Child care event to help parents find sitters

Media Credit: Courtesy of Grins2Go

To the modern mother with two kids, a job and difficulty finding quality child care: Professor Victoria Muschek would like an evening of your time.

Muschek, who is an advertising professor at San Diego State and a mother of three, wants to make connecting parents and baby sitters into an event where parents can locate the right child care provider and do it with style. The concept is similar to speed dating for sitters, or "speed meet" as Sitter Socials has trademarked it. A parent spends a fun-filled evening at a local store, where games and food are provided and conducts informal whirlwind interviews of baby sitters.

Muschek, who founded the company, said that the Social is not just a place for parents to find the right sitter, but is also a valuable experience for students who are looking for employment.

"It was a way to marry my two worlds," Muschek said. "My world of being a mother is something me and my friends struggle with - trying to find baby sitters. I also know a lot of my students are looking for flexible jobs."

The idea of connecting her needs with those of her students seemed obvious once she really thought about it.

"One day, I was struggling to find a baby sitter for my 14-month-old boy, Bobby," Muschek said. "I walked into my classroom of about 100 students and thought, 'Hey, there are a lot of potential baby sitters here.' There has to be a way for students to meet parents."

Nationwide in scope, Sitter Socials gives members a "Sitter Sourcebook" containing résumés and background checks of prospective sitters. There is a one-time $49.99 price tag for membership and an additional monthly fee of $5.95 that would begin three months after joining. The costs of child care may be determined by some haggling between parent and sitter, because Sitter Socials does not get involved in setting prices at the events.

In the age of child care scandals and nanny cams, baby sitters have to work much harder to maintain a trustworthy image. Robin Judd, SDSU Children's Center director, said that the most important parts of any evaluation of child care providers are background checks - a service that Sitter Socials offers - and getting to know as much about the sitter as possible.

Maricela Araiza, owner of Sunflower's Family Child Care in San Diego said she was skeptical of Sitter Socials because paying for membership in order to hire an unknown baby sitter seems both risky and costly.

Muschek recommends that parents give Sitter Socials a try because it gives them something that modern parents often lack - choices.

"It's a job fair for baby sitters," Muschek said. "It's about parents picking and choosing who's the right fit for their family, and the baby sitters picking and choosing which family is right for them."

Muschek said going to Sitter Social meetings improves the usually daunting task of searching for a baby sitter.

"Childcare databases are a little impersonal," she said. "Even if I do see someone, I have to set up a meeting with them. Then I have to get them to meet my kids, and if I don't click with them then … it's a waste of my time."

The Sitter Socials event will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21. For more information, visit its Web site at www.sittersocials.com.