frequently asked questions

Find your answers to frequently asked questions below.

questions from clients

Why would I work with darling+ as opposed to finding a caregiver on my own?

Working with darling+ is another channel for you to find a caregiver. You are not limited and can continue to access other channels to find the best fit for you! The goal of darling+ is to take on the leg work and stress of the discovery, vetting and support process of searching for a child caregiver. All of our caregivers are vetted, have excellent references, 2+ years of experience, updated First Aid and Police Clearance Checks and so much more. Our small team [all caregivers ourselves] are also available to answer any questions along the way, act as mediators, assist in the negotiation process, and provide you with resources like interview questions, contract templates, and setting up payroll.

Why is darling+ different from other agencies?

Being a small team allows us to focus on our individual clients and provide a much more personal and customised matching process compared to the big agencies. We thoroughly vet all of our caregivers and clients, and only work with people who meet our high standards. We will not work with just anyone and we have decided to respectfully end relationships where values were misaligned – we take our job very seriously! Our team has decades of combined experience as caregivers ourselves and we know how important our role is in finding you the perfect match. We are also friends who prioritise meaningful connections!

Do both caregivers and clients interview with darling+?

Yes! All caregivers and clients [families and child care centres] engage in an in-depth interview with darling+ first. This ensures a greater understanding of needs and a higher chance of a successful match as there are certain details that simply cannot be captured by an online form or phone call alone. Additionally, most of the people we work with are referrals which adds an extra layer of accountability and reassurance.

What is included in darling+ fees?

Once you sign an Engagement Letter and have paid the darling+ retainer fee, you will have access to all darling+ services for 12 months. This means that you will receive:

A personalized and customized matching process
Access to our continuously growing roster of expertly vetted darling+ caregivers
Access to curated resources (including interview guidance, contract templates, mediation, tax and payroll assistance, and more)
Ongoing client and caregiver support
A 3 month probationary period guarantee (if the placement doesn’t work out we will find you another caregiver at no additional cost)
1 and 3 month check-ins with you and your caregiver

What is the difference between the types of placements?

We are pleased to offer a wide variety of placements to our clients – it all depends on your individual needs! We can support you with almost anything you’re looking for, whether that is an occasional, on-call caregiver or a full-time, long-term placement.

Long-Term, Full-Time: 20+ hrs/wk, 7+ months
Long-Term, Part-time: up to 19 hrs/wk, 7+ months
Short-term (PT or FT): one-off commitments ranging from one day to 6 months
On-call: occasional, ongoing care up to several times/month [matched with two select caregivers]

How does the process work for clients?

After filling out the Intake Form, kindly schedule an Initial Consult to meet with a darling+ facilitator to tell us more about your situation and what you are looking for in a caregiver. Following the Consult, if we believe that we are a good fit for one another, we will send you an Engagement Letter to sign and return to us along with a link to pay the darling+ retainer fee and a link to obtain a Police Clearance Check if you don’t already have one (which costs $20 + can be completed all online!) We will then contact your two references. Your opportunity will then be shared with select caregivers from our roster who we think would be a great fit for your opportunity.

If our caregivers are interested in your opportunity, their profile will then be shared with you. Once there is a mutual match, the caregivers contact information and best times to be reached will be shared with you to set up a virtual/phone interview. If that goes well, we suggest an in-person interview to make sure it feels right for everyone. We then recommend a Trial period with your darling+ caregiver to ensure that it is a wonderful fit for both parties. Following the Trial, we strongly suggest signing a contract with your new caregiver (we can provide a template!).

At this point, you are successfully matched and the Placement Fee is due. Payment and scheduling is entirely up to you and the caregiver, however, we can provide you with guidance and resources related to registering a business, payroll, and taxes.

We will schedule individual check-ins at the 1 and 3 month marks with both you and your darling+ caregiver to further support you. Ideally, all is well but should there be any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to share them with us.

If the placement does not work out during the 3 month probation period, we will find you another darling+ caregiver at no additional cost. Furthermore, should your child care situation and needs change within 12 months of Engagement, you will have full access to all darling+ services. For example, if when you signed on you only needed support with occasional on-call care and now you find that you are in need of part-time or full-time care, we can support you and you’ll only need to pay the corresponding placement fee. (All-inclusive retainer fee!)

Why should we sign a contract with our caregiver?

We recommend that all of our clients sign contracts with their caregiver following a successful trial period. In Canada, when you hire a caregiver, they are considered your employee if you establish regular working hours and assign and supervise their duties. A contract is just an added layer of protection for both you and the caregiver. It holds everyone accountable and ensures that there is a written record of your employment agreement. [Some examples of what would be included: responsibilities, compensation, schedule, vacation and sick days, termination terms, and more.] We can support and advise you regarding the terms, and can provide a template. Contracts promote mutual respect, security, and lasting relationships.

How does Payroll work?

We are pleased to be able to offer our clients access to discounted payroll services thanks to our collaboration with a Canadian payroll service called HeartPayroll. This takes the stress and headache out of the payment process. Once you and your caregiver are set up [just a couple of simple forms], the only thing we ask is that you keep us updated on any scheduling or wage changes – we take care of the rest! If you are interested in enrolling or learning more about darling+ payroll services, just let us know.

questions from caregivers

What is the process for caregivers?

The process for caregivers begins when you fill out the Intake Form and schedule a virtual Initial Consult with a darling+ facilitator. Following the consult, we will complete thorough Reference and Documentation checks. If all is well, we will begin sending you profiles of potential jobs for you. We then share your profile with the potential employers you are interested in. If the match is mutual, we share your contact information and best times to be reached for a virtual interview with the potential employer. If that goes well, we recommend an in-person meeting, followed by a Trial period, before signing on to a contract between you and the employer. Once successfully matched, we follow up with both you and the employer at the 1 month and 3 month marks. We also provide resources and support to assist with every step of the process!

Does darling+ take a cut from the caregivers? Do caregivers pay you any fees?

You will not be required to give darling+ a cut. Caregivers do not pay darling+ any fees whatsoever.

Does darling+ set the caregiver’s schedule?

Our responsibilities are the discovery, vetting, matching, and support processes. We have supported employers and caregivers with scheduling upon request and can certainly assist in communicating your scheduling needs and limitations.

Why should I sign a contract?

We recommend that all of our caregivers sign contracts with their employers following a successful Trial. A contract is an added layer of protection for both you and the employer. It holds everyone accountable and ensures that there is a written record of your employment agreement. [Some examples of what would be included: responsibilities, compensation, schedule, vacation and sick days, termination terms.] Contracts promote mutual respect, security, and lasting relationships. We provide a contract template and will do our best to support you with this step in the process.

Do both caregivers and families interview with darling+?

Yes! All caregivers and clients [families and child care centres] engage in an in-depth interview with darling+ first. This ensures a greater understanding of needs and a higher chance of a successful match as there are certain details that simply cannot be captured in an online form or on the phone. Additionally, most of the people we work with are referrals, which adds an additional layer of accountability and reassurance.

Why would I work with darling+ as opposed to finding a job on my own?

Working with darling+ is another channel for you to find work. You are not limited and can continue to access other channels to find the best job for you! One of the goals of darling+ is to elevate the child care profession and ensure that caregivers are paid well and treated respectfully. All of our clients are equally vetted [to our knowledge no other agencies or services currently offer this] and willing to pay well for the essential work darling+ caregivers provide. Our small team [all caregivers ourselves] are also available to answer any questions along the way, act as mediators, assist in the negotiation process, and provide you with resources like interview questions and contract templates.

Why is darling+ different from other agencies?

Being a small team allows us to focus on our individual caregivers and provide a much more personal and customised matching process compared to the big agencies. We thoroughly vet all of our caregivers and clients, and only work with people who meet our high standards. We have turned people away and decided to respectfully end relationships where values were misaligned. Our team has decades of combined experience as caregivers ourselves and we know how important our role is in finding you the perfect match. We are also friends who prioritise meaningful connections!

What is the difference between the types of placements?

We offer a variety of types of placements for our caregivers – it all depends on what works best for you! We have clients that are looking for an occasional, on-call caregiver and clients that are looking for full-time, long-term placements.

Long-Term, Full-Time: 21+ hrs/wk, 7+ months
Long-Term, Part-time: 10-20 hrs/wk, 7+ months
Short-term (PT or FT): one-off commitments ranging from one day to 6 months
On-call: occasional + on-going, up to several times/month [matched with select families]