The average U.S. family spends more than $1,000 a year on babysitting, according to two Akron moms who believe they have hacked the babysitting problem.
Enter Komae (a Greek word for “village”), a new app that gives parents back their freedom with a babysitting exchange platform. Using the app, parents create a profile, invite friends to join their “village,” and exchange free babysitting through points instead of money. The app calculates, stores and transfers points based on things like the amount of time per session, how many kids are being cared for, and whether it’s a weekend or weekday.
Company founders and self-described “mompreneurs” Audrey Wallace and Amy Husted were stuck in the childcare struggle every parent faces: they were constantly asking their family for a favor or paying a teenager to watch their kids. As problem-solving moms, they came up with the idea of creating “villages” and exchanging points with friends they already know and trust.
“Parenting is hard enough,” said CEO and co-founder Audrey Wallace. “The heartbeat of Komae is to make life a little easier for every mom and dad. We hear stories every day from moms who can now go to a doctor appointment without their kids and couples who are seeing their marriage improve because they can now go on regular date nights.”
The free app is available for iPhone, Android and on your computer desktop – just search “Komae” or visit the Komae Facebook page.
Audrey
Nearly half of our Komae families are Northeast Ohio parents! We love hearing how much they love getting free babysitting by exchanging with trusted friends. Like Bree who said “It felt good to not fork over $75 to a sitter!” We’d love to hear your feedback and ideas, too! mykomae.com/download