Babysitting business starter

How to start a babysitting business

Finished a babysitting course and ready to do something with it? Turn your skills into a real business with services, pricing and a website you can share with families.

Start my babysitting business Preview your shop

Start free Three starter services Built for young founders

A little inspiration · 15 seconds

Your own shop, services and flyer. An illustrative look at what you could create.

Video overview

A young sitter introduces her shop, sets prices and availability on a phone, spends time reading with a child, and shows a matching flyer and shop page. This is a promotional illustration, not a customer testimonial. Screens may differ. The badge shown does not establish family verification or sitter certification.

Picture your first shop

Make it feel like you.

Your name. Your services. A place to share with families you know. Try a name and see the idea come together.

Your shop name

Just a preview. Nothing is saved or published. You can choose your name during setup.

Start my babysitting shop

LEMONADE LABSample shop

Bright Nest Care

Little moments. Thoughtful care.

Hourly babysittingFor a few hours of help

Evening careStories, games and bedtime

After school careA little help after the bell

Your services, prices and availability go here.

Illustrative design. Your actual shop and flyer are customisable during setup and in your tools.

Choose your offer

Start with services families understand.

Lemonade Lab loads three common babysitting services so a new founder has something concrete to edit. Keep only the services that fit the sitter’s experience, schedule and comfort level.

Start my babysitting business

Hourly Babysitting

A flexible option for shorter daytime or weekend jobs.

$15 example

Evening Babysitting + Bedtime

An evening option that can include dinner, stories and the family bedtime routine.

$18 example

After School Babysitting

Care after school with reading, homework, games and simple snacks when agreed with the family.

$16 example

What parents look for

Trust comes before the logo.

Parents want to understand who is caring for their child and how prepared that sitter is. The strongest signals are practical: training, references, clear boundaries and an emergency plan.

Read the American Academy of Pediatrics parent checklist

Training

Babysitting, first aid or CPR training when appropriate for the sitter and job.

References

A trusted adult or family who can speak to reliability and experience when appropriate.

Boundaries

A clear answer about which ages, routines and situations the sitter is prepared to handle.

Emergency plan

Parent numbers, the job address, medical information, emergency contacts and house rules.

Babysitting rates

How much should I charge?

There is no universal babysitting rate. Location, experience, number and ages of children, evenings, bedtime routines and extra duties can all change what is fair.

These are current member listed averages for one child from Kidsit on August 17, 2026. They are market examples, not recommended rates for a young sitter.

See the current rate source

MarketOne child example

Vancouver, BC$19.36 CAD

Calgary, AB$18.14 CAD

Phoenix, AZ$17.50 USD

Los Angeles, CA$20.31 USD

Check your own local market with a parent before setting a price. Your Lemonade Lab starter prices are editable.

Training and babysitting courses

Know what the course actually means.

Course eligibility is not the same as legal or family readiness to babysit. Training can build useful skills and confidence, but parents and founders still need to decide whether a specific job is appropriate and check local rules.

United States

American Red Cross

Babysitting Basics is designed primarily for youth age 11 and older. The in person Babysitter's Training course is designed for ages 11 to 16 and covers child care, safety and emergency response.

See American Red Cross training

Canada

Canadian Red Cross

The Babysitting course is designed for youth 11 to 15, with a minimum age of 11 or completion of Grade 5. It includes first aid, care skills and the business of babysitting, and provides a completion certificate.

See Canadian Red Cross training

Finding customers

How do I get my first babysitting clients?

Start with people your family already knows. A first babysitting job is a trust decision for both families, so warm introductions are much stronger than broadcasting a young person’s private information to strangers.

1Make a short list of families your parent or guardian already knows.
2Share your business page with one trusted family first instead of posting personal details publicly.
3Agree on the date, hours, children, responsibilities and price before the job.
4After a successful job, ask whether the family would recommend you to another family they know.

Before the first booking

Questions that matter once a family is interested

Do I need a licence to babysit?+

Rules vary by location, age, the number of children, where care happens and whether the work becomes a larger child care operation. A babysitting course does not replace local legal requirements. A parent or guardian should help check the rules where you live before you accept jobs.

What should I put on a babysitting flyer or website?+

Keep it focused on the business: the services you offer, relevant training, general availability, the area you serve and a safe way for a parent to contact the business. Do not publish a young person’s home address or other unnecessary private information.

What should I ask before I accept a babysitting job?+

Ask how many children there are, their ages, the exact start and end time, the address, pets, allergies, medications, bedtime or screen rules, emergency contacts and any responsibilities beyond watching the children. A parent or guardian should be involved in deciding whether the job is appropriate.

What information should I have before the parents leave?+

Have the parents’ mobile numbers, the home address, an emergency contact, medical or allergy information, house rules and clear instructions for meals, bedtime, visitors and anything the children are not allowed to do.

What if the family has pets?+

Ask about pets before accepting the job. Make sure you are comfortable around them and understand whether feeding, walking or letting them outside is part of the job. Pet care should never be assumed just because you are babysitting in the home.

What if the parents are later than planned?+

Agree in advance on how the family should contact you if plans change. If a return time changes significantly, keep your own parent or guardian informed and make sure everyone agrees on any effect on the final price.

Your first steps, together

A little preparation. A confident start.

01 · Plan with a parentDecide what fits.
Talk through your training, experience, transport and the jobs you feel ready for. Agree which families to approach first.
Understand training
02 · Make your offerKeep it clear and personal.
Choose your shop name, suitable services, prices and availability. Review everything together before you share.
Plan your shop page
03 · Start with someone you knowOne good introduction.
Share your page or flyer with a trusted family. Agree the responsibilities, time and price before accepting a booking.
Find your first customers

Babysitting business toolkit