Chicago tech company Sittercity is giving a boost to first responders and health care workers who are helping with Chicago's ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Sittercity, a platform founded in 2001 that matches families with babysitters and other childcare workers, announced Sunday that it is waiving its fee for three months for its Sittercity Premium service to first responders and health care employees that are working during Illinois' ongoing "shelter-in-place" order that Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Saturday evening.
Those on the front lines of Chicago's COVID-19 outbreak can sign up and post a job to the platform, including details like the dates they need covered and the number of children. A qualified caregiver can choose to accept the job. Care seekers can also initiate a background check for free through Sittercity.
Sittercity is asking for people to volunteer as caregivers. Those 18 and older can apply, and will go through the company's registration and authentication process handled by the trust and safety team, Sittercity said. For caregivers that want to work for a fee, they can set their hourly rate during the on-boarding process.
Care seekers will pay the hourly rate of the sitter they pick. If a sitter chooses to volunteer their time, there's no cost to the family.
“During this unprecedented challenge to our city, we need everyone stepping up and doing their part,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement. “I applaud Sittercity for doing just that by providing a gateway to the critical childcare needed by our fellow Chicagoans working on the front-lines to stem the spread of COVID-19 and maintain essential services for our communities. As we have throughout our history, we will get through this crisis together as a united people, and ultimately grow stronger as a result.”
Correction: Sittercity is waiving its fees for three months. Care seekers will pay the hourly rate of the sitter they pick, but if a sitter choose to volunteer their time, there would be no cost to the family.
