For families
Who works as a sitter on our platform
Our sitters are off-duty pros — people who do this work as a profession during the week and pick up weekend sitting because the pay is better than tutoring and the hours fit around their lives. Here is what each credential means, in plain English, and what it means when your sitter has one.
RBT — Registered Behavior Technician
An RBT is a paraprofessional credentialed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). During the week, RBTs deliver direct services to kids — typically with autism or other developmental differences — under the supervision of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
What it means for your booking: RBTs have spent hundreds of hours one-on-one with kids like yours. They know the routines, the redirection moves, the patience. When they sit through us, the work is sitting — companionship and supervision — not a session. Your kid gets the experience without the documentation.
Off-duty work for RBTs →DSP — Direct Support Professional
DSPs are direct-care staff who work with adults and older teens with intellectual or developmental disabilities. They support day-to-day life — community access, daily routines, supported employment. The work is at day programs, in residential settings, and in supported-living homes.
What it means for your booking: Many DSPs prefer adult bookings because that is what they do during the week. They are unflustered by autonomy questions, communication systems, and the rhythm of an adult's life. If your adult family member needs a sitter, a DSP is often the right match.
Weekend work for DSPs →Para — Paraeducator
Paraeducators are classroom assistants who work alongside special-education teachers in K-12 schools. They support kids in inclusion classrooms, resource rooms, and self-contained settings. The work is daily, hands-on, and centered on each kid's IEP.
What it means for your booking: Paras spend the school day with kids who have the full range of needs. They know how to read a kid in real time, how to dial down the room when overwhelm hits, how to make routines feel ordinary. When they sit, they bring that experience.
Weekend work for paraeducators →SpEd — Special-education teacher
Special-education teachers are the credentialed leads of special-education programs in K-12 schools. They write IEPs, supervise paraeducators, work directly with kids whose needs span the full spectrum, and partner with families through every transition.
What it means for your booking: SpEd teachers bring the most full-context understanding of any of our sitter roles. They have seen the curriculum side, the family side, and the inter-disciplinary team side. The hours are limited — they have day jobs — but when they are available the match is deep.
Weekend work for special-education teachers →The six gates a sitter clears before they meet you
- National criminal background check.
- National Sex Offender Public Registry check.
- Two reference calls we make ourselves.
- Reviewed two-minute video introduction.
- Signed agreements about scope of work.
- Verification of the professional credential listed on the profile.
Every sitter on our platform clears all six before they ever appear in your matches. The whole vetting process →