A babysitting co-op refers to a situation in which a number of families, generally in the same community, share babysitting duties amongst themselves. In a babysitting co-op, there is no exchange of money. The members of the babysitting co-op share responsibilities between them. In addition to the babysitting duties, they split up other necessities such as record keeping and using services. In general, babysitting co-ops are designed for occasional, rather than regular or ongoing, childcare.

When you are part of a babysitting co-op and you need babysitting services, you generally contact the secretary of the co-op and ask for a sitter on a certain date and time. The secretary will then call members of the co-op to find a sitter than lives as close as possible to your house. Then, she will call you back to set up the sitting arrangements. Once the babysitting is done, the sitter and you agree on a number of “points” that you used for the babysitting. These points are reported to the secretary. You can then earn points by providing childcare for someone else in the babysitting co-op.

Each co-op operates differently. Some co-ops may not use a points system, but may use a monetary-based points system, for example. Then, at the end of the year, if you have a balance of monetary points, you pay that into the co-op’s funding pool, although this is extremely uncommon. Other systems include an outright recording of time, although this doesnt take into account the preparations of meals or sitting more than one child at a time, or overnight childcare.

The secretary duties are generally rotated among the members. Sometimes, the secretary is paid in points. The secretary may serve for anywhere from a month to a year. In addition, the babysitting co-op will often have a president or chairperson who will help to arrange meetings and preside over them, and handle any problems that occur between meetings. This duty, also, can be rotated among the members. Many babysitting co-ops have quarterly meetings in which the chairperson and secretary duties are rotated to other members.

Posted in Child Care Issues

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