Introducing: Babsy

Looking for a babysitter in Basel? Well Babsy has you covered! This not-for-profit organization is committed to creating affordable childcare solutions, easily accessible through an app. They also offer security for both families and babysitters, as everyone who uses Babsy is vetted and checked.

About Babsy

Andrea Schöllnast and Sophia Banner founded Babsy in 2018 with the vision of helping parents find suitable childcare, while at the same time offering opportunities to babysitters, all in a safe and secure environment. The idea came out of an innovation management program from Helvetia insurance and slowly changed into what it has become today, a not-for-profit childcare company focussing on social value.

Today, Andrea and her colleague Stephanie Muffler as well as a team of advisors, board members and volunteers are committed to offering accessible childcare at an affordable rate, and as such have kept the prices for Babsy very low. As Andrea says, "Those people suffering most with childcare problems are the same that don't have very much money." The affordability of this service means that everyone can access it, and that ideal was essential in building the Babsy community.

Another essential factor was safety. Andrea and Sophia wanted to ensure that both parents and babysitters could feel safe within the Babsy community. As such, each person or family who participates (babysitters as well as parents) must go through an onboarding interview. This promotes a safer, more trustworthy environment for sitters and parents and ensures that the community as a whole is strong, supportive and secure.

How It Works

Onboarding Interview

As Andrea says, the only thing you need to contribute to Babsy (besides the low service charge) is time. Each family and sitter must go through an onboarding interview, which takes approximately 1 hour. Babysitters go through an additional criminal background check (something that can only be accessed in Switzerland through a registered association) and are interviewed to make sure that they are suitable to become a Babsy babysitter. As Andrea explains, "Our babysitters are our business partners. That's why we have the interview... we need to tell them, if you're a Babsy sitter you need to be professional. You can rely on us and we need to rely on you."

Swiss Insurance and Social Security Payments

Parents are also interviewed to make sure that they fit in with the ideals of the Babsy community. They are also given important instruction about Swiss law, which many newcomers may not know about. This law requires families to be responsible for social security and insurance payments for people working in their home. There are some exceptions (persons under 25 or retired persons, up to a certain number of hours), but these laws can be a little complicated for parents. Babsy knows this and has done a great deal of work in this area, even offering to take care of these services for parents for a small fee.

Babsy App

Once this interview is done, and after a short waiting period for registration, both parties are free to sign up to use the Babsy app, which is available in both German and English. Here parents can post jobs and browse for sitters by general location or language (an important distinction in Basel!). They can also check a babysitters' listed qualifications, see their availability and rates and arrange for an interview through the app's chat function. Sitters in turn can easily browse and apply for jobs and they have the ability to set their own rates and choose the families they work with. They can also post their general availability so that parents know when they are free for jobs.

Jobs and Payment Options

After parents have found a suitable sitter though the app, they can arrange for a short interview, afterwards deciding if the candidate is suitable for their family. As Andrea says, "The final decision is you and no one else but you." If the sitter is a good fit then they are hired. Once the babysitter has completed the job, parents can choose to pay the babysitter directly or be invoiced through Babsy at the end of the month. This takes away the problem of trying to find cash at the end of the evening and Babsy sitters also have the assurance that they will get paid without hassle.

Pricing Options

Babsy wants to make childcare affordable to everyone. They have pricing options for occasional users as well as membership for regular users. Both pricing options (occasional and regular) can also include the service Babsy provides to take care of all the insurance and social security payments. All options include:

· A wide selection of vetted sitters in the area

· Easy search options

· Easy booking

· Invoicing though Babsy

Option 1: Occasional users without coverage - CHF 2.50 per booking

Best for occasional use with sitters who don’t require insurance and social security or if parents are willing to provide these services themselves.

Option 2: Occasional users with coverage - CHF 5.00 per booking

Best for occasional use with sitters who require insurance. Babsy provides simplified registration for insurance and social security, administered by the Babsy Trustee partner.

Option 3: Babsy basic membership - CHF 50 per year (no additional booking fees)

A yearly membership that includes sitters who don’t require insurance and social security or if parents are willing to provide these services themselves. Recommended for families with 20 or more bookings per year.

Option 4: Babsy premium membership - CHF 100 per year (no additional booking fees)

A yearly membership that includes all sitters in the Babsy community. Babsy provides simplified registration for insurance and social security, administered by the Babsy Trustee partner. Recommended for families with 20 or more bookings per year.

Get Involved

As part of their community, Babsy welcomes the support of volunteers and has opportunities for both German and English speakers. They are always looking for motivated people who can help out with the following areas:

Marketing
Event organization
Onboarding of new parents and sitters
Fundraising and partner management
Administrative tasks
Project management

They are very flexible in terms of time commitment so please enquire at company@babsy.ch for more information.

Finding a babysitter when you first arrive in Basel can be daunting, especially if you don't know the community or the laws. Babsy is here to help and provides the assurance of safety and security for both families and sitters as well as a convenient booking platform, making finding a babysitter in Basel just that much easier.