Finding the perfect educational setting and childcare option just got easier for Philadelphia area families thanks to Main Line Parent and UrbanSitter, two of the regions top resources for parents.

1. Main
Line
Parent
and
UrbanSitter
take
multitasking
to
a
whole
new
level
with
Sitter
Speed
Dating,
one
of
the
highlights
of
this
weekend's
Early
Childhood
Education
Fairs.
The
next
generation
of
speed
dating,
this
informal
networking
opportunity
is
a
quick
and
easy
way
for
parents
and
sitters
to
connect
and
explore
a
potential
childcare
relationship.
The
event
is
perfect
for
nannies
and
sitters
looking
to
fill
their
spring
and
summer
schedules
(or
simply
pick
up
a
few
hours
here
and
there),
and
for
families
that
have
changing
childcare
needs
or
are
new
to
the
area.
Sitters
and
families
will
have
a
chance
to
speak
with
remembers
of
the
UrbanSitter
team,
and
learn
how
to
keep
the
recommendations
and
referrals
coming
via
urbansitter.com.
If
you
haven't
yet
heard
about
the
online
resource
that
moms
everywhere
are
swooning
over,
well,
you
can
thank
us—and
them—for
passing
along
this
virtual
Little
Black
Book
of
babysitters.
There's
a
lot
of
handy
information
on
the
web
about
how
UrbanSitter.com
works,
but
we’ve
got
some
great
information
for
you
right
here
(scroll
down),
thanks
to
an
informal
chat
with
Philadelphia’s
community
manager,
Sarah
Peppal.
The
sound
bite
we’ve
been
hearing
from
moms
though,
is
that
it’s
a
lot
like
OpenTable.
(Brilliant,
right?)
Now
back
to
that
Sitter
Speed
Dating…
just
think
of
how
much
time
you
will
save
by
popping
into
either
the
Wayne
or
Wynnewood
Ed
Fairs
and
getting
to
know
a
dozen
or
more
potential
sitters
AND
getting
the
scoop
on
myriad
Early
Ed
and
summer
camp
options
all
in
one
fell
swoop.
Like
we
said,
that
is
the
ultimate
in
multitasking.
This
family
friendly
meet-­‐and-­‐greet
is
just
one
of
the
ways
Main
Line
Parent
is
helping
families
resolve
every
day
issues.
Bringing
the
leading
schools,
camps,
and
childcare
providers
TO
parents,
under
one
roof,
is
another.
The
Main
Line
Early
Childhood
Education
Fairs
are
the
easiest
way
to
learn
about
the
best
preschool
and
kindergarten
programs,
camps,
and
childcare
options
in
our
area
and
to
discover
the
best
fit
to
help
your
child
excel.
For
more
information
visit
mainlineparent.com
and
join
our
Facebook
community.
And,
to
glean
a
little
inside
scoop
about
urbansitter.com
…
What
factors
do
you
think
are
most
important
to
parents
in
choosing
a
sitter?
Experience:
Previous
childcare
experience
is
incredibly
important.
Beyond
the
number
of
years
a
candidate
has
been
babysitting
or
nannying,
it's
important
to
ask
if
he/she
has
experience
with
children
your
child’s
age.
If
you
have
an
infant,
you'll
need
a
sitter
that
is
comfortable
changing
diapers.
If
you
have
a
toddler,
you'll
be
on
the
lookout
for
active
sitters
who
like
to
take
the
kids
to
the
park.
If
you
have
multiples,
it's
important
the
sitter
has
cared
for
more
than
one
child
at
once.

2. Qualifications:
Ask
your
sitter
questions
to
dig
deeper
into
their
qualifications—
questions
you
might
not
think
to
ask
like,
“do
you
speak
another
language,”
“do
you
know
how
to
cook,”
“are
you
willing
to
help
with
errands
and
household
chores.”
Also,
remember
to
ask
if
they
have
their
current
child
and
infant
CPR
certification
and
first
aid
training
certification.
If
you
find
a
great
sitter
who
isn't
CPR
trained,
you
could
always
offer
to
pay
for
a
class
-­‐
or
better
yet,
take
one
with
her.
It'd
be
a
great
excuse
for
you
to
brush
up
on
your
CPR
too.
Availability:
Be
sure
to
ask
the
sitter
if
they
will
be
available
on
the
days
and
times
you'll
need
her/him.
Some
sitters
are
only
looking
for
occasional
work
on
the
weekends,
while
others
may
be
up
for
consistent
part
time
work.
Set
expectations
up
front,
so
neither
you,
nor
the
sitter
is
disappointed
when
a
job
is
declined.
Reliability:
Let's
face
it;
most
babysitters
are
young
adults
who
are
still
learning
to
be
responsible.
Look
for
a
sitter
who
responds
quickly
to
your
emails
or
phone
calls.
It's
a
good
indication
that
they
will
show
up
to
your
babysitting
job
on
time.
Also,
be
sure
to
confirm
the
sitter's
transportation
situation
-­‐-­‐
will
you
need
to
pick
them
up,
or
do
they
have
a
reliable
way
to
get
to
your
home?
Personal
Recommendations:
Beyond
your
interview
with
the
sitter,
you'll
want
to
ask
for
personal
references
to
hear
first-­‐hand
from
families
they
have
worked
for
previously.
There's
nothing
more
comforting
to
hear
than
another
parent's
personal
recommendation.
Better
yet,
ask
your
friends
and
parents
you
know
from
your
child’s
school
if
they
can
recommend
any
sitters.
By
doing
your
due
diligence
upfront,
you'll
find
someone
you
feel
you
can
really
trust.
…What’s
great
about
our
UrbanSitter.com
is
that
we
take
this
process
of
finding
personally
recommended
sitters
online,
so
you
can
quickly
and
efficiently
find
sitters
through
your
personal
networks.
Once
I
log
in,
I
can
instantly
see
sitters
my
Facebook
friends
have
used
and
reviewed—and
also
sitters
that
parents
from
my
child’s
school,
swim
team,
or
my
local
mommy
group
have
used
and
recommend.
In
addition
to
reviews
from
parents,
each
sitter’s
profile
page
includes
information
about
their
childcare
experience,
qualifications,
on-­‐time
ratings,
and
even
a
calendar
they
keep
up
to
date
with
their
availability,
so
you
can
book
them
for
an
interview
or
job
at
the
click
of
a
button!
What
criteria
must
sitters
meet
to
join?
Who
does
the
vetting?
UrbanSitter
is
an
online
marketplace,
where
any
babysitter
may
join
so
long
as
they
agree
to
the
Terms
of
Service.
Vetting
happens
via
the
power
of
social
recommendation,
i.e.,
parents
give
positive
recommendations
and
reviews
of
sitters,
which
in
turn
fuels
the
popularity
of
the
sitter
among
the
parent
community.
Babysitters
also
post
their
own
credentials
(childcare
experience,
CPR/First
Aid
training,
coursework),
and
can
apply
for
a
background
check.

3. How
much
does
it
cost
to
sign
up/use?
Do
both
parents
and
sitters
pay?
UrbanSitter
is
free
for
both
parents
and
sitters
to
sign
up
and
use.
Sitters
set
their
own
rates
and
parents
pay
them
directly
in
cash
or
via
credit
card.
Parents
who
opt
for
the
convenience
of
paying
a
sitter
with
their
credit
card
are
charged
a
$7.50
convenience
fee
per
job.
How
many
sitters
are
in
the
system
here
in
Philadelphia?
100
sitters
Are
there
mingling
events
for
sitters
and
parents
hosted
by
urbansitter.com?
Yes,
UrbanSitter
hosts
Meet
&
Greet
events,
where
parents
can
meet
sitters.
Specifically,
there
are
two
events
coming
up
in
the
Philadelphia
area.
We
also
host
Speed
Sitting
events,
where
parents
interview
sitters
in
a
fast-­‐paced
round
robin
similar
to
speed
dating.
You
can
find
out
more
on
our
Facebook
events
page:
https://www.facebook.com/urbansitter/events
Are
there
privacy
issues
in
connecting
via
Facebook?
When
you
register,
you
are
only
sharing
your
basic
Facebook
information,
which
includes
your
name,
photo,
location,
and
“friends”
list.
In
addition,
we
never
post
anything
to
your
Facebook
wall
or
timeline
without
expressed
permission.
The
Facebook
social
network
is
an
important
part
of
UrbanSitter.
The
'magic'
of
the
service
comes
into
play
when
you
can
use
social
recommendations
to
make
hiring
a
sitter
easier
than
you
thought
it
could
ever
be.
Registering
with
a
Facebook
account
enables
you
to:
• Log
in
securely
with
just
one
click
• Find
trusted
babysitters
through
your
friends
• Share
and
recommend
sitters
easily
Parents
know
what
questions
to
ask
sitters,
but
what
should
sitters
ask
them?
During
an
interview
it’s
always
a
good
idea
to
ask
questions
to
determine
if
you're
a
match.
Examples
are:
• What
are
your
expectations
of
me
as
a
babysitter
(watching
kids,
driving
kids,
errands,
laundry)?
• What
should
I
know
about
your
child?
• What
is
your
discipline
style?
• Is
there
anything
a
sitter
has
done
that
really
impressed
you?
Or
something
you
really
didn't
like?
And,
while
you
are
“on
the
job,”
it
is
also
helpful
to
know
the
expectations:
• What
is
the
kids'
schedule
for
today/tonight?
• How
often
would
you
like
me
to
check
in
with
you?
• Do
you
have
an
emergency
contact
list?
• Can
you
provide
me
transportation
(or
cab
fare)
if
you'll
be
home
late?

4. If
I’m
a
sitter,
how
can
I
make
sure
my
rates
aren't
too
low
or
too
high?
On
UrbanSitter,
sitters
can
change
their
rates
as
frequently
as
they
would
like.
By
starting
at
a
higher
rate,
sitters
can
lower
their
rates
until
they
see
job
requests
from
parents
increase.
Sitters
may
also
consult
the
Job
Board
to
see
rates
parents
are
currently
offering
for
different
types
of
jobs.
How
can
both
families
and
individuals
seeking
childcare
employment
improve
their
chances
of
finding
the
best
match?
We
designed
UrbanSitter
with
this
purpose
in
mind.
Sitters
can
customize
their
profile
with
a
multitude
of
credentials
including
background
check,
certifications,
languages
spoken,
experience
with
various
age
groups
and
special
needs,
and
willingness
to
do
errands,
cook,
or
drive
the
kids.
Parents
can
then
use
our
search
filters
to
find
a
perfect
match-­‐-­‐who
is
also
available
at
the
date
and
time
they
need
them.
Parents
have
the
option
to
interview
their
sitters
before
scheduling
an
official
job.
We
offer
three
types
of
interviews:
over
the
phone,
in-­‐person,
or
working
interview.