WEBINAR: How to Start a Babysitting Co-op
May 23, 2013
Childcare doesn't have to be frustrating or expensive.
Why not start a babysitting co-op in your neighborhood? Watch this webinar to learn how!
In a babysitting cooperative, neighborhood parents join together to share childcare. Instead of hunting for a babysitter every time you need to go out (and paying too much money!), you can rely on trusted mothers and fathers in your co-op network.
Since co-op members trade time and take turns watching each others' kids, no money is exchanged. At the same time, a babysitting co-op strengthens community ties: Parents gain a reliable support system in their neighborhood, and kids gain regular playmates!
In June 2013, New Dream presented the webinar How to Start a Babysitting Co-op. Topics included different types of babysitting co-ops, how they work, and tips on how to successfully start your own co-op from scratch.
Guest speakers:
- Renai Gallagher (Albuquerque, NM): Gallagher started up a babysitting co-op almost 6 years ago when her son was a year old. Her co-op now includes about 15 families in her neighborhood.
- Julie Holland (Berkeley, CA): Holland decided to start a babysitting co-op in 2010. Through the co-op arrangement, she was able to afford childcare for her young daughter and attend classes at the same time.
Click here to watch a recording of the webinar. Hear Gallagher and Holland share their experiences and answer questions about how you can get a babysitting co-op going in your own neighborhood! (Video length: Approx. 1 hour)
Additional resources for starting a babysitting co-op:
- Download Renai Gallagher's babysitting co-op bylaws (feel free to use as a template!)
- How We Started Our Own Babysitting Exchange by Julie Holland
- Smart Mom's Baby-Sitting Co-Op Handbook (book)
- Free Printables and Tips for Setting up a Babysitting Co-op
Online tools for organizing and tracking babysitting co-ops: