x
Breaking News
More () »

Poll: Good babysitting is tough to find but parents will pay

A Red Cross poll found some parents are willing to pay up to $20 per hour for a qualified and trustworthy babysitter.
childcare costs

A poll conducted by the American Red Cross found more than half of parents said they stayed home because they could not find a babysitter.  One-third of parents rejected babysitters because of safety concerns.  More than 80 percent of parents look to adult relatives and nearly half rely on adult friends for babysitting help.

More than 75 percent of parents say teenagers should get some training before they begin babysitting.

And they’re willing to pay for good sitters.

The Red Cross poll says half of American parents still rely on unpaid babysitters, but 24 percent pay between $6 and $10 per hour for babysitting. 

“Ten percent pay between $11 and $15 an hour; while four percent pay between $16 and $20 an hour, making babysitting a potentially lucrative option for qualified teenagers,” said a statement from the Gateway Area Chapter of the American Red Cross in Clinton, Iowa.

The poll surveyed more than 1,000 adults, 134 of whom are parents who used or tried to find a babysitter in the past two years.

Read more about the Red Cross babysitting poll at this link: http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=33b5f6188a727310VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD

Before You Leave, Check This Out