Finding childcare that is reliable, budget friendly, and most importantly, safe, can be a huge challenge. After all, you are trusting someone else to take care of your family—something you might not be able to do yourself 24/7 with a busy work schedule and other obligations.

These five childcare platforms are designed with all of these priorities in mind, so families can find the best local childcare, whether it’s for a month from now or needed stat.

Sitter Friends

Photo: sitterfriends.com

Peace of mind: Sitter Friends allows you to look in on your child and the caretaker

Sitter Friends is an all-encompassing app that not only connects families with local babysitters and nannies but also includes other features such as GPS tracking, live check-ins, and the ability to pay, tip, and review through the app. There’s no subscription fee for parents or sitters, and each childcare provider goes through a rigorous five-step vetting process with background checks, reference verification, and interviews. Once on the app, users have access to local sitters they can instantly message and schedule.

Starting at $12 an hour
All ages
12 hours notice

CozyKin

Photo: cozykin.com

Safety in numbers: CozyKin co-founders Tatyana Gubin and Jeremy Au require nannies to pass six background checks

CozyKin isn’t just a regular nanny provider; it’s a childcare platform founded on the Montessori curriculum, a child-centered educational system based on scientific observations of children. CozyKin interviews thousands of nannies and hires the top 5 percent to work full time after completing scenario-based interviews and six background checks. Each nanny is CPR- and First Aid-certified and trained in the Montessori education method. The Cambridge-based company guarantees a start date and childcare with no waitlists.

Starting at $1,500 monthly
All ages
30 days notice

UrbanSitter

Photo: urbansitter.com

On-call care: Most babysitters respond within three minutes through the UrbanSitter app

This babysitter network, based in various metropolitan cities across the country, including Boston, caters to families’ childcare needs, whether that’s a full-time nanny or a last-minute sitter. Online or through the app, the UrbanSitter platform allows users to search, interview, book, and pay babysitters in one convenient place. According to the website, most babysitters respond within three minutes, because childcare emergencies do happen.

Starting at $11 an hour
All ages
Minutes in advance

Sittercity

Photo courtesy of Sittercity

Up close and personal: Sittercitty allows users to interview prospective childcare providers directly

With Sittercity, an online and app platform, families can book regularly scheduled childcare or the occasional sitter. Parents can search by date and location and choose from prescreened providers. Hire with confidence, as users can interview sitters directly and utilize technology features such as family watchdog screens. In addition, families themselves can set the pay rate according to their needs and budget, and can request additional services such as school pickups and help with homework.

Starting at $12 an hour
All ages
Hours in advance

Care.com

Photo: care.com

Building trust: Care.com offers three tiers of background checks

Care.com is a global network of reliable nannies and babysitters that matches families with their specific childcare needs: last-minute sitter, everyday tutor and nanny, or special needs care. Through third parties, Care.com offers three tiers of background checks for peace of mind. Families can search through profiles of available sitters and filter by budget, experience, and forms of acceptable payment (cash, Venmo, etc.).

Starting at $15 an hour
Newborns to school age
Hours in advance