this is an article from our local news station printed 2/23/05:
Need a Baby Sitter? Find One Online
It is Saturday night and you have the invitation, the dress, the shoes, but what are going to do with the kids? There is a new business in town for parents in desperate need of a night out. It is called "Sitter City" and for parents help is now just a mouse-click away.
Sitter City.com works like an online dating service. Parents and sitters post online profiles, then look for suitable matches. All sitters are at least 17-years-old and 80-percent are college students.
Parents can narrow their search down by dozens of criteria from O.K. with pets, a non-smoker to CPR certified.
The web site allows you to see feedback from other area parents. Plus, on the web site you can find information on security, to how to interview a sitter.
Sitter City does not screen its sitters or parents, but it does provide links to organizations that will do criminal background checks for a small fee and each sitter is required to provide online references.
Sitter City charges parents $40 dollars to sign up, then a $5.00 monthly fee. Parents and sitters negotiate their own hourly rate. There is no charge for student babysitters to use the site.
For more information on Sitter City, log onto
www.sittercity.com