Childcare doesn't have to be frustrating or expensive. Why not start a babysitting co-op in your neighborhood? Watch this free webinar to learn how!
In a babysitting cooperative, neighborhood parents join together to share childcare. Instead of hunting for a babysitter every time you need to go out (and paying too much money!), you can rely on trusted mothers and fathers in your co-op network.
Since co-op members trade time and take turns watching each others' kids, no money is exchanged. At the same time, a babysitting co-op strengthens community ties: Parents gain a reliable support system in their neighborhood, and kids gain regular playmates! Far from a fringe idea, there are hundreds of babysitting coops throughout the country.
This year, we’ve seen Mutual Aid in Motion.
From scaling sharing hubs to Mutual Aid 101 trainings, we’re helping communities build the tools they need.
Every dollar fuels lasting resilience – proving that when we move together, we all move forward.
This June, the Center for a New American Dream created this webinar How to Start a Babysitting Co-op. Topics include different types of babysitting co-ops, how they work, and tips on how to successfully start your own co-op from scratch.
For more resources and links on how to start one or to find one in your area, see the Center for a New American Dream.
Guest speakers:
Renai Gallagher (Albuquerque, NM): Gallagher started up a babysitting co-op almost 6 years ago when her son was a year old. Her co-op now includes about 15 families in her neighborhood.
Julie Holland (Berkeley, CA): Holland decided to start a babysitting co-op in 2010. Through the co-op arrangement, she was able to afford childcare for her young daughter and attend classes at the same time.
