FAQs

We get asked questions all the time. These are the ones most frequently asked. You'll hopefully find your answer here.

If you can't find the answer here, please CONTACT US and we'll be very happy to help.

Fantastic local Babysitters and Nannies at Babysitters Now

GENERAL

When you register, we will send you a welcome email. Sometimes this email can be flagged as "spam" or "junk" mail by email protection systems.

SO... check your "spam" or "junk" folders.

And while you're at it, add these addresses to your CONTACTS list:

  • admin@babysittersnow.com.au
  • messages@babysittersnow.com.au

Yes. Absolutely free. It is free to join and free to use the site.

There are no commissions either - we don't force parents to pay through the site and skim off generous commissions in the process.

We never sell your personal data - that is kept secure and completely confidential.

And there are no annoying third party Ads - anywhere.

So... how does it work?
This site is supported by the low-cost upgrades that are available for when you need to boost your profile.

These upgrades are completely optional, and are not required to get good enquiries. They just put the power in your hands to ramp up performance when you need it.

When you need to stand out from the crowd, we offer a range of low cost profile upgrades.

These upgrades are completely optional, and are not required to get a good level of enquiries. They just put the power into your hands to boost profile performance when you want the extra work.

The upgrades are:

  • ID Verification: Provided securely by Trulioo, one of the world's leading and most trusted verification services.
  • SMS upgrade: Get credits to allow SMS contact with members if they have allowed it on their profile / Ad.
  • Premium listing: Profile pages and search listings have additional graphic elements to make them stand out, icons on the search listings to promote your wares and additional features like QuiK-Konnect (free SMS in and out) and photos on the profile page.
  • Featured listing: Boosts your listing to the top of a locality search page.

PARENTS:
Parents can start contacting Babysitters as soon as their registration is processed. If a Job Ad has been posted, it must be completed and approved by us before it is published, which then allows Babysitters to contact them.

BABYSITTERS:
Babysitters can start contacting Parents as soon as they have activated their account, and completed their profile (which means they have completed the required fields as a minimum).

JUNIOR CARERS:
Junior Carers also need to get their parent or guardian to approve their registration. The Junior Carer also needs to activate their account and complete their profile as for other Babysitters.

Once a Parent has completed a Babysitting Job Ad, it is automatically submitted for approval by us.

If there are no issues, we generally approve Ads within 4 hours, depending on when the Ad was submitted (we generally aren't approving anything at 2AM).

 Yes. We are one of the only Babysitting sites with a job category for 15 to 17 year olds - the Junior Carer.

It requires the active involvement and approval of a parent / guardian, and has extra security attached to it, but it allows capable, trustworthy teenagers to find local babysitting work.

You will find more about Junbior Carers here: Junior Carers

The legal system in Tasmania requires that all babysitting sites must register and operate as “agencies”. This increases operating costs significantly, which would make our service way too expensive - and unviable. Babysitting agencies do operate in all states, and are a very valid option for many parents, but they are much more expensive and less flexible than a service like ours.

It's a well known fact - you can't have too many Koalas.

Actually, the Avatars are more than just a fun aspect of the site, they are a security feature. They help to create a safe, non-threatening space for parents and babysitters to connect.

And, they are Koalas...

The Koalas in the avatars
Those fabulous Koalas in the Avatars are manufactured by Nici and distributed in Australia by Jasnor. The bear we used is called "Joey", from the "Wild Friends" range. The images of Joey the Koala are used with permission.

All sites of this nature have the potential to be misused. We have solid security protocols in place, but there are some things that you should do to stay safe.

  • Please DO NOT include your home address, surname or any contact details anywhere within your profile. This is a significant security measure. The messaging system is powerful, fast and easy to use - and it will help to keep you safe online.
  • Please DO NOT include your home address, surname or any contact details in your FIRST CONTACT message. If the Parent is interested in your profile, they will reply to your message.
  • If you find any profile that looks suspicious, or receive any messages that are not related directly to Babysitting, please contact us immediately.
  • If any member says they are out of the country, please contact us immediately.
  • Never confirm a job without first meeting the other members, face to face.

Common sense and intuition are your best friends - if something doesn't feel right, it is always safer to stop communicating. 

You will also find this article helpful: Online Safety Tips for Babysitter

Amazing local Babysitters and Nannies at Babysitters Now - FAQs

USING THE SITE

Default sorting order for search listings is based on:

  1. Proximity: How close you are
  2. Recency: How recently a member has visited the site.

So your listing will appear closer to the top when you are geographically close to the searchers's location - and when you have logged in recently.

The way to keep your listing high in these search result screens is to login to your account on a regular basis.

FEATURE LISTING UPGRADE
There's another way to get to the top of th epage.

If you need to put a rocket under your profile for a bit, we offer a low-cost Featured Listing upgrade, which displays your listing at the top of the search results for your location.

SECURE MESSAGING SYSTEM
All full members can make contact with other members. Note that Babysitters can only contact Parents, not other Babysitters - and vice versa.

From the search listing, click through to the Babysitter Profile or Job Ad. Under the avatar, you'll find a "CONTACT" button. Click this to send a message.

Our messaging system is secure and allows you to protect your contact details until you're ready to pass them on.

SMS
You can purchase SMS credits and generate SMS messages from the messaging system to contact members who have allowed this type of contact on their Profile or Job Ad.

QUIK-KONNECT
The premium listing upgrade includes free SMS messaging, regardless of whether or not the sender has SMS credits. 

You will receive a notification email and, in some cases, an SMS message (if you have allowed that feature on your account).

Email:
Click on the link in this email and the website will launch, showing a page with the full message on it.

SMS:
The SMS is often faster and more direct, but it is only a notification - you can't reply to the SMS.

 You can save a button from the member account website to your device (phone, tablet or desktop) and it will behave exactly like an APP.

When you click on the button, the Web APP will launch exactly like a native APP, and it will provide most of the same benefits, without having to download anything from an App store.

The Babysitters Now App will then allow you to manage your account easily and smoothly and it will be updated automatically. More information can be found in the HELP section of your account.

Once a Babysitter has been "confirmed" by both a Parent and a Babysitter  it is then possible for reviews to be posted.

The reviewer is invited to rate the other member using a 5 star rating system, and place a review. This review will then be published to the member's profile page / job ad.

The reviewee will receive a notification email once the review has been posted, and they will have the chance to respond to the review if they want to.

Neither the review or the response can be edited or removed by either member. In some cases, our support team may intervene if there is a dispute, but we try to keep this review system open, honest and transparent.

We understand that there are pros and cons to reviews, so we have designed the system to be both fair AND useful - as much as possible.

At the end of the day, the reviews add great value to the experience of the parents and babysitters who use this site, and the overwhelming majority of reviews are given and received very generously and positively.

FAVOURITES
Favourites allow you to create a short list of potential Babysitters / Parents.

Favourites are set by clicking on the face icon, either on their search listing or on the Profile/Job Ad of the member you are interested in.

You don't need to be a member to select Favourites, but you will need to login to save the list in your account.

OR NOT...
Note that you can also tag a member as NOT a favourite.

This is to make it easier to sort through the search listings, and flag people who you're not interested in or who are not available etc.

Yes. You will need to set up an alert that targets the type of job (or carer) that you're interested in.

Once you set up your Alert you will then receive alert emails whenever there is a new listing that meets your requirements.

SMS messages can be a faster and more direct way of communicating, particularly if you're responding to a new job ad.

Our SMS upgrade is a low cost way to improve the performance of your listing / ad.

SENDING SMS: You can purchase SMS credits and send an SMS to any member that accepts them.

RECEIVING SMS: This is easy and FREE. Switch it on within your account and your profile will be SMS ready.

QUIK-KONNECT
Note that the QuicKonnect feature in the Premium Listing upgrade provides all SMS for free, both incoming and outgoing.

The Premium Listing upgrade helps your listing and your profile to stand out from the crowd.

It is an effective way to boost the performance of your listing when you need extra enquiries.

Features include:

  • Highlighting: Graphic highlights draw attention to your listing
  • Icons: Icons promotie key features to make parents decisions quicker
  • QuicKonnect: This provides free SMS messaging both in and out to make communication more effective
  • Photos: These can be uploaded and displayed on your profile (not on the search listing) to make your profile page more engaging

A Featured Listing appears at the top of the search page for a location search.

The Featured Listings are also highlighted by the darker background colour behind them, making them stand out even more.

Appearing at the top of the page for searches within your work radius is a very effective way to pick up more work when you need it. 

ID verification is a significant way to build trust and confidence for the Parents that are looking at your listing.

ID verification is a low cost upgrade and is provided securely by Trulioo, one of the world's leading verification services.

BABYSITTING... ETC

Rates depend on many things, including job description, number of children, location, qualifications and timing. You will generally get an idea of going rates by looking at other local listings.

It is illegal to pay anyone less than the national minimum wage. This rate is adjusted down for juniors and adjusted up for casual work and things like evening or holiday work. More information on the national minimum wage and allowances including superannuation can be found at My Wage Australia.

Au Pair's advertised rates are lower than the average, as they are not technically hourly rates, but are the weekly total after the cost of room and board is taken out, expressed as an hourly income.

Au Pair example: $23 per hour for 20 hours work, subtract $200 per week for room and board, which leaves $260 per week, or $13 per hour (which is the advertised rate).

While there is a lot of overlap, and many carers can perform a number of the different roles, there are significant differences between the job descriptions.

You should find this article helpful: Babysitter VS Nanny

Parent's Help is a job description that is less common, but still an important part of the whole babysitting spectrum.

You should find this article helpful: Babysitter VS Nanny.

Sure - if the Babysitter meets the requirements of the job ad.

There are various checks and certification processes that can help to build confidence in a Carer.

These can include Police Checks, Working With Children Checks and being listed as a Registered Carer with the Department of Human Services.

None of these are essential, but they all help to build trust and confidence. It is usually a definite advantage for Carers to have as many checks as they can gather.

Au Pairs may have trouble getting some of these checks if they are travelling from overseas. They usually need to make up for this with good references.

Nannies are usually more professional and will generally have all relevant checks and certifications.

ID VERIFICATION
Another option for all members is ID verification, which is one of the low cost upgrades that we offer. This verification is provided securely by Trulioo, one of the world's leading verfication services.

Some families can claim the Child Care Benefit for payments to a "Registered Carer", a carer who is registered with the Department of Human Services (formerly the Family Assistance Office). Contact the DHS for more information or visit the site.

The Department of Education also has a list of "Approved Carers". Some families can claim the Child Care Benefit and/or the Child Care Rebate for payments made in some circumstances.

Parents can search for a "Registered Carer" using the Search filters. This will bring up both Registered and Approved Carers.

Some Carers on this site are listed as either a Registered Carer or an Approved Carer (note that they can't be both).

REGISTERED CARER:

  • Registration through Department of Human Services
  • Receipts issued can be claimed against Child Care Benefit

APPROVED CARER:

  • Registration through Department of Education
  • Receipts issued can be claimed by some parents against Child Care Benefit AND the Childcare Rebate

You can find out more information from the Carer themselves.

Generally, yes. Fortunately, a good nanny can help you sort this out.

There is more information in Babysitter V Nanny.