A Quick Comparison of 5 Atlanta Childcare Sources

One of the first things you discover as a new mom is the importance of quality childcare.

In the beginning, I struggled to find the perfect sitter because I didn’t know anything about Atlanta childcare sources.

All I knew was how childcare was done in my childhood – my parents paid a teenager in the neighborhood. I loved her and looked forward to the afternoons and evenings I would spend in her care.

How was I supposed to find that special childcare for my kids? I was truly at a loss. 

It became even harder when I learned that my mom friends didn’t exactly want to share their sitters. 

Yes, it sounds stingy, but I understood. 

Good childcare is apparently hard to come by and they didn’t want to risk losing their favorite sitter.

Eventually, my quest for the ideal childcare led me to national and Atlanta childcare sources online after hearing from a friend that this was how she easily secured a recurring sitter for their kids.

As you all know, the internet is a big place. And we’ve all heard our fair share of catfishing horror stories, so I will admit I was a little hesitant to find someone to watch my kids this way.

The good news is I did find a ton of qualified, outstanding babysitters in Atlanta. As a result, I have enjoyed more date nights, time with friends, and hours working without distraction than before.

That happened after I took the time to research the various national and local Atlanta childcare sources to find the one that was the best fit for my family.

As a mom, I focused on these five different factors to help me narrow down my list of Atlanta childcare sources:

• Convenience
• Quality of sitters
• Safety
• Customer Service 
• Ease of Use

Because your time is precious, I’m sharing what I found (along with honest takes about why parents either love the source or pass on it).

Family, Friends, and Neighbors

Most parents' first choice for childcare is someone they already know, such as a family member, friend, or neighbor.

You know them and they know your kids, so there is already a level of trust. 

Why Parents Love It 

This is an easy and convenient option. Also, it is often cheaper than booking a professional sitter.

Why Parents Choose Someone Else 

Asking someone you know to watch your kids can get complicated. It’s important to not just assume your loved ones will be available when you need them. Plus, just because they are available, it doesn’t mean they are great babysitters. There is a big difference between someone who lets the kids stay at their house while you run errands and someone who actually engages and plays with your kid. 

Facebook Groups

I often see parents searching for childcare in Facebook babysitting and mom groups. Moms post the details of their date night or nanny position, and sitter members of the group can comment below the post if they are interested in the job. 

Why Parents Love It 

It’s free. It’s a direct connection to sitters. Parents may feel they are getting a deal the DIY way, as well as feel they have a greater sense of control in selecting their sitter.

Why Parents Choose Someone Else 

It’s time-consuming and doesn’t always yield the best results. Facebook becomes a household management tool, rather than a place to connect with friends and family. Moms, typically, spend valuable time posting, scheduling, and screening babysitting candidates. Sitters are applying to multiple families so they may not respond to messages.  Even worse is the occasional frantic post of a family who has gone through the process to book a sitter and the sitter has to cancel last-minute. The family is back to square one without a backup childcare plan and without assistance. 

Care.com

Care.com is one of the most popular Atlanta childcare sources, serving more than 25 million users in more than 20 countries.

As a result, Care.com is one of the first places parents go when they don’t want to use family, friends, neighbors, or social media. 

With Care.com, parents can search through their vast platform of caregivers (it’s not limited to just babysitters). Thankfully, they have filtering so you can narrow down options.

Once they find some sitters they are interested in booking, parents can interview potential sitters. 

Why Parents Love It 

Care.com is a recognizable brand. Additionally, the site has many sitters available almost all the time.

Why Parents Choose Someone Else 

It comes down to ease and quality. In comparison with other sources, the heavy lifting still falls on parents (i.e., scrolling through candidates, interviewing, and rescheduling if a sitter cancels). Because providers are not pre-screened, the quality of candidates is widely varied and lower than apps with pre-screened candidates. In addition, some parents choose to go with one of the other Atlanta childcare sources because the size of Care.com is overwhelming. For any one job, a mom may scroll through more than 50 candidates. 

SitterTree

SitterTree is an Atlanta-based childcare app that makes it easy for parents to find and book safe, professional, and engaging childcare. Candidates consist of college and young professional sitters near you.

In fact, they make it easier than booking your neighbor! Unlike other Atlanta childcare sources, SitterTree does the hard work of finding and screening sitters for you. 

Moms or dads can post single or recurring jobs in seconds, including setting your own hourly rate. SitterTree will post your job to their community of verified sitters. Then, they’ll send you a curated list of experienced and vetted sitters who are available and interested in your job. No more scrolling! Parents can review the recommended candidates and, ultimately, are the ones to select their sitter.

The convenience doesn’t stop there. Families can pay and review sitters in the app at the end of each job. If a sitter has to cancel, SitterTree provides live support seven days a week to assist you in making the next-best arrangement. 

Why Parents Love It 

SitterTree makes booking high-quality sitters, safe, easy, and convenient. Plus, parents find SitterTree trustworthy because sitters are background checked, verified, and must maintain a 4.5-star average. 

Why Parents Choose Someone Else 

Families pay a per booking fee ($20/booking) or purchase a monthly Sitter Pass ($30/mo) to post unlimited jobs. Fees cover the costs of SitterTree’s extensive sitter verification process, platform costs, as well as industry-leading support.  

SitterCity

SitterCity is essentially a babysitter social app.

It includes profiles of babysitters and allows parents to browse through the profiles to find the perfect sitter.

Parents can also simply input their zip code or post a job to receive a filtered list of babysitters whose availability meets the criteria.

Why Parents Love It

SitterCity is popular with college students looking to make some money. Plus, the app lets parents search for special skills, such as babysitters for children with special needs.

Why Parents Choose Someone Else 

Some families want their babysitters to go through a more thorough vetting process. SitterCity also charges parents for more extensive background checks.

UrbanSitter

UrbanSitter works as a plug-in for your social networks connecting you to babysitters within your social network.

For example, if one of your social network friends or organizations (preschool, church, moms’ club, etc.) is connected to a babysitter, this babysitter will appear within your UrbanSitter circle.

Why Parents Love It

If a sitter shows up in your social network, it means you can reach out to your mutual friend to get an honest review.

Why Parents Choose Someone Else 

If parents are not active on social media, UrbanSitter isn’t a good fit.