Frequently Asked Questions
How much should babysitters charge?
Hourly rates should be reflective of factors including the babysitter’s age, qualifications and experience, and specifics of a job including factors such as the number of children being cared for, their ages, and whether families require more complex care.
Nannies and babysitters fall under the miscellaneous award, and you should check minimum wage requirements. Babysitting rates are typically between $25-$35 per hour. Babysitters should be clear with families when explaining hourly rates.
In addition to an hourly rate, families visiting ski resorts who are wanting babysitters to stay late in the evening may want to consider offering to pay for a taxi for their babysitter to get home safely, as shuttle bus and public transport options may have finished operating for the evening.
How are babysitters paid?
Families will pay babysitters directly and On Mountain Babysitting has no involvement in how the transaction takes place. How this transaction is managed will depend on the arrangement decided upon by the babysitter and family. Both parties should ensure they are aware of how the babysitter expects to be paid.
When should I post my job ad?
It’s up to you how soon you post a job. You can post a job any time you choose, however you may find if you are posting jobs very far in advance, that you aren’t receiving immediate responses. Babysitters will usually have primary employment elsewhere and often rely on fortnightly rosters to manage their scheduling, making it challenging to book ahead particularly for daytime jobs. But your job listing won’t expire prior to your job date and you can post a job as far in advance as you’d like.
We are only visiting the resort for one day and won't have accommodation. Can we still use a babysitter?
On Mountain Babysitting is not able to provide families with facilities for care. However, there are many entertainment options that child can participate in when being cared for by a babysitter including snow play, trampolining and inflatables, bungee’s, cinema’s, museum’s, sled dog tours, kids snowmobiling, the alpine coaster, rock climbing, backcountry sled tours, disc golf, swimming, waterslides, scenic flights, heli-flights, snow shoeing, and sightseeing chair lifts or gondolas. Available activities will be dependant on the resort which you are visiting. It’s important to consider whether or not it’s practical to have your children cared for without any accommodation.
Some things to consider:
Are your children old enough to be cared for without any accommodation? Do your children have appropriate clothing and footwear to be outside for extended periods? Is the weather suitable for this type of arrangement? Is your babysitter comfortable caring for your children without accommodation?
Can my babysitter take my children skiing or snowboarding?
You can decide with your babysitter what activities your children will do with their babysitter. If you choose to have your babysitter ski or snowboard with your children you do so at your own risk. You should ensure your children can safely ski or snowboard on their own and can stop unassisted. It is your responsibility to make sure your children have safe and functional equipment and wear appropriate safety gear.
Parents who choose to allow their children to participate in snow sports with a babysitter understand that there are inherent risks associated with these activities. Parents should not expect liability of any injury a child may experience to lie with their babysitter unless it has been proven that the babysitter failed to provide a duty of care or contributed to an incident by acting negligibly.
My child has an allergy, illness or disability. Can I still use a babysitter?
Do babysitters have childcare qualifications?
Babysitters come from all different professional backgrounds. Some babysitters will have worked in early childhood education, while others may be teachers, sports coaches or a range of varied professions. One thing all babysitters will have, is a love of children. If you require your babysitter to have specific skills or qualifications you can include this in your job post and ensure you read babysitter profiles thoroughly. Parents can request to sight a Working with Children’s Check and verify its validity via Service Australia
NSW: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/check-a-working-with-children-check-status
VIC: https://www.service.vic.gov.au/services/working-with-children-check-status-checker/home
What should I do if my babysitter cancels?
While uncommon, there are times when a babysitter will have to cancel a booking. If this happens try to be understanding and ask your babysitter if they’re able to help find a replacement. You can reach out to other babysitters who had expressed interest in your job to help find a suitable replacement.
If you experience a late notice cancellation from a babysitter, you can reach out to the team at OMB. Whilst we cannot guarantee we will find you a replacement, we will do our best to help.
What do I do if I have to cancel a job?
Babysitters
If you need to cancel a job that you have booked, it’s important to communicate this information to the family as soon as possible and try to help them find a replacement babysitter.
Parents, Guardians and Carers
If you need to cancel a job but haven’t yet assigned a babysitter, you can either allow the job to expire or cancel it from your dashboard.
If you’ve assigned a babysitter to your job, it is important you contact them as soon as possible.
What fees will I pay?
Babysitters
There is no fee for babysitters wanting to use On Mountain Babysitting.
Parents, guardians and carers
Creating your account with On Mountain Babysitting is free, but you’ll need an active season membership ($29.99AUD) before you can post a job.
A seasonal membership allows you an unlimited number of job postings over the duration of the season. You will have access to OMB’s internal messaging to communicate with babysitter’s and you will be able to search through the database of all On Mountain Babysitters.
Hourly rates will be independently set by your chosen babysitter.
