Conference moira::parenting_v3

    
    I was in babysitting coop when I stayed home with the second baby last
    year, but I dropped out after I went back to work full time.  The coop
    consinsts of stay-home moms and it turns out to serve the purpose of
    mom's socializing activity group and I could not keep up with it...
    
    How it worked was that they issue a coupon for the number of children
    you have. I child worth 20 coupons and 1 coupon worth 1 babysitting
    hour per child.  So, if I babysit my neighbor's 2 kids for 2 hours,
    I earn 4 coupons, and I can use my coupons against anybody in the coop.
    It does not have to be any particular moms.  The coop has rules and
    regulations such as punishment policy (timeout is fine, but now
    physical discipline) or how to count hours.  15- 45 minutes count as
    1/2 hour but 45 to 60 minutes count as a whole s hour or something like
    that...)
    
    If you are interested in the rules, I can send you a copy.  I think I
    still have a copy somewhere.  My coop also had a form that I sign and
    get sortorized to allow emergency medical treatment by the babysitter.
    You have to bring this paper to the babysitter with your child.
    
    I don't know how formal you want to get, but running coop is quite
    a work I think.
    
    Thanks,
    Masami
    
    
    

    I tried to get this going in my neighborhood before we moved but never
    had time to get it off the ground (although everyone did it
    informally). We wanted to start it because there are only about 3 girls
    in the area who are old enough to babysit, plus the fact that 6 new
    babies were due within the next few months (very fertile neighborhood).
    
    The idea was that you traded with one particular person at a time so if
    I need you to watch my kids for 5 hours, I now owe you 5 hours. It did
    seem to work out that the person you traded with had children of the
    same age and usually the same number.
    
    I do like the coupon idea - it keeps things fair, assuming that
    everyone utilizes them. I would definitly want more rules around using
    the people from my daycare because they usually aren't a friend as
    well, like it was with our neighborhood.

   We're interested in doing something like this, so I thought I'd
   reopen this topic to see if there were any new ideas...  I've
   contacted the author of .1, and she wasn't able to find the rules
   she remembered, so I'll ask here.
   
   Does anybody have any "rules" or "bylaws", or anything written that
   could be used as a guideline to start a babysitting co-op?  How
   about any 'gotchas to look out for, or ideas that worked
   particularly well?  
   
   I'll even make a deal with ya' - if you have hardcopy that you can
   share with me, I'll even take the time to enter them electronically
   so everybody can have them.  Is that a deal, or what!  :-)
   
   Thanks,
   
   - Tom

    Tom, I'll take you up on that!
    
    My wife received a copy of the regulations governing a coop that some
    friends helped organize in Westford. I don't remember enough of the
    content to post here, but I do remember that it was based on a coupon
    system.
    
    Send me your mailstop or home address and i'll send them to you.
    
    Re: base note
    
    Mair,
    
    I don't know whether Kathy had these in time for your meeting. I'll
    check with her and will bring a copy to daycare, if necessary.
    
    Freddie
    

   Sorry 'bout that...  I'm at 
   
   Tom Peacock
   LJO2/G11
   

    RE: .4
    Thanks, Freddy.  I'd love to have a copy.  Kathy didn't have them
    available when we met.  This would be a great help!
    
    					Mair
    

    Tom,
    
    I'm going to let you off the hook and will post the regulations myself.
    I'll type them in the next reply, since they're fairly lengthy. This
    will give anyone who isn't interested a chance to hit 'next unseen'
    and skip over them.
    
    One caution, though...don't beat me up for any typos!!!
    
    Mair,
    
    If I don't see you today, I'll leave a copy in Stephanie's cubby.
    
    Freddie

	RULES OF THE 'xxxx' BABYSITTING CO-OP			SEPT 1988
	-------------------------------------			---------

1)	HOURS & POINTS
	--------------

a) A sitter receives 4 points/hour for the 1st child (1 point per 15 minutes),
and 2 points/hr for each additional child (1/2 point per 15 min.), not to 
exceed 8 points/hr. After midnight, the rate increases to 6 points/hr for the 
1st child (1 per 10 minutes) and 3 points/hr for each additional child (1/2 pt 
per 10 minutes), not to exceed 12 points/hr. 
	
b) Sitter will report time to the Secretary to the nearest half-hour. Points
should be reported within 2 weeks. Each sitter must inform the member of time 
and points that will be reported for that assignment. 

c) Members more than 1/2 hour late without calling and obtaining consent from
the sitter will pay 'double rate' for late time.

d) If member cancels within 2 hours of a job, he/she will forfeit 8 points to
the sitter.

e) If sitter fails to show up, and does not provide a substitute, he/she will 
forfeit 8 points to the member.

f) Each member should keep records of their points to avoid disagreements.

g) When a member leaves the Co-op, he/she is expected to have no debits.

h) Member is not allowed to accumulate a debit in excess of 20 points per child.
Member is expected, upon notification by secretary, to accumulate sufficient
credits before going further into debt.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2) 	GENERAL
	-------

a) The children go to the sitters home during the day, and the sitter goes to 
the child(ren)'s home at night, unless otherwise agreed upon by both parties.

b) For nighttime sitting, the children should be ready for bed, unless otherwise 
agreed upon by both parties.

c) The member finds his/her own sitter. If the sitter must cancel, he/she should
arrange for a substitute if possible. Cancellations are subject to the penalties
outlined in section 1.

d) Both the member and the sitter must inform each other of any illnesses in
either family.

e) Member must inform the sitter of any household pets.

f) Member is expected to leave all appropriate emergency numbers, including the
pediatricians number as well as a number where the member can be reached. 

g) Prior to any particular agreement, there is no inherent obligation for a
member to sit for another member. 

h) A members meeting will be held once every other month, at the home of the
current secretary. Such meetings will address Co-op rules, account status, new 
memberships, disputes, secretarial succession and any other Co-op issues.

i) Members are free to make private sitting arrangements outside of the Co-op,
whether with a member or a non-member. Such arrangements will be neither
monitored nor recorded by the co-op.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3)	THE SECRETARY
	-------------

a) The secretary shall serve for 2 calendar months. 

b) The office of secretary shall rotate among all members who volunteer for
the job (by placing name on the waiting list).

c) For performing the duties of the office, the secretary shall receive 1 point
per month from each member.

d) The incoming secretary will, upon assuming office, update and distribute 
each member's account status. If there is a discrepancy, it is the member's
responsibility to notify the secretary and resolve the issue.

e) Secretarial duties include:

	- Maintaining membership list and updating as needed.

	- Maintaining a master file of pertinent information on members.

	- Maintaining account balances (debits & credits) for all members.

	- Providing notice to members who are approaching debit limit.

	- Notifying membership of, and hosting, bi-monthly co-op meeting.

	- Accumulating additional agenda items from the members for the meeting.

	- Maintaining Co-op rules and updating as needed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4)	MEMBERSHIP
	----------

a) A member may resign from the Co-op at any time. He/she should notify the
Secretary as far in advance as possible and, if having a debit balance, should
make every effort to work-off any such balance, thus leaving in good standing 
at zero points. Credit balances may not be transferred to another member.

b) A leave of absence may be granted to a member who will be out of town for
a definite period of at least one month. During this period, the member's 
account will remain inactive, with no secretarial points being charged.

c) New members are not charged secretarial points until the first time they
use the Co-op.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5)	OTHER
	-----

a) When a Co-op member has a new baby, they will receive 1 point from each
other member.

b) New members do not receive baby points unless they have sat for a member 
before the baby arrives.

    Well, there you have it! 
    
    In looking them over, I saw certain items that seem weak or vague and
    need to be strengthened and/or clarified. For example, since this co-op
    is based on 'balanced' accounts (i.e. someone gets debited for every
    unit you get credited), the 'bank' starts to get out of balance if
    someone drops out having an outstanding balance. I'm not sure how often
    this would happen, but if enough people dropped out having the same
    type of balance (i.e. all debits or all credits), it would leave the
    co-op bank looking like an S&L...:^) Also, tracking time in 15-minute
    increments seemed too picky...rounding to the nearest half-hour might
    make more sense.
    
    Kathy and I plan to use these rules only as a starting point for a
    co-op that we hope to begin in our neighborhood. We plan to meet with
    some of the other potential members and review the set of rules and
    modify them as needed. For example, we've already met with a few people
    and have decided to forego the 'point' system as outlined in the rules,
    in favor of either a coupon system (where each member receives a
    certain allottment of co-op coupons and 'pays' the co-op sitter in
    coupons), or perhaps collecting a $20 deposit from each member, to be
    held in escrow to secure the 20-point maximum balance one can
    accumulate. (Then, if someone leaves 'owing' 12 points, they would only
    get $8 back.) Or, this $20 could be considered annual dues, with any
    balance in escrow at the end of the year being used toward a party for
    all member families...:^)
    
    In any event, I'd be anxious to hear other comments regarding the rules 
    in 170.8, and suggestions for any improvements or additions.
    
    Freddie