T
he founder of an interna-
tional babysitting busi-
ness began her love of
watching children during her
Junior Congregation days at
Congregation Shaarey Zedek.
“I’
m a part of a big intergen-
erational (CSZ) family,” said
Rachel Charlupski, founder of The
Babysitting Company. “I remem-
ber when my big cousins would
watch me and my friends at Junior
Congregation. When I was older,
I did the same for other little chil-
dren. Then I started babysitting
for kids in the neighborhood.”
That passion has grown. For
the last 15 years, The Babysitting
Company has provided babysitting
services for thousands of clients
in a handful of cities in the United
States and Canada. Prior to the
pandemic, according to media
reports, the company pulled in
seven-figure revenues.
Though Charlupski would not
disclose how COVID has affect-
ed her business’
s bottom line,
she and her three other full-time
employees have noticed changes
to the kinds of babysitting services
clients request. There are fewer
last-minute calls for social plans,
but households with two working
parents may call for last-minute
work Zooms, and there are still
urgent requests where families
need a sitter for children at home
while having a baby. The com-
pany began its virtual program,
which is also seeing an uptick in
requests, and expanded its existing
tutoring services, as many of their
contracted workers are certified
teachers.
Charlupski was studying
journalism and Jewish stud-
ies at Arizona State University
in Phoenix and imagined a
career as a teacher back at Hillel
Community Day School, where
she received her Jewish education.
She began working for a string of
hotels near campus that needed sit-
ter services for out-of-town guests.
Visitors traveling with small chil-
dren needed babysitting for nights
on the town or attending events.
She landed friends babysitting jobs
at the hotel as well.
“I never imagined I’
d have a
business in babysitting, and only
when I was in college did I dis-
cover there was such a need for
the placement of qualified and
reliable babysitting services,” said
Charlupski, who now splits her
time between Los Angeles and
Detroit.
Now, The Babysitting Company
has a network of more than 1,200
screened and certified sitters
in Detroit, Los Angeles, New
York, Miami, Chicago, Boston,
Philadelphia and Toronto. In pre-
COVID times, it partnered with
hotel chains and resorts to create
kid-clubs and professional athletic
clubs to watch the children of ath-
letes and staff during games.
While many babysitters come
to families by way of word of
mouth, Charlupski said hiring a
sitter through her company means
clients are getting someone who
has had a background check, is
insured and comes with multiple
verified references. This is espe-
cially reassuring for travelers who
need a babysitter when traveling
away from home, she said.
As parents now grapple with
balancing work obligations with
the possibility that their chil-
dren will not be able to return to
in-person schooling, Charlupski
said her clients’
needs are chang-
ing. Her company is screening
qualified teachers who can teach
children in small “pods” in private
homes or tutor virtually for older
kids who need an extra boost of
support.
Additionally, if a client does
request in-person babysitting,
Charlupski said her company is
following strict CDC guidelines
so her sitters and the families they
work for are as safe as possible.
Though the needs for babysit-
ting are shifting, Charlupski
remains optimistic during a tough
economy.
“After all, I started this business
during a recession,” she said. “I’
m
kind of used to doing things in
difficult times. Childcare is such a
sensitive occupation, and we have
always been excessive and had
high standards about taking health
precautions. This is now extended
to ensuring our sitter, the children
and all in the household are feel-
ing well. We want to provide the
safest experience for everyone.”
For more information on services and rates,
visit www.thebabysittingcompany.com.
32 | SEPTEMBER 3 • 2020
Taking
Care of the
Kiddos
Metro Detroit native parlays
babysitting experience into a
million-dollar business.
STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Business
Rachel Charlupski
CONTRIBUTED