Raleigh babysitting rates among most expensive in the country

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- On a Facebook page for Triangle parents looking for babysitters and nannies, one woman wrote, "...having a nanny is a LUXURY (sic) and not a necessity."

The post attracted dozens of replies from fellow childcare providers and parents; debating their perspectives.

"Every family has different schedules, different needs," said family placement manager Alyssa Ploeger with College Nannies & Sitters. "I think it's difficult because there are just so many options right now and childcare is in such high demand."

Childcare service UrbanSitter just released its 11th annual National Rates Study which highlighted the average hourly rate for families with two children or less.

The national hourly average for babysitting is $20.57 per hour for one child. For two children, the hourly average jumps to $23.25 per hour.

In Raleigh, the hourly average is $19.94 for one child and $20.21 for two children.

San Antonio ranks lowest with hourly averages of $12.70 and $15.66, respectively. New York City came in at the top with hourly rates for $23.45 and $24.77.

Ploeger believes it is because of out-of-town transplants.

"We have a lot of people who are coming over from California, the West Coast or New York who are used to the higher rates," she said. "Childcare workers are kind of demanding more. And I think that's one reason why we've seen this major exodus was that they are standing up for themselves and asking for their worth. So, I think people are starting to get what they actually deserve."

The survey reports that babysitting rates increased by 11% last year. For comparison, inflation rose 7%.

"It could take a little bit of time to find that perfect fit for a family if they're looking for some specificity in days and times hours," added Ploeger. "I would say start early. You don't know how long it's going to take right now. Just keep working. Be patient and you will get through it and it will, it will happen."

Some are posting multiple times on these Facebook groups after being unsuccessful.

"Trying this again," wrote one Triangle mom as she introduced her post looking for childcare.

Ploeger says for parents to keep their options open, which includes a nanny placement service -- all of whom provide their service for a fee.

Additionally, for the amount of work that parents ask nannies and babysitters to do, Ploeger highly encourages parents to show appreciation to childcare providers to increase retention.

"Leave them a note. A post-it note or just send them a random message out of the blue. It doesn't have to be big, but anything you do will be memorable. It will stick out," she said.

UrbanSitter suggests parents consider location, job responsibilities, skills and experience, transportation, additional expenses, and children with special needs when determining how much to pay a babysitter.