Some parents require child care on a consistent basis because both parents work full time while other parents might only require child care services a couple of days a week or on occasion such as every Tuesday night, every second Wednesday afternoon or one Saturday a month. Child care co-ops are often an excellent bet for busy families because they are a group of people helping one another, each with a common goal- the best care giving possible for every child.

A childcare co-op is also sometimes referred to as a babysitter co-op and it is basically just “an organized collection of babysitting resources for parents.” A childcare co-op provides parents with more than one option for their babysitting needs. Whether it is full time, part time or sporadic childcare that you require, a childcare co-op is likely to fit the bill. A babysitter or childcare co-op is often created by way of a neighborhood group or association, churches, schools (most often elementary schools) or hospitals. The childcare co-op might have particular criteria that it expects its childcare providers or babysitters to follow and criteria necessary for parents looking for babysitting services as well. Not all co-ops are created equal, therefore it is important to speak with the individual who runs each particular group to find out specifically what they will accept or not accept in terms of applicants to the co-op.

Childcare co-ops are often very particular about hiring people who are extremely qualified to look after children. Many co-ops necessitate that the babysitters are over a particular age (sixteen is usually the youngest that they will hire), that the person has taken a very general first aid course and would have the know how to respond quickly in an emergency situation, and some even expect that their babysitters have taken a special “babysitter safety and preparedness course.” Babysitting courses are sometimes put on by a community group or church for either a small fee or for free and once the individuals have passed the course they automatically are admitted as qualified babysitters into the child care co-op.

One option that often evolves out of a childcare co-op is to recruit a mother’s helper. A mother’s helper is a person who essentially helps out with childcare duties as well as light housework, meal preparation and sometimes running errands for a stay at home parent. This sort of arrangement is common for families where one parent is a work at home parent and can only devote part of the day to taking care of the children, keeping the house clean and making meals. Many single parents who work at home also find the services of a mother’s helper to be invaluable.

A mother’s helper differs from that of a babysitter because the parent is present in the home and therefore the person is working in a supervised manner. As well the person generally does not assume total responsibility for the care of the children but instead divides her time between the children and whatever other household duties the parent requires. The day-to-day duties of a mother’s helper tend to vary and the best way to describe this job is that the person is there to “perform duties as per the parent or family’s specific needs.” The job of a mother’s helper can be flexible in the hours and may be either part time or full time. Some people pay a mother’s helper a wage while others pay a salary. As well in most cases this is a job where the person lives out but sometimes one of the requirements is that the person lives with the family.

A playgroup is another childcare option that often evolves out of a babysitter co-op. Playgroups work best for parents who work part time and can share childcare with other parents who work different hours. The size of the playgroup and the age groupings of children vary from one group to another. This often affords an excellent opportunity for parents to socialize with each other as well as keep up on what is new with each family and child. Together the parents determine a schedule of who watches whose children on what days and for how many hours at a time and this goes for days when parents work, need to go to appointments or run errands and also when parents just want a few hours to themselves.