Need a baby-sitter? Juggle app now available in Knoxville

Juggle founders from left to right: Annie Kentris Arthur, CEO; Amber Lear Nolan, chief recruiting officer; Ashlee Lear Giannetti, chief operations officer; and Emily Kentris Music, chief communications officer.

With the touch of a button, Susan Tatman is able to find a baby sitter for her three daughters through the child care app Juggle.

Tatman, of Franklin, Tennessee, uses Juggle at least once a week to find a sitter.

The app recently launched in Knoxville and co-founder Emily Music expects it to grow quickly in popularity. The app was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 2016 and is now in 15 cities used by approximately 25,000 sitters and 5,250 families, Music said.

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How Juggle works for the sitter

Juggle is primarily used by college-aged baby sitters. Each sitter must go through an application process that includes a training webinar and an optional background check, which most sitters opt in for, Music said. A good background check becomes part of their profile, which also includes ratings and reviews from other families and any other relevant information like whether or not the sitter is CPR certified.

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Jessica Armstrong, 22, is a Juggle sitter in Knoxville and said the application provides an ideal work situation for college students that can't work a full-time job.

"I've been babysitting since I was 15," she said. "I really like (Juggle). It's an open schedule kind of thing."

Juggle is an app that offers baby-sitting, pet-sitting and event services.

Sitters are paid by the hour based on the number of children the family has, Music said. Juggle takes 16-17 percent of the payment and the rest is deposited into the sitter's account.

Armstrong said she gets $10 an hour for baby-sitting up to two children and $12 an hour for three or more children. Families can also opt to pay more and tip.

How Juggle works for the family

To use Juggle to find a babysitter, parents must have a referral link from another family that uses the app or go through an application process with Juggle to ensure the safety of the sitters, Music said.

Parents can either post a job or search for a sitter and ask them directly to fill the need.

Families can also post for tutoring, pet sitting and event assistance including house cleaning and child care for weddings or other large events, Music said.

"We consider ourselves a hybrid between an app and a service," Music said. "You get the ease and convenience of an app, but with the service an agency provides."

Juggle is free to download and is available on iOS and Android.