And You Thought A Good Man Was Hard To Find?
April 24, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Survey of Parents Shows Babysitters
Can Trump Spouses in Importance:
Sittercity.com Helps Parents Not Be Sitterless in the City
Just how important are babysitters to parents? According to a survey of parents by Sittercity.com, 42 percent said they would be more inconvenienced if their babysitter went out of town for a few days than if their significant other was gone for a short time. This heavy reliance on outside childcare is why Sittercity.com revolutionized the industry by providing parents with an easier alternative to finding sitters -- the Web.
"Finding a babysitter isn't a simple task, especially with many of the traditional resources drying up," said Genevieve Thiers, founder and chief executive officer of Sittercity.com. "Sittercity.com provides parents with an easy, convenient and comprehensive place to search for childcare."
Other highlights from the Sittercity.com survey that show many parents are scrambling for quality sitters:
Officer, My Nanny's Been Napped! -- It's been seen on the popular television show "Desperate Housewives," but sitter poaching isn't just for the small screen. It's a reality in the world of childcare. In fact, 52 percent of Sittercity.com parents say they love their sitters, but are always on the look out for other great back-ups. The best solution, according to Thiers, is to have a list of four good sitters on hand.
Top Dollar for Top Sitters -- According to Thiers, the national average for a sitter who is at least 17 years old is between $10 and $12 per hour -- a far cry from the $2 an hour neighborhood pre-teen girls were collecting several years ago. In addition to that, 43 percent of parents surveyed say they will pay sitters more for special holidays like New Year's Eve or Valentine's Day.
"Whether it's a full-time nanny or an occasional date-night babysitter, the role of childcare giver has evolved dramatically over the last 20 years -- and consequently, so has the search for childcare," said Thiers. "Sittercity.com's goal is to make the babysitting recruitment and hiring process easier by providing a central meeting place for parents and sitters."
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