The average hourly rate for an experienced babysitter in the United States is approximately $10. So if you want to go have dinner and see a movie with your significant other, you’re going to be out about $40 on babysitting alone. Sure, you could get the 14 year old down the street to baby-sit for less, but this is one area where you most certainly get what you pay for. Especially if you have a baby, you want a sitter who is experienced, knowledgeable in CPR and First Aid, and is levelheaded enough to handle an emergency.

One way to make sure you have a qualified babysitter without breaking the bank, is to form a babysitting co-op. Simply put, a babysitting co-op is made up of families who take turns babysitting for each other. There are numerous advantages to such an arrangement:

• Babysitting is provided by people who are parents themselves.
• You have a pool of reliable sitters to call on when you need them.
• The service is free, however you will be required to baby-sit other people’s children in return.

If you think that this might be a good arrangement for your family, consider these basic co-op guidelines:

• Members of the co-op either know each other already or get to know each other before babysitting begins. New members must spend a certain amount of time getting acquainted with the other parents before providing babysitting services.
• Members start out with a particular number of hours of babysitting available to them (usually just one or two).
• For each hour of babysitting provided, members earn an hour that they can redeem for free babysitting in return.
• A treasurer is designated to keep track of hours earned and used.
• A list of members is provided to everyone in the co-op. A parent needing a babysitter may call anyone on the list, but no one is obligated to sit.
• Babysitting is not provided “on credit.” In other words, if you have not earned the hours, you cannot use the hours.

To get started, talk to parents at your church, at your child’s day care, in your play group, or in your neighborhood. It’s a win-win situation for everybody and you will likely have no trouble finding willing participants.