THINGS TO DO:

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Gather your tribe
Finding your co-op buddies One of the advantages of the babysitting co-op is that you get to skip the nail-biting involved in hiring an unknown sitter: “Most co-ops are started by groups of families who are already exchanging playdates,” Fitzgerald points out, so there’s a built-in level of trust. If you don’t have friends in need of flexible childcare, go in search of some. Baby tumbling and music classes are good places to scout, as are new-mom support groups; you can also cruise tot hot spots like the children’s-book section of Barnes and Noble or Borders for your preferred pal (choose the lady with the darkest under-eye circles). Also try message boards on region-specific Web sites (mamasource.com, for example). If you haven’t yet hung out with a potential member, it’s easy enough to hook up at the park a few times before deciding whether she’s in or not.
How local is the perfect co-op? Geographically, most co-ops draw their boundaries based on how far members are willing to travel, both to other people’s children and away from their own. This distance varies, but a three-mile radius is common.
How big is the right size? Co-ops can include as few as three families  or as many as 20 or more (especially for occasional babysitting), but somewhere in the middle is a good number, according to mom of two and CEO of care.com, Sheila Marcelo. “If a co-op is too small, you may have trouble finding a sitter when you need one. But if it’s too large, you lose the community feel.”

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