Babysitters are increasingly helping out parents who work from home

For many parents, the reason for enlisting the help of a babysitter is to be able to work more productively and remain focused. Ultimately, this also gives them more time to spend with their family. Founder Charly van der Straten: “The fact that more and more parents need a babysitter at home when they are working from there has also become known to employers. An increasing number of babysitting services are currently being reimbursed by the employer.”

Where previously a babysitter was often booked for dinners and nights out, Charly Cares has seen a major shift in the needs of parent ever since the start of the corona crisis. The demand for a fixed babysitter during work hours has increased 1,5 times since the crisis. The increase in these types of babysitting services may be due to a reluctance to bring children to a daycare and the increase in work-related stress among parents. Founder Van der Straten: “The babysitting needs of parents have completely changed. Parents no longer go out at night, but now need a daytime babysitter in order to work from home productively. For example, for after-school babysitting services, or if the school or daycare is closed due to a staff corona case.”

More and more employers want to help parents with the challenges they encounter when working from home. The transactions on the babysitting platform show that the costs of the babysitter are increasingly often paid by the employer. So, how exactly does that work? The babysitting services for business use are reimbursed, for example by allocating a budget to each person. The employer can thus contribute to maintaining a healthy work-life balance and preventing babysitting stress. Currently, one of the largest consultancy and management organisations has allocated a budget of €2.000,- per person to its employees, so they can safely book a babysitter via Charly Cares and can continue to work productively from home.

In addition to parents who work from home, parents in a crucial profession too are using Charly Cares Business. For example, the OLVG hospital was the first healthcare institution in the Netherlands to choose the business service package. Mom Paula, doctor in the corona ward of the OLVG hospital: “A babysitter is indispensable to my family. My husband works from home and cannot take care of the children all day. I'm a plastic surgeon in the hospital, but currently work on the ICU at varying times.”