St Kilda families first to get access to KidNest childmind app

An Albert Park dad has created an Uber-style app that could reduce the spiralling cost of childcare and save parents $20,000 a year per child. But would you leave your little ones with someone you met online?

KidNest founder Tim Wise explains the app to Cesar Carreno and Adriana Castellanos, with seven-week-old daughter Camila. Picture: Mark Dadswell

An Uber-for-childcare style app aims to slash the cost of childcare by allowing parents to share the load with people nearby.

The KidNest app matches parents in need of babysitters with people with similar needs and they swap babysitting duties — without money changing hands.

Founder Tim Wise, from Albert Park, said the app, which is “a bit like Home Exchange or RSVP”, could save parents about $20,000 a year in childcare fees.

“The success of Uber and Airbnb demonstrate the importance of share economy solutions. We

see KidNest as an opportunity to support each other and help solve a key economic and social

problem facing thousands of families,” he said.

“The old saying that it takes a village to raise a child is all about recognising parenting as a

shared responsibility and that’s what KidNest is all about.”

KidNest is currently being piloted in St Kilda, with plans to expand to Melbourne and Sydney early next year.

For $100 a month, parents with preschool-aged children can sign up to the app to trade babysitting hours with local people.

The monthly fee includes public liability insurance and regular security checks, with all minders required to have a Working with Children certificate and police check.

Once matched, users can organise to meet, inspect each other’s homes and decide it they want to create a “Nest” or roster to share babysitting between their homes.

St Kilda couple Cesar Carreno and Adriana Castellanos said they signed up to KidNest to get access to flexible and affordable childcare for their seven-week-old daughter Camila.

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Ms Castellanos said the service provided greater flexibility around going back to work.

“To get a place in a childcare centre you need to sign up about six to 12 months beforehand when it’s impossible to know what your schedule will be like — and even then there’s no guarantee you’ll get a spot,” she said.

“And paying $1200 a year in monthly fees will save us about $15,000 a year.”

Ms Castellanos said she felt confident the service was safe and secure, with users put through stringent registration processes.

“You get to meet people and audit their home before you leave your child there, it’s actually a great way to make friendships with people in similar situations,” she said.

Mr Wise said the app would help members of a nest to work out a roster for childminding, as well as daily activity schedules for the children.

“That will include things like morning tea time, outdoor play and educational models for minders to follow,” he said.

“At no stage will kids just be dropped off somewhere to be sat in front of the TV.”

Users would also be monitored to ensure continued compliance with their Working with Children checks, Mr Wise said.

“Whereas childcare centres are required to audit this information each quarter, we will be able to do weekly checks which is part of trying to offer the safest service possible,” he said.

Chief executive Karen Monaghan said the app was aimed at providing financial security for parents and helping them get back to work.

“If people like Adriana can’t afford to go back to work, that’s a loss of her education and skills and knowledge to the whole community and we want to avoid that,” she said.

A crowd-funding campaign is underway to raise money towards a national rollout of KidNest. To get involved, visit birchal.com/company/kidnest