FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
FOR PARENTS
SAFETY & VETTING
RATES & PAYMENT
REGISTRATION & APPLICATION
NANNY PLACEMENT
WHY CHOOSE BABYSITTERS OF BOULDER?
GAIN PEACE OF MIND.
LET US HANDLE LOGISTICS.
SAVE TIME & ENERGY.
Each team member is kind, patient & capable. Each team member is CPR Certified and completes reference check, background check and DMV record check.
We are locally founded & owned. We provide responsive help and we strive to provide replacement in the very rare event that a sitter must cancel.
Our service saves you time and energy. We do all the interviewing and scheduling of your sitters. We can even help with children's laundry and the dishwasher.
YOU'RE local. buy local.
This community is our home. We may be your neighbors. We provide childcare & safety education for our team and we take pride in our work.
How can I become a client?
1. Complete new family registration here and read our Policies For Parents. Registration is $34.95 and we do not have annual fees.
2. You will receive a welcome email immediately with a how-to video and instructions to log in and sign your user terms of service agreement.
3. After signing this, you can book babysitters. We take bookings and payments through our convenient automated system. To ask about a nanny search with us please call (303) 749.1168, email us, or read our nanny placement guide.
How do you vet sitters? We personally interview each applicant, we verify two references, current car insurance and valid license, and process a background check and a driving record. Team members are required to have current CPR certification, a minimum of 3 years of childcare experience, and the COVID vaccine (medical/religious exemption honored). We place high value on applicants who are kind, patient, responsive, and reliable. Want to see exactly what our background check reviews? Click here for a detailed PDF.
Are all of the babysitters women? No, we are an equal opportunity agency. Our caregiver team includes men, women, transgender men and women, and nonbinary people. Our babysitters are allowed to claim any booking requests they are qualified to do. You must let us know in advance if there is a religious reason or other nondiscriminatory reason that you can only match with female babysitters.
What are the hourly rates? We have standardized hourly rates and we start at $25.00/hour for up to 2 siblings. Rates will change in Summer 2023. These rates apply to babysitting and may increase once per year depending on inflation, cost of living etc. View current nanny rates in our area here.
How do I pay my babysitter? Pay your sitter directly in full at the end of your booking before they leave. All babysitters accept cash and most prefer Venmo, Zelle, Apple Pay, etc.
I just need my child quickly dropped off at school or at an activity. Is that a service you can do? We have a 3 hour minimum so we are typically not the resource for quick drop-off needs. There is a Denver/Boulder Metro service, HopSkipDrive, that offers rides for kids. Our service is ideal for date nights, weekends, backup care, and babysitting with a 3-hour minimum. We can also help with family errands, house sitting, and pet sitting.
What is the purpose of the cancellation payment? A babysitter's time has value and we respect that. We attract great caregivers by offering them competitive hourly rates and cancellation pay guarantees. You can read the full cancellation policy here and a blog about it here.
Can you explain the two payments: the reservation payment to the agency and the payment to the babysitter? When agencies advertise "one convenient flat rate" to parents, it means their profits are taken from the worker's hourly pay. The best babysitters won't participate in that payment structure. We have a separate agency booking charge because we want the best team.
I am visiting from out of town. Do you have cribs or strollers? We partner with BabyQuip for local rentals.
Do you care for children with autism? We do have some team members with experience caring for children with autism. Not all team members are qualified, which may reduce the pool of caregivers available. You can also contact Specialized Sitters (based in Denver). If you have questions please call (303) 749.1168 or email help@babysittersofboulder.com.
Are there contracts? We use a standard contract for bookings that are longer than 2 weeks. This is considered a temporary nanny.
Is there an additional price for short notice bookings? Yes. Booking care with less than 24 hours notice is an additional $15.00, which is $36.95/booking. Give us your request, and we will do all the work of calling and texting the sitter pool.
How do I hire my temp nanny as my permanent nanny? Any caregiver you meet through us must be hired through us. We will prepare your contract agreement. Our agency's commission pricing details are available here.
What's the difference between a nanny and a babysitter? A babysitter comes for things like date nights or backup care and has no long term agreement with your family. A nanny works a specific recurring schedule for your family with an employment contract, a W-2 and benefits. A nanny is not a housekeeper, a dog walker, or a personal assistant, although some nannies will perform these duties for added pay.
How much should I expect to pay a nanny? Before the pandemic, the average starting wage was around $22.00/hour. In 2023, expect to offer an experienced nanny $28.00 and $32.00 an hour, possibly more depending on the schedule you need, the job duties, and the benefits package. This rate range applies to experienced nannies. Parents training a mother's helper or a high school student babysitter can expect to pay closer to $18.00 to $22.00/hour. See our nanny rates and required benefits here.
