Family FAQS
What is Birdie Break?
Birdie is a mobile app that aims to eliminate the time and stress of finding a great childcare provider or tutor! We facilitate one-time bookings or recurring bookings depending on your needs.
How do you screen the sitters?
The providers on the platform are approved according to the strictest Birdie standards. Although they are independent contractors, they submit their information to us which we collect and verify. We then ensure they have the appropriate personality and qualifications through a one-on-one video screening process. All Birdie providers are required to have CPR/Choking training (except providers who are strictly tutors), a minimum of 1 year of related experience and a clean Police Information Check. Providers are approved on the Birdie platform for meeting the above qualifications, and it is critical that they possess one of the most important personality traits - a love of children!
How do I book a sitter?
Simply download the Birdie Break app through the App Store or the Google Play Store and sign up as a parent - it should only take 5 mins. Log into the app and click on the ‘Create’ button. Enter the date and times you need, if you require a sitter, tutor or a blend and if you are looking for a one-time or a recurring booking. Click through to ensure your information is correct, then ‘Submit Request’.
Available, interested and screened providers will then start to submit their profiles for you to review. Simply choose your favourite and book.
You will receive a notification via the app and an email each time a provider submits their profile so please ensure your notifications are on!
Are Birdie Sitters employees?
No, although we thoroughly screen our providers and ensure they meet our strict standards, Birdie Providers are independent contractors and are not employees of Birdie Break. Birdie Break is a connection service, providing a convenient mobile app platform for sitters, tutors and parents to use.
Do you offer nannies through Birdie Break?
Birdie Break does not offer conventional nanny services. Many of the babysitters on our app are currently nannies or have been nannies in the past. Through our easy to use app you can book our caregivers on a recurring basis which offers you the consistency of care and in app payment without any commitment or the hassle of being an employer for a nanny. Think of us as having on-demand, part-time nannies who are there when you need them whether it’s a few days a week or a few days a month.
How quickly can I find a babysitter?
We recommend requesting at least 24 hours in advance but there are some sitters that are willing to work the day-of. And it only takes about 2 minutes to sign up!
How do I find a babysitter near me?
Simply post your job for a date and time (it can be one-time or recurring) and available and interested babysitters in your area will apply to your job posting. They arrange their own transportation so no need to worry about driving and picking them up, and they will only apply to postings that work for them in terms or proximity to your home.
Can I book my favourite babysitter directly?
As per our terms and conditions, Birdie providers must be directly booked and the service paid for through the Birdie Break app.
Paying a Birdie sitter directly is considered a violation of our terms and conditions and is grounds for removal from the app.
Can I meet my babysitter beforehand?
If you are interested in doing a meet and greet with your provider beforehand, email hello@birdiebreak.com once you have confirmed a booking with them. Please note, the 2-hour minimum booking length applies to meet and greets as well.
How far in advance can I book?
Up to two months in advance. We want to ensure accurate availability of the providers.
Is there a minimum booking length?
Booking requests for sitters or Birdie blends must be at least 2 hours.
How do recurring bookings work?
You only have to submit a request one time! When you submit a request, click the ‘recurring’ radio button and enter in the details you are looking for ie; every Wednesday and Friday, or the actual dates if there are multiple, different dates. Once you confirm a provider for your recurring booking, please confirm the schedule and dates with them through text. They will be able to add start and end times at the end of each one of your bookings and payment will be processed following each completed booking.
Can I communicate with my babysitter beforehand?
Yes! As soon as you confirm a Birdie Provider on the app, their phone number becomes visible to you and yours becomes visible to them. We highly encourage connecting with your provider once your booking is confirmed to say hi and to share any other details you may need to pass along. Your confirmed provider is expected to reach out to you as well so you may get a message from them first!
Can I find the same babysitter again?
Currently the best way to ensure the same provider is to submit a request on the app, then message the provider you have used previously to let them know you would love for them to submit their profile for your booking through the app.
What about transportation?
The provider provides his or her own transportation.
How much does a Birdie Break cost?
As independent contractors, Sitters set their own hourly rates within pre-set ranges for standard and surge pricing.
Current Birdie rates range from:
$20.50/hr to $27.25/hr for booking requests made more than 24 hours in advance.
$28.50/hr to $35.50/hr for booking requests made less than 24 hours in advance.
There is a small platform fee of $2.99 on each booking.
How do I pay?
Payment is made via the app through our secure third party provider Stripe. See Stripe’s privacy policy here.
Before you can confirm your first booking, you will be asked to enter a valid credit card number. This will be automatically charged once the booking is complete. For subsequent bookings, your card is saved and will automatically be charged upon completion of your booking. You will receive a receipt via email directly from Stripe.
How many children can one sitter care for at once?
Birdie sitters will care for up to 4 children. Looking after more children will require booking a second sitter.
What happens if my sitter doesn’t arrive?
On the extremely rare occasion that your provider doesn’t show up, please contact them directly via text or phone as their number is now visible on the confirmed booking. If there is an emergency and they are not going to be able to make it, please repost your shift in the app with the word ‘URGENT’ in your additional details. You can then contact us via email at bookings@birdiebreak.com and we will do what we can to help connect you with another available provider.
Birdie Break is a vetting and connection service, we aim to only have the absolute best candidates on our platform. Through this high-level vetting we put all providers through, we try to mitigate these type of unreliability risks for parents.
What happens if I get back sooner than what I had booked?
You are required to pay for the time you had booked in the agreed upon request times with the provider as they have blocked off the time in their schedule for this booking.
What happens if I am going to be getting back later than what I had booked?
Please message your provider to let them know you will be returning late and make sure they are able to stay longer. The time of your booking will be adjusted once you return home, and you will be charged the updated end time.
What happens if I need to change the hours for my confirmed booking?
Please message your confirmed provider directly to see if the new hours work for them. If so, they can change the hours in the booking once the booking is complete and as such adjust what is charged. Please note: unless you email bookings@birdiebreak.com to update the hours on the app beforehand, the initial hours are what will be listed on the request.
Can I cancel a booking?
Yes, absolutely. If you cancel within 24 hours of the booking, we do charge a fee equivalent to one hour rate which goes directly to the sitter for their time commitment. Please email bookings@birdiebreak.com so we can remove it from the app and let the sitter know directly.
Do you charge taxes?
GST/HST is only charged on the Birdie Connect Fee, not the providers’ full hourly rate.
How do I delete my profile?
We will be sad to see you go but can definitely take care of that! In the app under your profile, there is a button to delete!