4sitters.com is an online resource for babysitters, nannies, pet sitting providers, tutors, home daycare providers, and house sitters, anywhere in the world.

The site offers search tools; a sitter rating system; a sitter job posting and messaging service; and the ability to review the resumes of babysitters, nannies, home daycare centers, house sitters, and pet sitting providers before purchasing a membership.

The network extends to every state in the US and is available anywhere in the world.

Prospective members can register and evaluate the service for free. Follow the instructions on the website, and then verify that there are sitters in the area and review a sitter's experience and background before purchasing a membership. Resumes may include availability, pay rate, preferred age group, a photo, and references.

Membership is $6.99 a month, with a one-time setup fee of $34.99. The membership is auto-renewed for $6.99
every month thereafter; members can cancel at any time. Or purchase a lifetime, transferable membership for a one-time fee of $149.99. When you no longer need the service, your are free to transfer, sell, or give away your membership to whom ever you choose.

Absolute Best Care specializes in placing qualified nannies, baby nurses, housekeepers, and babysitters in homes across NYC and the tri-state area. The award-winning agency is fully licensed and bonded, and a member of the International Nanny Association.

A five-step screening process includes complete background checks - criminal, DMV, Social Security, and references. Face-to-face interviews with all candidates are conducted prior to family interviews to ensure that candidates are suitable for employment and that clients' needs are met. "Nanny Coach" one-on-one consultation services are provided throughout the search.

Training for caregivers includes a hospital-based Newborn Care certificate program.

A service set up with out-of-town visitors in mind. American ChildCare offers short-term child care programs at conventions, and in-room babysitting services at hotels. Babysitters are licensed, bonded, and insured professionals.

References include every major hotel in Chicago and San Francisco, as well as several client hotels in New York. American ChildCare is a member in good standing with the convention/tourism/visitors bureaus of Chicago, San Francisco, and New York.

Note: The company does not provide babysitters for private homes.

A service set up with out-of-town visitors in mind. American ChildCare offers short-term child care programs at conventions, and in-room babysitting services at hotels. Babysitters are licensed, bonded, and insured professionals.

References include every major hotel in Chicago and San Francisco, as well as several client hotels in New York. American ChildCare is a member in good standing with the convention/tourism/visitors bureaus of Chicago, San Francisco, and New York.

Note: The company does not provide babysitters for private homes.

Licensed and bonded and in business over 50 years, the Baby Sitters' Guild has come to the rescue many, many times. Cost is based on age and number of children and includes a four-hour minimum plus travel costs.

The Guild can also provide a sitter that is fluent in one of 16 different languages, or one with a nursing background for a small additional charge. Babysitters can be dispatched to all five boroughs.

Holiday rates are higher for Friday and Saturday evenings during the months of October, November, and December.

Licensed and bonded and in business over 50 years, the Baby Sitters' Guild has come to the rescue many, many times. Cost is based on age and number of children and includes a four-hour minimum plus travel costs.

The Guild can also provide a sitter that is fluent in one of 16 different languages, or one with a nursing background for a small additional charge. Babysitters can be dispatched to all five boroughs.

Holiday rates are higher for Friday and Saturday evenings during the months of October, November, and December.

Parents seeking a sitter for a night out, a last-minute replacement, or a sitter for ongoing childcare may find the right person through BabySitters.com, a website that provides detailed babysitter profiles. Parents who sign up for the service can search for a sitter and/or post a job for a sitter.

The website also offers a "how-to" series for both parents and sitters. For parents, the series covers everything from doing a background check to how much a sitter should be paid. For sitters, the series covers topics that include certifications, training, how much to charge, how to interview, and a checklist for working with a new family.

The Barnard Babysitting Agency is a non-profit, student-run organization of Barnard College. All Barnard Babysitters are currently registered undergraduate Barnard students.

The minimum rate for a sitter is $7.50 per hour; the average wage posted is $13 per hour. Even if the job is less than two hours, a two-hour minimum payment at the posted wage is required. Parents are required to pay cab fare back to campus for the sitter after 9pm.

Before you start using the Barnard Babysitting Agency you must call and register. It's wise to register in advance of need; several forms must be on file, including information from your pediatrician.

Building Blocks Playgroup, led by an Upper East Side private school teacher, offers year-round, all-day (as well as morning) care for children ages 10 months to four years. The preschool curriculum consists of arts and crafts, cooking, and early reading as well as music and movement in an enriched child-centered environment.

Yearly developmental and school admission reports are provided.

Care.com is an online service that matches families with caregivers - including babysitters, nannies, pet sitters, dog walkers, tutors, and respite care for seniors.

Families can search Care.com by their zip code or metro area to find listings of caregivers who match their specific needs. Search results include enhanced caregiver profiles - with photos, video interviews, and references - which families can view before contacting a caregiver about a job. Plus, families can request free background checks on any caregiver as part of their monthly membership.

College Nannies & Tutors places nannies in families with children from infants to teens and provides one-on-one tutors for kids ages three and up, and for ACT/SAT preparation. The agency also Background and reference checks are performed on prospective nannies and tutors.

Families can opt to use this resource as a placement agency or to additionally have College Nannies & Tutors function as employers, letting them take care of payroll and all insurance contributions.

CollegeQuickJobs.com connects NYC families with students from top NYC colleges - mostly from Columbia, Barnard, and NYU - for short-term household jobs.

Visit the website to post jobs like babysitting, pet care, tutoring, running errands, yard work, and moving - for free - and view the resume (and usually a picture) of each student that applies. Then purchase contact information (phone number and email address) of your favorite applicants and call or email to arrange employment.

CollegeQuickJobs.com connects NYC families with students from top NYC colleges - mostly from Columbia, Barnard, and NYU - for short-term household jobs.

Visit the website to post jobs like babysitting, pet care, tutoring, running errands, yard work, and moving - for free - and view the resume (and usually a picture) of each student that applies. Then purchase contact information (phone number and email address) of your favorite applicants and call or email to arrange employment.

This parent-owned online directory of childcare options includes in-home providers, nannies, childcare centers, and babysitters, serving infants through school-age children. The website also offers links to helpful articles on parenting, state oversight agencies, and more.

The database is searchable by zip code, children's ages, and type of care required. Results include contact information; a description of the services offered; the staff, philosophy, licensing, and facilities of the provider; and hours of operation. Helpful icons beside search matches indicate which providers offer drop-in services and off-hours care; some listings include photos.

A very minimal amount of information can be gathered from a free search of the site - name of daycare, how many children of various ages are cared for by the provider, address, and phone number. To get additional information - hours of operation, website address, photos, etc. - parents must subscribe.

A note of caution: Listed providers are not screened, so while the site is a great starting point in a search for childcare, it's imperative that parents check out claims regarding licensing, staff, and facilities.

German and English babysitters from Galli's Fairytale Theater are the stars of Fairytale Babysitting, which provides sitters trained to make a parents' night out special - for the kids.

Sitters can also facilitate kids' acting workshops.

Little Hearts Babysitting Agency refers quality, certified sitters to families that need childcare services. The agency's sitters are previously interviewed and screened and are reliable, trustworthy, CPR-certified, and fun.

MommyMixer is a networking service that brings together moms looking for occasional help and university students looking for college jobs. Through events called mixers, moms and students can meet in a relaxed, casual atmosphere where they can mix and mingle. Moms can interview multiple candidates in a small time frame (about an hour), while candidates have the opportunity to meet multiple moms at once and create their own babysitting schedules.

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New York City Explorers, the winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the Best Indoor Playspace/Partyspace for Big Kids in Brooklyn, offers an interesting alternative to babysitters, transforming childcare from long boring nights sitting in front of television into outward-bound days and evenings that allow children to actively explore city in which they live.

The Atlantic Avenue location covers 2400 square feet at street level, and houses a bright and comfy parents' lounge; a large, clean, and airy indoor play area with safe wooden toys and games; and an outpost of the hip indoor children's boutique, Corduroy Kid. The space is "green-cleaned" daily to keep germs at bay.

The Underhill Avenue location shares its space with Blue Marble Ice Cream.

Programming includes classes in the arts and academics for children from newborns to age 12; drop-off childcare services (including Sleep-in Saturdays, Movie Date Night, and Drop and Brunch); Citywide Bag-of-Tricks Babysitting (an in-house sitter agency that provides educational babysitters throughout the city and for both local and traveling families in your home or hotel); an indoor Exploratorium for newborns through age seven; birthday party packages; and adult parenting support programs.

Not Just Babysitters provides sitters who are CPR certified and college educated (or pursuing degrees), with expertise in caring for kids of all ages.

NYC Artist Babysitting Agency can supply a sitter for families who need a regular date night, or families who need someone on the spur of the moment. Sitters are also available to travel with the family on vacation.

The sitters are all artists: actors, singers, writers, painters, and more - and all are infant and child CPR-trained, and have been reference- and background-checked.

NYC Nanny Finder provides nanny-seekers with convenient online video interviews, resumes, and references, to afford customers a better idea of the personality and an overall review of a nanny candidate before spending the time meeting with them.

Family membership to gain access to the Nanny Finder site is free. Placement fees vary, depending on if the position is part time, full time, or live-in.

New York's Parents League offers all kinds of useful information for parents of school aged kids: baby-sitting referrals, party ideas, confidential talks about which schools might best suit your individual child (they're affiliated with over 250 NY schools), tutors, camps and nursery schools, to name just a fraction of their resources.

Call the office or visit the website to join.

Pinch Sitters was founded in 1986 and specializes in temporary childcare (i.e. babysitting). Sitters all have childcare backgrounds, their references have been checked, and they've gone through a background check as well. The company is fully licensed and bonded.

If a sitter stays till 9pm or later, you'll be responsible for carfare home, but owner Lisa Magaro makes every effort to place sitters within their own neighborhoods to save clients money. Rates can be adjusted according to the situation if families share a sitter; sharing must be cleared with the agency in advance.

A cancellation fee of $35 is required if less than 24 hours' notice is given.

Pinch Sitters currently serves only Manhattan and "brownstone" Brooklyn, but hopes to expand soon.

Sensible Sitters is an on-call babysitting service based in Manhattan that provides services to Manhattan, Los Angeles, and The Hamptons.

Sensible Sitters guarantees a babysitter any day or evening of the week, provided they have 24 hours notice. Clients may interview candidates before booking sessions. Sitters are CPR certified college students; resumes and referrals are on-file and are email or fax accessible to all clients.

The company charges subscribers a one time $150 registration fee and a $20 monthly maintenance fee. Bookings require a three hour minimum and there is a $45 cancellation fee. Sensible Sitters doen't charge for transportation but strongly recommends providing cab fare past 9pm.

A website for families looking for sitters and sitters looking for work, both can meet up in this virtual neighborhood cafe.

SitterCafe.com focuses on local help for parents age 13 and older. Parents pay a small fee to gain access to the information and sitters may use the site for free.

A website for families looking for sitters and sitters looking for work, both can meet up in this virtual neighborhood cafe.

SitterCafe.com focuses on local help for parents age 13 and older. Parents pay a small fee to gain access to the information and sitters may use the site for free.

Sittercity.com provides an Internet platform for parents and babysitters to meet and communicate with each other. Parents and sitters create personal profiles which are used to help identify possible matches.

Searches can be conducted by personal details, college, transportation capabilities, and other special qualifications. The site has articles, tips, and checklists for sitters and parents - as well as helpful information on responsible sitting and emergency care.

All information entered into the database is protected for privacy and security.

Sittercity.com provides an Internet platform for parents and babysitters to meet and communicate with each other. Parents and sitters create personal profiles which are used to help identify possible matches.

Searches can be conducted by personal details, college, transportation capabilities, and other special qualifications. The site has articles, tips, and checklists for sitters and parents - as well as helpful information on responsible sitting and emergency care.

All information entered into the database is protected for privacy and security.

Sitters Studio (formerly Sitters in the City) is a unique babysitting service because all of its sitters are artists. Sitters arrive for duty equipped with a tote of toys, and have extensive babysitting experience.

A complete background check is mandatory for Sitters Studio staff. The company is fully registered and insured.

SittersSearch is designed to help parents and families find sitters in their area. Searching the site to see if sitters are available in your area is free; to contact a prospective sitter, membership is required.

To the Rescue, Mom provides emergency babysitting, with no signup or reserve fee. Sitters can also be reserved in advance, and baby nurses are available as well. All sitters are screened, and many are trained in CPR.

Urban Nurture is a boutique childcare consultancy that offers New York City parents childcare services, adapting childcare traditions of the British nanny system to 21st century New York.

Nanny Fix-it is a parenting support service staffed by real life British "Super Nannies" who work with parents in the family setting to tackle an array of issues including sleep training, weaning, potty training, tantrums, and more. The company also offers Nanny Fix-it Workshops.

Nanny Know-How is an advisory service that provides families with individualized step-by-step guidance to help them find and keep a truly qualified and loving nanny. The service includes an initial consultation, guidance on tax, insurance, and immigration considerations, sourcing of nanny candidates, nanny interviews, full reference and background checks, and an individualized employment contract.