I am interested in starting a babysitting service at school for our monthly 7pm PTO meetings. Any ideas? What has worked and what hasn't?

[ 08-08-2002: Message edited by: iacopres ]</p>

High school requires that each student do X-amount of community hours to graduate. I think it is either 40 or 80 hours. Anyway, this is a cheap way to do it, but I think you sometimes get what you pay for, especially where this amount of responsibility is required. Last year, we paid two high school students (you have to have two incase one has to leave the room or in the event of too many children showing up) $10 each to babysit during the meeting. We had an adult supervisor who volunteered to be there as well. By the 3rd meeting, one of the teenagers had quit (it is quite a job even for two teens and an adult), leaving one teen (my son) and one adult (my husband). We moved them from a classroom into the gym and let them run, jump, shoot hoops, etc. until they were so tired that when their parents came and got them, they'd fall asleep in the car...lol... We also provided a fruit snack and fruit drink for each child, provided by our Hospitality Committee. Worked out pretty well for us. The only problem: One child was a severe behavior problem each month. Biting, hitting, cussing (this child was a preschooler no less) and we finally, about the 4th month, had to tell the parent that the child could no longer come, as we had to consider the safety and well being of all the children, as well as the child care providers, to look after. The parent didn't take it very well, and chose not to return to the meetings at all because she could not find anyone willing to watch the child.

Like Metzy, we pay a high school kid or two to babysit, and a parent has taken to bringing a laptop with a DVD to keep them entertained, as well. While some high schools require community service, National Honor Society at all schools requires this. You could ask the advisor of NHS to suggest the names of some kids who may be willing to help. Having child care available takes away one of the ten reasons on Metzy's list that we hear so often for not attending - "I don't have a sitter."