There's a helpful babysitting platform that lets parents find trusted nannies to watch over their children
WITH the pandemic raging, many parents are struggling to care for their children while cooped up at home with work and other responsibilities.
That's where bright mind Nadira Yusoff comes in with her technology-driven solution called Kiddocare to help lessen the parents' burden, where reliable babysitters can be sourced online.
HOW IT STARTED
Born and bred in the Klang Valley, Kiddocare's chief executive officer and founder started the ingenious platform after realising that she struggled to properly manage her work and home life.
Nadira runs a few businesses and is active in non-governmental organisations, which ties her down to irregular working hours, including weekends.
Even with a maid, things did not fall into place, which worried her more in terms of caring for her four children.
"Once, I discovered my 2-year-old toddler alone at home from the closed-circuit television camera after the maid ran off. On another occasion, after sending my kids to a childcare centre as an alternative, I was so absorbed in work that I forgot to pick my children up until the teacher called at 10pm.
"These incidents made me feel guilty and led to my resolve — if I can't find someone to watch over my kids, I'll develop a solution myself," she says.
Nadira soon discovered that other mothers are also facing the same problem as her.
Even with the help of family members, women are still struggling with their professional lives and motherhood.
Covid-19 has made it harder for parents, especially women, as they have to care and work from home. Plus, with nurseries and schools closed, working parents have to opt for paid childcare while they work.
"Single mothers are burdened with modern household pressures. I wanted to do something about it by starting something on my own, and providing services for them.
"I also wanted to create a solution that empowers women so they can earn an income as well as train and develop themselves to offer childcare services to parents in need. So flexibility and suitability have been the basis of Kiddocare," she says.
With this, Kiddocare was launched as a concept during the International Women's Day celebration in 2018.
HOW IT WORKS
Booking a nanny from Kiddocare is easy. Simply go to its website (www.kiddocare.my) and select babysitters who match your requirements.
What's more, parents can request services day or night since the nannies are available daily, even on public holidays.
"When you're done and the payment is made, the babysitter, parents and Kiddocare members' monitoring team will be assigned to a service group and monitored till the end.
"Kiddocare leverages technology in solving inefficiencies in childcare while monitoring the babysitter's location. It also provides regular updates to parents and oversees service delivery. Plus, those interested can also sign up as babysitters on our website," says Nadira.
Potential babysitters must undergo a broad background check and medical check-up, sit for a psychometric test, attend training by childcare industry experts, and learn to administer medicine to sick children, besides getting CPR and first-aid certification.
Lastly, they will be thoroughly interviewed by Nadira herself before being officially accepted as a "Kiddocarer" — as the babysitters are known.
"Parents worry about handing their children to the care of others, so Kiddocare has taken safety measures by letting our Kiddocarers go through several training and background checks.
"Moreover, parents will also get hourly updates on their children's well-being. Thanks to Kiddocare's monitoring team, the standard operating procedure (SOP) is followed," Nadira says.
LOCKDOWN MOVE
"During the first few months of lockdown, frontliners had to leave their children unattended due to the closure of childcare centres.
"As a safety precaution, we immediately enforced a strict SOP, so our babysitters may assist them while minimising the risk of Covid-19 infection. With the help of Project Wawasan Rakyat, we also provide a subsidised price for personalised childcare services," Nadira says.
Amid the pandemic, Kiddocare also helps children with their online classes through the new Kiddocare Online Academy.
Kiddocarers will get training and support materials that assist with online schooling and help children catch up with their studies in Kiddocare's other products, such as Kindy@Home and funXplore programmes.
"Parents thank us for our care during the pandemic as it gives them time to start a business and create more income opportunities. Admittedly, they also enjoy their alone time while their kids are getting the best assistance in development and growth," she adds.
CHALLENGES
Getting people to accept babysitting services is tough at times, especially for Asian families as they normally prioritise family members in caring for their kids.
"The idea of bringing an unfamiliar person to your house is hard to accept. With news of other mishaps happening under the care of unregistered childcare providers, convincing the market about our babysitting services is hard.
"There are trust and safety issues that we need to address between both parents, children and the babysitter. It is not easy," Nadira says.
She says that to build that trust, there are no shortcuts in selecting Kiddocare's babysitters. They have to go through a strict process of tests and interviews before they are accepted as a Kiddocarer.
FUTURE PLANS
"We are planning on expanding the company in Malaysia and the region in terms of presence and service options. We hope to support parents on both their childcare needs, growth and developmental needs, including enrichment and learning.
"We also see ourselves incorporating more features in our tech to make service access and delivery easier while addressing safety concerns," Nadira says.