Depending on the amount of driving involved OP, you also have to factor in this person would be using her own vehicle and thus you would have to pay her mileage fees. Check the IRS website for the most current amount per mile. Do not be under the impression that you just need to pay for gas reimbursement. This is a popular misconception. When a sitter uses her own vehicle on the job, it also means more wear and tear on her car. I.e., more frequent oil changes, tire rotations, etc.

If using Care.com or Sittercity.com, just make sure you check references thoroughly and do your OWN independent background check since the ones on these websites are not very competent. Also, since driving is involved, I would get a copy of the person's DMV record as well as Driver's License and Insurance Proof.

For such low hours, you might have to offer a higher than average salary to make it worth someone's while to set aside those hours per day to work for you.

Good luck.

Mention the pay in your ads you are placing (you are placing some, right)? I typically won't do it for less than $18, if it is less than 3 hours a day then definitely need at least $20+/hr. You can get away with paying a bit less per hour when it has more hours in each day.

If it is during prime after school nanny time (2-7pm), then no one wants to take on something for just 5-7pm unless they can get a higher rate.

I might take on a 5-7 for $25/hr instead of a 2-6pm for $18/hr if I am not desperate for making lots of money ($50 instead of $72), and I could get more personal time for myself that day.

Yeah, if your neighbors thought you wanted a $12/hr after-care sitter they wouldn't even mention the great nanny they know who charges $20/hr.

And in terms of recruiting online: be thorough, external background checks, paid trial day with you at home.

Anonymous wrote:Tell all those people how high you can pay, and they'll all suddenly have excellent recommendations for you. People typically assume you can't or won't pay well.

I did not discuss pay with people I asked if they knew of a nanny or babysitter. I was going to discuss pay with the nanny/babysitter directly because I thought this would be more professional but sounds like this is part of the problem.

Tell all those people how high you can pay, and they'll all suddenly have excellent recommendations for you. People typically assume you can't or won't pay well.

Pay high. The best nannies will come out of the woodwork for you. Try it.

We are in need of help, primarily with daycare pick up for the next few months, and are very nervous about recruiting a complete stranger online through care.com or craigslist. I have asked neighbors, checked neighborhood listserves, colleagues, etc and it's been impossible to find someone through this mechanism for only 10 hours per week. What has your experience been with care.com? Any tips you can share for the nervous parents