Childcare that works with real life
tend helps families book childcare with clarity and confidence.
No subscriptions. No job board-style posts. No waiting.
You see who is available, review their experience, and book care directly through the platform.
Care, arranged calmly.
All sitters on tend are over 18 and carefully vetted, including Vulnerable Sector Police Checks, First Aid & CPR certification, reference checks, and a conversation with us to make sure they bring the kind of calm, attentive care families expect.
You can learn more on our Safety and Trust page.
How tend works for parents
Start with your care details
Enter the date, time, and location of care, along with the number and ages of your children and any practical needs.
tend uses this information to narrow results before you see any sitters.
See who is truly available
tend only shows sitters who have already marked themselves available for your requested time and location.
Availability is intentional. Sitters choose when they are ready to work, including whether they offer same-day care.
If a sitter appears in your results, they are prepared to take the booking.
Review, then book directly
You can review sitter profiles at your own pace, including experience, care preferences, and feedback from real families.
When you’re ready, you book directly through the platform. There is no posting, no negotiation, and no back and forth. Payment is handled automatically using the sitter’s listed rate.
Find care when you need it.
Browse available sitters, view availability for your time and location, and book care directly through tend.
You can take your time exploring and book when it fits your schedule, including same-day care when plans change.
Not in Oakville or surrounding areas? Join the waitlist to be notified when tend opens in your area.
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Life doesn’t always give notice.
tend supports same-day and short-notice bookings when sitters have chosen to offer that flexibility. Availability is set intentionally by sitters, and only those prepared to take short-notice bookings appear in your results.
This is especially helpful when daycare falls through, plans change unexpectedly, or a meeting runs longer than expected. When care is booked on the same day, a clearly displayed same-day care premium of $25 applies to reflect the added flexibility required. -
Safety is built into how tend operates.
All sitters complete an application, screening process, interview, and reference check before being accepted to the platform. Reviews are tied to real bookings, so feedback reflects actual experiences.
Parents are also verified. We believe safety works both ways, and that clarity benefits everyone involved in care.
Sitters who no longer meet requirements or receive consistent negative feedback are removed from the platform.
More detail about our safety standards is available on the Safety & trust page. -
tend includes a simple rewards program for parents.
When tend launches, For every completed booking, parents earn points that can be applied toward future care. Rewards will be automatically tracked in your account and applied at checkout when available.
The program is designed to recognize families who return to the platform and build ongoing relationships with trusted sitters.
Learn more about the program on our tend rewards page.
Parent FAQs
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Sitters set their availability in advance. tend only shows sitters who have marked themselves as available for the specific time and location you search.
If a sitter appears in your results, that time is open and ready to be booked.
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No.
When a sitter marks themselves as available, parents book directly through the platform. There is no waiting for confirmation and no back and forth.
This structure reduces uncertainty and makes short-notice care possible.
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Yes.
You’ll see all sitters who are available for your requested time and location. You can review profiles, experience, and feedback before selecting the sitter who feels right for your family. description
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Yes.
Sitters set a single hourly rate per booking, regardless of the number of children, within the limits outlined on their profile.
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Absolutely.
Many families book care while they are at home, whether to work, rest, or manage other responsibilities. Care can be arranged in whatever way works best for your household.
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Yes.
If a sitter you’ve worked with before is available, you’re welcome to book them again. Repeat bookings help build familiarity and continuity over time.
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Parents can book care with as little as one hour’s notice, depending on sitter availability.
Same-day bookings include a clearly displayed same-day care premium.
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Yes.
There are no subscriptions or platform fees for parents. You pay the sitter’s listed hourly rate, plus any applicable same-day care premium shown before booking.
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When care is booked on the same day, a same-day care premium of $25 applies.
This reflects the extra flexibility required when a sitter makes themselves available on short notice. The premium helps ensure sitters who opt into same-day care are fairly compensated for being on call.
The same-day care premium is added to the booking total and is shown clearly before you book.
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tend is designed to be fair to both families and sitters.
Cancellations made more than 12 hours before the scheduled start time are free.
If a booking is cancelled within 12 hours of the scheduled start time, a cancellation fee applies:
12 hours to 4 hour before start | Up to 1 hour of care at the sitter’s hourly rate
Within 4 hour of start | Up to 2 hours of care at the sitter’s hourly rate
If the original booking was shorter than the amounts above, the fee is limited to the originally booked hours.
Any applicable cancellation fee is shown clearly before confirmation and processed through the platform.
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We understand that childcare sometimes overlaps with illness, particularly with same-day bookings or daycare stand-downs.
Families are expected to share relevant information upfront so sitters can arrive prepared.
tend does not support bookings for seriously ill children or situations requiring medical care.
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tend is based in the GTA and is currently building our founding sitter community. We’re preparing to launch city by city, beginning locally, with Oakville opening first. Joining the parent waitlist helps us prioritize where to expand next.