At The Heart Of It: Our Babysitters

From the very beginning, we knew our babysitters were going to be at the heart of what we do. While many childcare agencies focus primarily on the client, we’ve always been just as committed to the people doing the work - the babysitters themselves. Most of our vetted babysitters come through word-of-mouth and referrals - friends of sitters already in the fold. That’s helped us build a close-knit, community-based business. We wanted to build something different: a collective. A place where babysitters feel supported, respected, and valued. We aim to be the kind of support we always wanted when we were doing the work ourselves. It’s about mutual respect.

Babysitting isn’t like working in a school or a shop - it’s far more personal. You’re walking into someone’s home, meeting their children, stepping into the rhythms of their family. That requires trust, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. It may be casual work, but it’s never work to be taken casually.

Historic London street with iconic archiecture - local babysitting and nannying agency in West London serving families near landmarks and cultural sites.

That’s why we take the time to get to know each babysitter we work with - properly. We interview every single one, not just to assess their experience or qualifications, but to understand their lives, their motivations, and what kind of energy they bring into a home. As founders who’ve all spent years babysitting ourselves, we know what families are really looking for.

And we think that’s part of what sets us apart. We don’t just match on availability - we match on character. We’ve created a network where our babysitters know they can come to us with questions, concerns, or just for advice. And it’s no coincidence that the same few words come up again and again when we ask parents what they’re looking for: fun, active, creative. Because let’s face it - when parents come home from a night out or a long day at work, and the kids are happy, calm, and tired from running around, that’s a win. It means the sitter engaged with them, played games, read books, went to the park. We don’t do ‘screen-sittering’. We expect our sitters to be present, energetic, and hands-on. That’s what our payment structure reflects: we ask a lot of our babysitters and in return, we support them every step of the way.

What Do We Look For?

The criteria for hiring a professional babysitter and being part of the collective starts with the bare minimum – at least one experience in childcare previously, an enhanced DBS and two references. But when we interview potential sitters, we’re not just checking off boxes during the vetting process. Of course we care about experience, but it’s not everything. You can’t train someone to be fun. You can’t fake a genuine love for children.

We look for:

·      Kindness and warmth

·      Energy and enthusiasm

·      Reliability and integrity

·      A natural sense of fun

·      A willingness to adapt to different families’ routines and values

·      Professional and experienced babysitters in London

And above all: trustworthiness.

Having done our research and spoken to other industry professionals, we’ve discovered that while babysitting and nannying jobs are convenient and often flexible, they can sometimes come at the expense of the babysitter. This line of work is rarely protected in the same way as traditional office jobs - there are fewer regulations, fewer rights, and far less structure. That’s something we want to change, even in small ways.

Therefore, we’ve made it a priority to create a working culture where babysitters feel protected, listened to, and taken seriously. We check in regularly. We advocate for fair pay. We help navigate tricky conversations with families if needed. We’re always on hand to offer advice, mediate, or step in if something doesn’t feel right.

At the end of the day, we believe great childcare starts with great carers - and that means investing in our babysitters, not just using them to fill gaps. It means building a system that prioritises wellbeing on both sides. That’s the only way we can confidently offer families the kind of trusted, reliable support they deserve.

We’re proud of the babysitters in our collective and proud of the community we’re building together!

With love, Maddie, Liliana & Ella