Sitter Policies and Expectations

CSSitters Requests Line will reach out VIA TEXT for placements we think are a good fit specifically for you.

‘Good Fit’ includes:

• Being listed as available on your CSS calendar
• Experience with the specific number and age(s) of the kid(s)
• Proximity to family home, and safe transportation to/from
• Pet allergies/comfort
• Family needs/sitter strengths
• And any other detail we can include
• We prioritize sitters that have been requested by name on a family’s request.

CSSitters Requests Line will reach out VIA EMAIL  for placements that are being asked of a group of sitters, or the whole roster.

• Recurring Placements
• Last minute placements
• Hard-to-fill placements
• Special requests

Once you have confirmed you are interested and available for a gig, CSSitters will send:

1. A confirmation email that includes:
   • • Placement Date
     • Placement start and end time
     • Family details (including address, contact information, and child(ren’s) age(s)/allergies/notes, and general famiy notes)
     • Feedback from past sitters (if applicable)
     • Any relevant notes from CSSitters that will inform your experience.
2. A Google Calendar invite
   • The invite should be ‘accepted’ in the email invite OR in the calendar event itself.
     • The invite includes: Parent contact info and the placement address
     • For Recurring Placements: This calendar invite is sent to parents too

You are paid directly by the family before you leave.

You complete the Sitter Feedback Form as soon as the placement is over.

Sitters should assume responsibility for transportation to and from a gig unless clearly stated otherwise.

• For one-time placements we require the families to note if they’d be willing to send a sitter home in a car / provide a ride home afterward so if a ride home after is important to you and we don’t mention it in the original pitch, just ask us.

• If a Super Sitter is too sick and unable to work their confirmed gig(s) they are required to submit a SITTER cancellation form, text the CSS Requests line, and also contact the family to let them know they have asked for a substitute sitter. 
• CSS can’t decide what “too sick” means for a sitter, child, or family. We will provide the sickness information to either/all parties so they can make an informed decision regarding their comfort level about any placement.
• If a Super Family (child OR parent) is too sick to invite a Super Sitter into their home they are required to submit a FAMILY cancellation form, text their sitter, and CSS will be in touch with cancellation fee details.
• CSS can’t decide what “too sick” means for a sitter, child, or family. We will provide the sickness information to either/all parties so they can make an informed decision regarding their comfort level about any placement.
• If a Super Sitter is under the weather, but healthy enough to comfortably work their confirmed gig(s), they are required to check their Super Family’s Germs Form info and text the family to disclose how they’re feeling and what their symptoms are. 
• If the family’s Germs Form says they are NOT comfortable with a sitter proceeding to come with mild sickness symptoms, or the family responds and says they are NOT comfortable with your symptoms, sitters are to text the CSS Requests line immediately (773-609-1277).
• If a Super Family (kiddo OR parent) is under the weather, but healthy enough to invite a Super Sitter into their home, they are required to check their Super Sitter’s Germs Form info and text the sitter to disclose how they’re feeling and what their symptoms are. 
• If the sitter’s Germs Form says they are NOT comfortable going into a home with a child displaying mild sickness, or the Super Sitter responds and says they are NOT comfortable with the symptoms, families (and sitters) are to text the CSS Requests line (773-609-1277) immediately.
• If a Super Sitter arrives at a placement and finds sickness that has not been disclosed they are permitted to leave immediately, and full placement compensation is due.

• If a Super Sitter arrives at a home with an undisclosed sickness the family is permitted to send them home with no payment and a refund for placement from CSSitters if a replacement can not be found.

• ‘Too Sick’ and ‘not comfortable’ are subjective, and different for each individual. Unclear sickness scenarios will be handled case-by-case, as no policy can possibly include every situation.

• Your availability should be listed as FIRSTNAME LASTNAME and show the times you are available and looking to work
• Make sure your start and end times are accurate and reasonable
• Give yourself time to commute to/from a gig if your availability starts before/after another engagement
• Do not use your CSS calendar for personal events and activities – this makes it very difficult to read everyone else’s availability and also we see them on the admin calendar

Your calendar should be up-to-date and accurate so the scheduling team can tell at a glance who is available, when.

• CSS will take down/adjust your availability when you accept a gig
• You are responsible for taking down/adjusting your calendar when your availability changes outside of CSS.

You will be issued an @ChicagoSuperSitters email when you join the Active Sitter roster.

• This is a Google account
• All  correspondence with CSSitters goes through this email
• This email is closed if/when a sitter leaves the Active Sitter roster

Hourly payment always goes directly to the Super Sitter at the end of any in-home placement. 

• Payment is due when the placement is over, before you leave a placement. Parents know this, but sitters should be prepared with their payment handles, and/or the anticipated total so they can confidently ask for payment at the end of a placement.
• Hourly rates are always listed in every confirmation email, and will vary family to family. 
• Hourly rates are not negotiable by sitters or parents (though parents are permitted to pay more if they’d like).
• All payments go directly to individual Super Sitters. Chicago Super Sitters Ltd. does not record, report, or track income, or provide any tax documentation. This is the responsibility of each individual Super Sitter.

Suggested hourly rates are determined by CSSitters and sent in every confirmation email.

• Your hourly rate will vary family to family, based on the criteria listed below.
• Rates are for every hour and are paid directly to the Super Sitter at the end of the placement. 

One Time Placements:

• • 1 Child – $20/hour
  • 2 Children – $21/hour
  • 3 Children – $22/hour 
  • 4 Children – $TBD – based on age-spread, needs of placement.
  • 5+ Children – $TBD – based on age-spread, needs of placement.
    

Recurring Placements:

• • 1 Child – $22/hour
  • 2 Children – $23/hour
  • 3 Children – $24/hour
  • 4 Children – $TBD based on age-spread, needs of placement.
  • 5+ Children –  $TBD based on age-spread, needs of placement.

Additions to hourly rate:

• Infant (under 6mos): +$1/hour
• Two children under 2y: +$1/hour
• Sitter in Hotel Room/Home Rental: +$1/hr
• Sitter working somewhere other than the family home: +$1/hr
• Combined Families (two or more): +$2/hr for each extra child from family #2, 3, etc.

Possible TBD Extras:

• Gas/Travel stipend: $TBD, based on location (will be known prior to booking)
• Special Skills Required (Language, special training):  $TBD – depending on request.
• Overnight Care: Rates vary based on sleeping habits, ages, etc. Inquire for more info.

All Active Sitters are required to pay a $20 monthly fee to CSSitters.

• This is due on the 1st of each month you are on the Active Sitter Roster. 
• This fee will be first charged 3-6 weeks after becoming an active sitter (depending on the calendar month) to give you a chance to work with us before paying a fee.
• When offboarding from the roster, we need 7+days notice in order to stop billing for the following month. 

• Feedback form Link:  https://form.jotform.com/212457400825148
  
• The same link can be used over and over again (save it!)
• The feedback form should be completed as close to the end of the gig as possible (so it’s still fresh in your mind)
• Feedback is especially important if it’s a family you haven’t met before or haven’t seen in a while!

Please fill out this form honestly!

• Families NEVER see sitter feedback
• Feedback is read by admin staff to ensure sitters are being placed with families they felt comfortable with and excited to go back to
• If it was a great experience and you’d love to see this family again and again, we need to know so we come to you with their future requests!
• If it didn’t feel like a great fit, and you get a pit in your stomach at the thought of being asked to sit for the family again, we need to know – you don’t have to go back
• Feedback is given to future sitters so they have the information and context they need to feel up-to-date and informed before they walk in the door
  

Families are asked to complete a feedback form about their sitters.

• If a family sings your Mary Poppins praises, we will let you know.
• If a family brings a negative something to our attention that we feel needs to be addressed, we’ll come to you directly to ask for your side of things.

• The sitter must first complete the Sitter Cancellation Form
• The sitter should text the family and let them know that they are no longer available, and that the agency is working on a replacement sitter
• The sitter will lose one point. Please see the specific Sitter Cancellation & Lateness policy for more information on the points system

• If a family cancels through the agency, CSSitters will notify the sitter, and the reminder is sent that a fee is due directly to the confirmed sitter
• If the family cancels directly to a sitter, the sitter should tell the family to contact the agency right away, and the sitter should contact the agency as well. CSSitters will send the reminder that a fee is due directly to the confirmed sitter.

Cancellation fees vary based on the notice given:

• $50 –  if a placement is cancelled after it has been confirmed
• $Full Hourly for cancelled placement – if placement is cancelled with less than 48 hours before placement start time.

• Encourages sitters to double-check and be clear about their personal calendars before committing to a gig.
• Emphasizes the commitment to CSSitters when accepting a gig.
• Helps us keep track of how you are feeling and doing in general, and watching for any trends or need for help (burnout, etc).
• Provides some accountability for cancellations to avoid overusing the agency’s flexibility.

• Makes sitters nervous to accept gigs. Things happen, this is why the points can replenish. We need to be sure it’s not happening frequently.
• Encourages sitters to hide/downplay sickness. Yes, sickness cancellation is still a point. Cancelling multiple gigs in a row due to the same sickness is still one point. See Sickness Policy.

To communicate clearly with voices, and not emails.

And to allow the sitter to give CSS insight into why they have canceled and/or been late 3 times within 60 days.

• Maybe you’re burned out, overwhelmed, and exhausted by childcare or life outside of CSS
• Maybe you’ve been struggling with mental and/or physical health issues
• Maybe there are other things going on in your life that keep you from prioritizing CSS right now
• Maybe it’s something else entirely that we can’t even imagine
• ^that’s okay! But we can’t support you if we don’t know

• Immediate removal from the roster
• Punishment for the sitter
• Scolding of any kind

Tori U.  She/her
Founder, Owner, CEO
tori@chicagosupersitters.com

Jenni N. She/Her
____
Jenni@chicagosupersitters.com

Breanna B. She/Her
____
Brea@chicagosupersitters.com