate rate, you should first take into account the minimum wage for your area. Then, you might consider offering a higher rate of pay to keep things fair if you’re asking for any help with things like tutoring or chores around the house – or if you know your kids can be a handful for even the most patient of sitters!

First things first – message the prospective babysitter or nanny about any past childcare experience they may have, and ask about references from prior families. Then you can check in with the other parents to see what their impression was of the sitter.

Next, come up with a list of questions that will help you determine if the sitter will be a good match for your family’s needs. Review our 10-Step Guide for Parents for examples of questions to ask candidates during a babysitting interview. Finally, when you’re ready, schedule a convenient time to get together in person for a one-on-one.

Membership registration is always free, with no obligations. You can use your free Basic account to browse all of the profiles for registered childcare providers in your area, and send free replies to get to know more about the sitters who message you.

If you want to be able to start conversations, however, you’ll need a Premium subscription:

1 month: CAD 39 3 months: CAD 87 (CAD 29 per month)

Please note, your Premium membership will automatically be renewed for the same period of time as you originally signed up for. Remember, you can cancel anytime and still retain access to Sitly’s exclusive Premium features until the end of your current billing period.

There are a number of free features available with a Basic account on Sitly. You can customise your profile, filter search results according to your preferences, browse nearby babysitters and nannies, and even bookmark your favourites. Plus, you can reply to messages you receive for free and quickly view applications from babysitters who are interested in working for you!

Sitly lets you expand your sitter search to find independent childcare solutions in your neighbourhood – including babysitters, nannies, and home daycare providers. But given all these options, choosing the right solution for your family’s needs requires weighing the pros and cons carefully.

Keep in mind that nannies often work a set schedule and provide dependable assistance with more demanding tasks – while babysitters are typically scheduled as needed, and focus their energy on keeping kids safely entertained. A home daycare centre might give you the best of both worlds, but you’ll need to pay extra attention to other important factors like location, flexibility, and cost.

There are a number of free features available with a Basic account on Sitly. You can customise your profile, filter search results according to your availability and other preferences, browse nearby jobs, and even bookmark your favourite families. Plus, you can send invites to families you like to introduce yourself, and you can reply to messages you receive from parents who are interested in learning more about your services.

Account registration is free, with no obligations. With a Basic membership plan, you can browse all of the registered families in your area, invite your favourites to visit your profile, and send replies to get to know more about those who message you – all for no cost.

If you find the perfect job and can’t wait for the family to get in touch, however, a Premium subscription will allow you to start your own conversations and access other exclusive features:

1 month Premium membership: CAD 19
3 months Premium membership: CAD 39 (CAD 13 per month)

Please note, your Premium membership will automatically be renewed for the same period of time as you originally signed up for. Remember, you can cancel anytime and still retain access to Sitly’s exclusive Premium features until the end of the current billing period.

In Canada, sitters are required to be at least 16 years old at the time of account registration, in accordance with the GDPR privacy and security law of 2018. If you’re 15 or younger, we recommend getting as much babysitting experience as you can in the meantime. Ask your family members about watching your little brothers, sisters, or cousins – or check in with trusted neighbours to see if you can babysit their kids.

That way you’ll have referrals and recommendations to share with new clients when you turn 16 and launch your babysitter or nanny career with Sitly.

No, it’s not necessary to give your complete work history to Sitly or anyone else on our platform. Simply edit your profile to add any relevant information you wish to share directly with parents. We do suggest you calculate how many years of previous nanny services or babysitting experience you have, and organize any references’ contact information you might want to send later.

To find a babysitting job online fast, you’ll need to make a great first impression with a picture-perfect profile. Make sure you tell families all about who you are, what you’re looking for, why you like working as a sitter, and when you’re available.

Keep in mind that you are 5 times more likely to be hired by a family when you have a professional profile picture. So put your best foot forward by uploading an up-to-date headshot or portrait that follows our photo guidelines: neutral background, no filters, nice and centered.

Download the Sitly app so you can reply right away to interested families. If you don’t want to wait for parents to get in touch, consider upgrading to a Premium membership so you can send the first message as soon as new jobs get posted.

The babysitting interview is your time to shine, which may feel like a lot of pressure, but you can put your nerves to bed by showing up well-prepared. Most parents will want to ask you about a lot of general information regarding your background and your approach to babysitting.

Review our 10-Step Guide for Babysitters for a list of common interview questions so you can rehearse your answers beforehand. When it’s time for your interview with the family, remember to be punctual, polite, and professional so clients can see how serious you are about being a sitter.

Parents prefer sitters who have worked with children in the past because it gives them a greater sense of trust and confidence that their kids will be in good hands. So, if you don’t have any childcare experience, you’ll probably need to lay a little groundwork before you’re able to land a formal job.

To kick off your babysitting career, ask family members about watching your younger siblings, cousins, or nieces and nephews – or check in with your neighbours about babysitting the kids next door. This way, you can gain some firsthand experience and improve your chances of finding a great job as a babysitter or nanny!

Your babysitting earnings will vary greatly depending on how old you are, how much experience you have, how many kids you’re taking care of, and how far away you live. We recommend setting your base rate at minimum wage levels to start.

Keep in mind that it’s normal to ask for a little extra pay if you consent to extra tasks – like picking up the kids or doing certain chores around the house – but be sure to lay out clear expectations in advance. Then, do your best to agree on an hourly rate that is fair for everyone involved.

We made this platform to put you in complete control of your babysitting search, including what information you choose to share on the web and in real life. Nonetheless, in order to connect you with other members in your area, Sitly does ask for some personal information – like your email and home address.

However, we never publish these details or make them available to other Sitly members or third parties. In addition, the data you send on our secure site is protected during transmission by SSL encryption, as noted by the lock icon in your browser’s URL bar. This ensures your online browsing privacy, while advanced security measures safeguard the data stored on our servers.

Sitters:
As a childcare provider, only your first name, age, and profile photos are publicly visible. Your general location will also be shown to families looking for babysitters, nannies, or home daycare providers – but your exact address won’t be shared with other Sitly members.

Parents:
As a parent, only the number of kids and their ages are displayed alongside your own first name and profile photos. Your approximate location will be shown to nearby babysitters, nannies, or home daycare providers – but your exact address will remain hidden from other Sitly members.

Sitly uses your home address to connect you with other registered members who live nearby. An icon representing members’ general locations lets parents, babysitters, nannies, and home daycare providers see who’s available in the neighbourhood. However, we promise not to reveal your street name or house number to any other members or private third parties.