Hi everyone, this is Charly

The face and driving force behind Charly Cares

Welcome to the stories of Charly Cares! Together with my partner Xander Koenen, I embarked on a new adventure by founding Charly Cares. We are now two years in and still have many exciting plans ahead. But first, let’s go back to the beginning.

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end"

During my studies in Marketing and Communications (2006), I started “Pas Op.” From my student house on Beethovenstraat in Amsterdam Zuid, I arranged babysitters for families in the neighborhood.

I quickly noticed that I had to pull out all the stops to match supply and demand. Challenges included the babysitters’ constantly changing study schedules, handling payments and payouts, and the ever-changing childcare needs of parents. On top of that, I could only manage a limited number of babysitting services to ensure quality and control.

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end"

During my studies in Marketing and Communications (2006), I started “Pas Op.” From my student house on Beethovenstraat in Amsterdam Zuid, I arranged babysitters for families in the neighborhood.

"Without change, progress is impossible."

I found many solutions in technology, where platforms like Booking.com, Uber, Airbnb, and Parkmobile had already demonstrated how powerful technical innovation could be. Together with Xander, I started sketching out the app, and step by step we developed solutions to the challenges faced by parents and babysitters. While that process moved forward smoothly, there was one major question that took us much longer to answer:

"Without change, progress is impossible."

"How can you ensure that your last 1,000 Babysitting Angels are just as good as your first 10?"

The quality of our Babysitting Angels is essential. The screening process not only ensures a strict initial selection at the gate, but also introduces each babysitter personally to Charly Cares. They need to feel part of the family. Commitment is crucial in an environment where one individual can truly make the difference.

Today’s technology enables us to continuously monitor our Babysitting Angels. We do this through ratings and reviews from parents after every babysitting session. In addition, Angels can also review parents, keeping the platform transparent and trustworthy for both parties.