Ka Leo O Hawaii

Issue date: 5/12/08 Section: Mixed Plate

Media Credit: Courtesy of Keikisitters.com Keikisitters is a Web site that caters to the supervisory needs of Hawai‘i's busy people. Summer positions are currently open. [Click to enlarge]

Keikisitters.com is an online company that has been active for only a few months, but business is already booming. This site provides local families and babysitters with the opportunity to find days and times to be of service to one another without a weekly ironclad obligation for either party.

The Web site is divided into two parts: one for the sitters, the other for the employers. Sitters, who must be at least 18 years old, first pay $10 for a 30-second background check, which is designed to search for any crimes or felonies they have committed in the U.S. Only after the individual's criminal record is verified clean are they allowed into the site, where they are free to design their own webpage and resume.

Parents around the island then compare the sitters' hours to the ones they need a sitter for and e-mail the individual (or a number of individuals), who is often brought in for a personal interview prior to receiving the job. The sitters typically earn between $8 and $15 per hour, based on experience and certification.

The customer market has been focused mainly toward private school and military families, where the need for sitters is highest and most probable of receiving a positive response.

But Keikisitters.com isn't limited to baby-sitting, offering positions in pet-sitting, house-sitting and elderly companionship. The site allows parents the time to take care of their obligations while providing practical experience to even the most inexperienced sitter.

As the popularity of the site grows, the demand for sitters at a full range of times and days will also increase, making the summer an ideal time for students to make some extra cash without a set schedule.

It is up to the sitter whether or not they respond when e-mailed by a family. If the job is appealing, they can e-mail a response, but if they're busy, have prior obligations or are cramming for a big test, there are no hurt feelings. Kathy, the director and creator of the Web site, heralds this job opportunity as the "perfect summer position" that is literally shaped to fit the busiest of school and other work schedules.

"When I came to Hawai‘i," Kathy recalls, "I was looking for a part-time job and posted an ad as a baby sitter up on craigslist. Within a week, I'd gotten nine replies and I immediately saw that there was a huge need here."

Keikisitters.com strives to help out local families and create some connections between members of our community by providing a service that will benefit everyone. As a community-focused organization, Keikisitters.com also donates 10 percent of their profits to charity. There are many opportunities to be had through working with this agency, especially in this time of transition, so check out their Web site.

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