CONNECTING TRUSTED FAMILIES WITH TRUSTED SITTERS. Est. 2015
Whether you need a sitter for the occasional night out you are looking for a regular caregiver, joining The NYC Sitter Connection makes it easy to find and book the right person for your family. Learn More
Interested in babysitting? Joining the NYC Sitter Connection can put you in touch with a gamut of opportunities to work with wonderful families we know you will love. Learn More
The NYC Sitter Connection is a community of families and sitters uniquely connected through personal relationships & referrals.
Its purpose is to ease the process of finding and booking trustworthy sitters, and for excellent sitters to get connected with trustworthy families and childcare opportunities.
Founder & CEO
Colleen Fechner has been providing quality child care for dozens of families and hundreds of children in NYC since she moved to Brooklyn in 2010. This includes 12+ years as a regular, part time sitter for 2 families, holding the position of childcare supervisor and coordinator for over 10 years at Resurrection Brooklyn in Park Slope, and occasionally sitting for many other families in the NYC area. In addition to childcare, Colleen’s first love was ballet, and she holds a BFA in Dance and minor is Music from Belhaven University. She currently teaches creative dance and movement classes at Honeydew Drop Daycare, and ballet classes at Covenant Ballet Theatre, and leads the children’s ministry at TORCC-NY. Colleen loves connecting and working with the children, parents, and sitters in Brooklyn & all of NYC.
The idea for The NYC Sitter Connection first appeared in seed form in 2010. Colleen and her roommate, Sonia – both new to NYC and working as freelancer sitters – were so inundated with work they began referring friends for extra jobs and started joking about having “The Babysitter’s Club.” (A book series from the ’80’s, for those of you who weren’t preteen girls in the ’80s or ’90s). Sonia soon moved on to other things while Colleen, with encouragement from her mentor, Dr. Robyn Kassas, began realizing that this idea was more than a good laugh. It took some time and refinement, but after nearly 5 years, The NYC Sitter Connection made it’s first official sitter booking in April 2015. It has since been successfully connecting wonderful families with trusted sitters, and slowly grown in scope and operations.
In contemplating the journey, Colleen says, “It’s a privilege to know and be trusted by this community. Kids are vulnerable and impressionable, and I take seriously the importance of sending good people who will keep kids safe and have a positive impact on their lives. I love being able to connect families with wonderful people who will love and care for their children, and simultaneously connect care givers and sitters – many of whom are also aspiring artists, students, teachers, etc. – with the jobs they need. “
Join our growing network today!
Once you have registered for NYCSC, you can submit a request for a sitter at anytime through your online profile or app. You’ll receive an email confirming your request has been received, and a second Sitter Confirmation email when your sitter has been booked. This will include a link to the sitter’s profile, which will have their picture, bio, and contact information as well as how they are connected to the network. Payment information will be taken at the booking, but you will not be charged until an available sitter is booked.
1-2 Children: $25/hr
3-4 Children: $27/hr
5+ Children/Special Events: $30/hr
Last minute bookings (less than 24 hours): $15 additional fee
Last minute Cancellation fees (less than 24 hours): $15 if a sitter has not been confirmed (only applies to last minute bookings.) If a sitter has been confirmed, the fee will be 3 hours pay OR half of the sitters expected pay, whichever is less (this will go to the sitter).
Become a Monthly Member to save on booking fees!
Cost: $95/month
Includes 4 bookings per month (a $140 value). Extra bookings available for a discounted rate of $25/booking.
Last minute bookings (less than 24 hours): $15 additional fee
Last minute Cancellation fees (less than 24 hours): $15 if a sitter has not been confirmed (only applies to last minute bookings). If a sitter has been confirmed, the fee will be 3 hours OR half of the sitters expected pay, whichever is less (this will go to the sitter).
(Expires after 3 months)*
Last minute bookings (less than 24 hours): $15 additional fee
Last minute Cancellation fees (less than 24 hours): $15 if a sitter has not been confirmed (only applies to last minute bookings). If a sitter has been confirmed, the fee will be 3 hours OR half of the sitters expected pay, whichever is less (this will go to the sitter).
Packages renew every 3 months unless cancelled or skipped. Notice of renewal will be sent via email 1 week in advance.
*Expired bookings can be redeemed for a fee of $15/booking
For those looking for full time or part time care.
Fees will be customized to your situation. Contact us at nycsitterconnection@gmail.com for our yearly placement options.
To find out more about our services, including questions about booking fees and policies pertaining to families, check out our FAQ.
If you are a sitter or nanny looking for occasional, part time, or full time work, we would love to meet you and see if we would be a good fit for you! Please fill out the application through the button below, and we will be in touch soon!
To find out more about policies pertaining to sitters, check it out here.
Have a question? Send an email or give us a call!
Email: nycsitterconnection@gmail.com
Phone: 929-260-3465
Potential sitters are referred to the network from a trusted friend or member of the network. They then fill out a thorough application and meet with founder and CEO Colleen Fechner before being accepted. A cleared background check ($20 fee) is also required before being referred for their first job.
The families are also connected to the network through personal relationships and referrals so we know they are legit. As an added measure of caution, we request they put down references of others who have previously worked for them as well.
Sitters rates range from $25-$30/hr depending on the number of children. Our sitters are all excellent and very experienced, so we want to make sure they are earning what they are worth. If you are not able to pay that rate but would still like to book through this service, please contact us for options.
The sitter’s rates range from $25-$30/hr and can be given directly to them in cash, check, or any electronic payment agreed upon by both parties (Venmo, PayPal, etc.). For single sitter bookings, the sitter should receive payment at the end of the hours worked.
Booking fees will be invoiced to your email from NYCSC after your sitter is booked. Payment options include Credit Card, Bank Debit, Chase QuickPay or PayPal. They are payable as soon as you receive the invoice. If you’d prefer to send a check, please email nycsitterconnection@gmail.com.
Single Sitter Bookings are $35. See our Family page for membership and package options to save on fees. If you’re looking for regular care, fees are customized to each situation. Please contact us for options. Payment for the sitters is separate and paid directly to them at the end of the time they are providing care.
Most definitely! If there’s a sitter you really like or you’d like to have come again, mention it in your request and we will check with that sitter first to see if she’s available. In fact, we often do this anyway, even if it’s not specifically requested. We have found sitter/family relationships are best when built with faithfulness and consistency, so we do our best to make that possible.
If you met a sitter through NYCSC and have a time you’d like them to come again, we do ask that you make an official booking through NYCSC out of respect for the network (you can request them specifically). Not doing so may incur a penalty. If you would like to have them come regularly, please contact us for more information.
Sitters, if a family from the network asks you directly about sitting, please kindly request that they book you through NYCSC.
No, you will only be charged the booking fee if a sitter is available. If you request a sitter last minute (less than 24 hours), and then cancel before a sitter is confirmed, you will still be charged the $15 fee for last minute requests, but not the full booking fee.
If you need to cancel your sitter booking, you can email nycsitterconnection@gmail.com or text 929-260-3465. If the sitter has already been confirmed you will still be charged the booking fee. However, you may re-book at another time for only $15 more.
LAST MINUTE CANCELLATIONS/FAILURE TO CANCEL: If you need to cancel 24 hours or less before the sitter is scheduled to arrive, please contact the sitter as well as NYCSC to notify them of the cancellation. If you cancel within 24 hours of the start time, there is a fee of 3 hours OR half of the sitters expected pay, whichever is less (this will go to the sitter). If it was a last minute request and no sitter was confirmed before cancellation, it will be only a $15 fee (regular booking fee will not apply).
We take very seriously the health of the children, parents, and sitters of this network and expect precautions to be taken by families and sitters to keep each other safe and healthy out of care and respect for one another. This includes staying at home if you’re feeling ill and wearing masks/social distancing at the family’s and/or sitter’s request. People have very different levels of comfortability at this time for a variety of reasons and we encourage respect for the convictions and choices of all involved, knowing everyone is doing what they believe is best for their family and situation.
In the spirit of remaining a fair and equitable source of employment opportunities, The NYC Sitter Connection is not discriminating between vaccinated and unvaccinated sitters at this time.
Question still unanswered? Contact us at nycsitterconnection@gmail.com or 929-260-3465 and we’ll be happy to help!
