Finding a baby-sitter when you don't know anyone!

[Marlaysydney12]

We have recently moved to Dublin and have a six year old boy. We don't have family here, and although we're starting to make friends, don't have a big network.
We'd like to find a regular babysitter we can trust, for the odd night out and day off. Are there any good agencies in Dublin? There are a couple of websites where baby sitters can post availability, but I'm not sure I want to trust a stranger off the Internet. Where do you start?

In England there is the online ' childcare.co.uk ' which yes is full of strangers - however if you look at the profiles of the babysitters you will find many of them are professional i.e. registered childminders / nannies / t a's in schools etc.
Their profile should also state if they have a dbs, a paediatric 1st aid certificate etc. and a level 3 in Childcare.
( yes there are also kids that think babysitting is easy and good money )

If you find one or two that you think might suit your needs, contact them and I would expect to meet before babysitting for the first time.

Hopefully there is similar in Ireland.

Otherwise, ask at school - you may find the t.a.'s doing a bit of babysitting - if the school permits it ? or if there is an afterschool club then the staff there may do babysitting, also if there is a nursery attached to the school ? then the nursery staff may also be available for babysitting.

I found my first babysitter/s through dd's day nursery, then via school.

Colleague?
Neighbours?
Have you joined anything yet like a Church or Rainbows / Beavers / swimming lessons ?
I talked to all those people and asked if anyone knew someone who might do some babysitting. Then you get recommendations.

OP I'd ask the parents of your son's friends if they can recommend someone local to you or ask work colleagues if they know anyone. Is there a local FB childminding page? That's where I found our babysitter.

In addition to everything already suggested, do wither of you work in an office? I needed a babysitter and asked around my colleagues to see if anyone had a recommendation.

www.mindme.ie I got my childminder from there, I'm in rural Ireland but had moved to a new location

Talk to the other parents either at school or anywhere else that you meet them. If there's a local creche you could ask them (they usually do babysitting for parents of the kids who attend but might go beyond that). Mention to a neighbour that you're looking for someone (that's the ideal I think). You could ask the admin in the school if they know of either student teachers, SNAs, or others in the area who might be interested.