What is a babysitting co-op agreement?
A babysitting co-op is a group of families who look after each other's children instead of paying a sitter. Every hour you sit earns points; every hour someone sits for you spends them. It's free, flexible and builds real friendships — but it only works if everyone plays by the same rules on booking, cancelling, safety and emergencies.
This template is the membership agreement each family signs with the co-op's coordinator. It covers how the co-op works and that sitters are fellow parents, not professional childcarers; how sits are counted (pre-filled, fully editable); starting and minimum balances; booking, where sits happen, lateness and late cancellations; the family's contact details, back-up contact and each child's allergies and needs; safety rules on who may sit, supervision, home hazards, driving and first aid; illness, food and medicine; emergency medical authorisation; responsibility; respect and privacy including photos; and resolving problems and leaving.
- Best for
- Neighbourhood, school, church or playgroup parents setting up or running a babysitting swap
- Signed by
- The co-op's coordinator and each joining family
- Counts in
- Points or hours — you choose, and set how sits are counted
- Length
- 2–3 pages, initialled on every page
When to Use a babysitting co-op agreement
- Starting a babysitting co-op with families from school or nursery
- Welcoming a new family into an existing sitting circle
- Moving an informal group-chat swap onto clear written rules
- A playgroup or church parents' group organising date-night swaps
- Neighbours sharing after-school cover on alternate days
What You Fill In
20 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: coordinator, family.
1 The co-op
- Co-op name*
- Coordinator's name*
- How sits are booked*
- Membership starts*
2 The family
- Parent or guardian names*
- Home address*
- Phone numbers*
- Children, ages and needs*
- Back-up emergency contact*
3 Points and hours
- The co-op counts in* points · hours
- How sits are counted*
- Starting balance for a new family*
- Lowest balance allowed*
4 Bookings
- Where sits happen* at the sitting family's home · at the requesting family's home · at either home, as agreed for each booking
- Book at least (hours) ahead*
- Free cancellation up to (hours) before*
5 Safety
- Who may sit* adult members of the co-op who have signed this agreement · adult members, and teenagers in a member's household when a member adult is also at home
- Driving children during a sit* is not allowed · is allowed only with the parents' permission for that sit, using a correct child seat for each child
- First aid* Members are encouraged to take a child first aid course. · At least one adult in each member family must hold a current child first aid certificate.
6 Leaving
- Notice to leave the co-op (days)*
7 Who signs
- Coordinator signature and date, initials on every page · The person who runs the co-op and signs on its behalf.
- Family signature and date, initials on every page · A parent or guardian of the family joining. Add a second parent as an extra signer in the editor if both want to sign.
What the babysitting co-op agreement Covers
- How the Co-op works
- Booking and cancelling
- The Family's information
- Safety
- Illness, food and medicine
- Emergencies
- Responsibility
- Respect and privacy
- Problems and leaving
Using the babysitting co-op agreement, step by step
1 Set up the co-op
Name the co-op and the coordinator, choose points or hours, and edit the pre-filled rule for counting sits — per hour, per child, and for late nights. Set the starting and lowest allowed balance.
2 Agree booking rules
Say how sits are booked — a shared calendar or group chat — where they happen, how far ahead to book and how late a family can cancel without losing points.
3 Choose the safety options
Choose who may sit (adults only, or teens with an adult at home), whether driving children is allowed and whether a first aid certificate is required.
4 Add the family and send
Enter the joining family's details, phone numbers, back-up contact and each child's age, allergies and needs, then add them as signer. Send the same template to every member family.
Tips Before You Send It
- Have every family sign the same version, and re-sign when the rules change so everyone's on the same page.
- Keep a one-page information sheet for each family — allergies, medication, bedtime, doctor — as well as this agreement.
- Ask families to disclose pets, pools, trampolines and firearms. It's an uncomfortable question that's much easier to ask in a standard form.
- Consider asking members to check whether their home insurance covers looking after other people's children.
Sign It Online In Minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Babysitting co-op agreement: frequently asked questions
How does a babysitting co-op point system work?
Each family starts with a set balance. When you sit for another family you earn points (or hours) and they spend the same amount. A family can't book a sit that would take its balance below the minimum you set — it sits for others first. The coordinator keeps the record, and points have no cash value.
Is a babysitting co-op a childcare business?
Not under this agreement. It states that sitters are fellow parents helping each other free of charge, not professional or licensed childcarers, and that no money changes hands. If money or regular paid care is involved, local childcare rules may apply.
What happens in an emergency?
The sitter calls the emergency services if needed, then the parents, then the back-up contact. Each family authorises a sitting member to seek emergency medical treatment for their children if the family can't be reached.
Does an electronic signature work for this?
Yes. Electronic signatures are generally valid for ordinary agreements in the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada. Each family gets a dated signed copy, and the coordinator keeps them all in VergeHR.
Is this template free?
Yes. The template is free to use with the eSignature app in VergeHR. Member families don't need a VergeHR login to sign.