Help me write an ad for care.com

[2chatter]

There are 6,284 families in my area looking for after school care for school starting in a few weeks. I want to write a care.com ad that will work. We are paying $100 for four days a week of two hours per day of care (no Friday work required). 2:45-4:45 daily.

What would make our family stand out? Perks? I'll be home and semi-available, but I don't know if that's a pro or con. Is taking the kids for ice cream or snow cones a perk or a punishment? Is watching them play outside at the school for 45 minutes a perk?

Help?

[sandandsea]

I think flexibility in activity is a perk. The hours aren't flexible but what you do is. I think ability to pick up more hours or days when school is out can be a perk too. And vacation time is a perk too - maybe pay for weeks even if they aren't needed then?

I think the hours will be your biggest deal breaker. People will want more or won't be available for those 2 hours.

Also if you're willing a high schooler could be an option if they don't have to drive your kids.

[2chatter]

DH said that listing it to 5:15 or 5:30 makes it seem more substantial and is still a good pay rate. I am on the fence?

High school lets out hours after - it's super frustrating! Junior high lets out 45 minutes after elementary and high school another hour later. There is a community college on the main road near our house three miles away though.

[sandandsea]

Are there private high schools that let our earlier maybe? Or kids with different schedules (seniors who do half days or something)?

[sunbutter]

I think the community college is a likely place for someone interested. That would be a really low rate in my area and would limit the quality of applicants. Our care.com caregivers are looking for at minimum 15 an hour. You basically want to give them 25 dollars a day and make them unavailable for other work. It will be tough...maybe just do an old fashioned ad on the community college bulletin board? I would imagine retired moms also being interested because it gives them something to do.

We found our sitter through care.com. She works part time as a nurse and wanted more consistent hours but I only need sporadic and last minute care. So we compromise and she only works if she doesn't have other commitments and she has taken other random sitting jobs that have affected the exact times that I could drop off or pick up with her. Part of the deal. So far it is working. I will add that she is well paid - 20/hour. But I wanted a responsible adult that could drive them and be my emergency contact.

[kbw]

Do you have a local college that you can put job postings out too? That's how I always found jobs in college.

Do you want them to transport your kids? That would be something I would define in the ad. I do think that doing the ad from 2:45-5:00 or 5:30 would get you more interest. What is your plan when there are days off school? Would they need to be flexible for that?

[2chatter]

kbw - days off I cover mostly, but if they wanted to make extra cash and were available, them facilitating play dates etc would be awesome. I really just need someone to follow them around/get them to/from play dates (walking) and oversee homework so it's not something we have to knock out with sports.

[mommyatty]

I had terrible luck with care.com. I think posting it at the community college is a great idea. And maybe put in there that it's $400-$500 per month? I realize people should be able to do that math, but it's more psychological than anything. That's pretty good money for a really easy job that's a couple of hours a day.

Also, I think including pictures of your adorable kids helps too.