Finding the Best

An article by Elaine Wilson of the American Forces Press Service, highlights the fact that although some problems in military life are tough and intractable, they don’t all have to be.  The Sittercity Corporate Program is the country’s largest online source for important local services from babysitting, to dog walking, to tutoring.  Across the country more than a million caregivers, prescreened for credentials and background, are listed on the site. Where appropriate, these caregivers are military certified and/or military subsidized, and have access to a military installation. 

“Because of the mobile nature of military life, trusted community resources are often difficult to identify and locate,” says deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy Tommy T. Thomas. “These online tools will help service and family members attain the best match between resource and need.” 

While I imagine that on military bases, neighbors are the best source of information and help, Reserve and Guard families often live far from such support networks.  When these families face relocation, it seem as if this service would be particulalry welcome. It must be quite reassuring to know there are options other than trusting the phone book or neighbors to find quality care for one’s children in a new home.

The Sittercity Corporate Program is funded by the Defense Department, and offers active duty, Guard and Reserve families with a free paid membership to the site, which they can access at http://www.sittercity.com/dod. While the membership is free, servicemembers will be responsible for the hiring and payment of caregivers.  Good job on this one DoD!