Every day, for as long as history can remember, child care providers have played a pivotal, and tragically undervalued, part of society. A child care crisis in the United States has been brewing for years, but the global pandemic has highlighted, not only the crucial role child care plays but also the fragility of the system. Today, most child care professionals are without paid sick days or job security, and staying home means no income, and potentially no job.
This is a state decision and many states have asked child care centers to close while others allow for a select few to remain open while providing recommendations for safety.
Hire Them (If You Can)
In some states, in-home child care options, such as babysitters and nannies, are allowed as part of each state’s list of essential businesses.
If you’re a parent working from home, you might already be at your wits-end in trying to get work done and attend to your kids all day long. In some states, in-home child care options, such as babysitters and nannies, are allowed as part of each state’s list of essential businesses. Be sure to check with your state and local authorities to determine what the most up-to-date status is regarding your child care options.
If in-home child care is not an option or something you’re not comfortable doing at this time, consider virtual sitting. A virtual sitting is hiring a professional to engage your children digitally for a short period of time. The sessions can be used to assist kids with schoolwork or facilitate an interactive game, however, it’s not a replacement for physical care. Many parents are already finding sanity from the benefit of virtual sitting—having an uninterrupted meeting or work time while their kid is digitally hanging out with a sitter on the other side of the room.
Hire Child Care Providers Legally
Many care providers right now cannot take advantage of government benefits, like the Family First Coronavirus Response Act, or Unemployment because they have been paid under the table.
Treating your nanny or babysitter as an official employee gives them the benefits of having a verifiable income and legal employment history (needed for loans, credit, social security, medicare), receiving unemployment benefits, and being eligible for a healthcare subsidy. It’s a great way to honor the person who’s committed to the care and development of your kids and to recognize their career as legitimate.
Not to mention that when you look at the potential risks in combination with the loss of tax benefits, paying your nanny illegally is too big of a risk for the small amount you’d actually pay in nanny taxes.
Donate to the NDWA Fund
The National Domestic Workers Alliance is a not-for-profit organization that works for respect, recognition, and inclusion in labor protections for domestic workers—the majority of whom are immigrants and women of color.
Money donated to their Coronavirus Care Fund will provide immediate financial support for domestic workers, and enable them to stay home and healthy—protecting themselves, their families and their communities while slowing the spread of the Coronavirus.
Write Reviews & Be a Professional Reference
Be honest: when searching for a sitter, how much more excited about someone do you get when you see those 5 colorful stars on their profile? Probably very excited. The only way for sitters to get those stars on their profile is for a parent they’ve worked with to take the time to write them a review. Part of the sense of trust in our community relies on its members sharing their experiences for others to consider.
Reviews are a powerful way for sitters to propel their career forward. Additionally, so are professional references. If you currently have a sitter or have found one in the past on Sittercity, do them all a favor and write a review on their profile that will be helpful for other families. You can also offer to be a professional reference for their profile. That means other interested parents will be able to contact you to hear about your first-hand experience with that sitter.
Reviews and references aren’t sources of support that are immediately felt by caregivers, but it will certainly pay off in the long-run for them.
