About Us

What is the Bloomington Babysitting Co-op?

The Babysitting Cooperative (Co-op) is a well established, non-­profit organization comprised of up to 30 Bloomington, Minnesota families that exchange safe, reliable, short-term childcare with each other.  No money ever changes hands; we trade our time.  

This Co-op has been active since the early 1960’s with the purpose of enabling parents to be away from their children without concern for their welfare and without financial restrictions.

Sits can be arranged for weekdays, weeknights, and at any time of the day or night. The unit of exchange is the hour per family (not per child).

Is the Co-­op Right For You?

Would you use the Co-op for...

The Co-­op is a tremendous childcare resource for these, and other, day-to-day activities. However, it is not a replacement for regular daycare needs.

Some of the heaviest users of the co-op are families who don’t have a lot of relatives nearby available to assist with their babysitting needs.  Other members use the Co-op as a supplemental childcare resource, and enjoy going out without imposing on or overextending their family or friends.

One thing to consider before joining the co-op is your ability to contribute your time to babysitting other co-op member’s children.  Basically, you need to be able to sit about the same amount of time that you go out.  Some people sit for others more often during the day, others prefer evenings and weekends, due to their work schedules. In some families, both parents participate in sits, and in others, one parent does the majority of the sits (the other one profits on date night!).