Babysitting Cooperatives
by Dorothy Labensohn
WHAT IS A BABYSITTING CO-OP?
A babysitting cooperative consists of a number of families in a community
who decide to share babysitting among themselves without the ex-change of
money. Members agree to share responsibilities of record keeping and
providing and using services. Babysitting co-ops usually are intended for
occasional and not regular child care. If regular child care is needed,
other arrangements are usually made.
ADVANTAGES OF A BABYSITTING CO-OP
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Children make new friends, develop social skills.
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Children can become close with many families.
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No money is spent for babysitting.
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Families are helped with occasional day, evening, or emergency overnight
care.
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Provides free time when parents need it.
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Provides parents with opportunities to see their children interact with
others.
HOW TO START A BABYSITTING CO-OP
Co-ops usually begin with a few families with children of similar ages
deciding to share babysit-ting. Depending on the size of the community and
the needs of the families, they can be as small as 5 or 6 or as large as 50
or 60 families. Larger co-ops will require more organization, but planning
and record keeping can be kept relatively simple. To begin, a planning
meeting should be held.
DECIDING ON MEMBERSHIP
If membership is selective, hurt feelings may result among friends.
However, if membership is open to anyone who wishes to join, problems may
arise, such as members who are not acceptable to other members and,
therefore, no one sends their children to them for care or co-ops becoming
too large and impersonal with families not knowing each other. It is a good
idea at the initial planning meeting to set a maximum number of members. It
is also suggested that regular meetings take place to discuss progress,
problems, and mem-bership. The number of meetings will depend on members'
needs. Possibilities include monthly, every two months, four times a year,
three times a year, or yearly.
GETTING STARTED
A co-op group may decide to elect a chairperson and/or a secretary and
"pay" them with extra "credits" or "points." Another possibility,
particu-larly in a smaller group, is to have each member take turns as
secretary on a rotating basis. The chairperson can arrange for regular
meetings, preside at these meetings, deal with problems that arise between
meetings, and substitute for the secretary, if necessary.
The secretary keeps records of all points earned and spent for each member.
The secretary also totals and balances the books and provides each member
at the end of the term, monthly and quarterly, with a summary that includes
the points the member has, name, address, phone number of next secretary,
and any other infommation such as updates on the membership list and
meeting announcements. This may be done on postcards. No expense is
involved if all members take turns at being secretary.
HOW IT WORKS
If a member requires babysitting, the secretary is phoned requesting a
sitter for a certain time and date. The secretary calls members and locates
a sitter as close to the member's house as possible, attempting to find a
sitter who owes points. The secretary calls the member and sets up the
sitting arrangement. After the care has been provided, both member and
sitter agree on the number of points and these are reported to the
secretary who records them.
Points are earned (plus points) by being a sitter and providing care.
Points are spent (minus points) by using a sitter to care for your
children.
ASSIGNING POINTS
This varies from co-op to co-op and should be decided on by members when
getting started. Daytime sitting may be provided at the sitter's house;
evening or night sitting at either house, depending on circumstances.
A sample point scale might be:
2 points per child, per hour
1 point per child, per meal
1 point per child, per hour for overnight care with specified hours, e.g.
10:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m.
GENERAL RULE GUIDELINES
- Each member has a membership list with parent name(s), address, phone
number, and names and ages of children. A monthly or periodic update is
provided and new ones prepared annually.
- Each member has the right to refuse the services of a particular sitter
and should communicate this to the secretary when requesting a sitter.
- Most co-ops include in their rules that a child who is sick cannot be
taken to a sitter's home and that a sitter with sick children should not
accept children.
- Rules can be set up regarding picking up and delivering children and
transportation, if required, for sitters who come to members' homes to
babysit.
- The number of rules should be kept to a minimum when starting up. New
rules can be added as needed.
- Arrangements can be made between the two parties in an emergency or if
the secretary cannot be reached.
THE RECORD BOOK
A record book should be kept by the secretary. It should have a page for
each family with parent name(s), address, phone number, and names and ages
of children at the top. Below, columns can be set up for date, other
family, credit (plus points for providing babysitting), debit (minus points
for using babysitting), and balance. Every time a report is made to the
secretary, it is recorded on the sheets of both families.
THE CHILDREN
It is important to keep the needs of the children in mind in all
babysitting situations. In a small co-op, children get to know the other
families and feel comfortable with the children and adults. Parents should
prepare children if they are taking them to a babysitter or if the
babysitter is coming to their house. They should talk to the children about
the sitter, the situation, and be reassuring about when they will return.
There is more information on babysitting cooperatives in a book you may
like to read How to Organize a Babysitting Cooperative and Get Some Free
Time Away from the Kids by Carole Terwilliger-Meyers, Carousel Press, P.O.
Box 6061, Albany, CA 94706.
Dorothy Labensohn is a
Family Life Extension Specialist in the
Human Development and Family Studies Department at
Iowa State University
Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care
Labensohn, D. (1985) Babysitting Cooperatives Publication - Pm-796f (Choosing Care for Your Children series). Ames, IA: Iowa State University Extension.
