Meet our June SmartSitting SmartStars

The year is flying by, and sitters in the SmartSitting network are continuing to shine, both in long-term positions, and in their temporary work with families in our backup care program. Through our partnership with Bright Horizons, we are able to connect stellar babysitters with flexible and exciting positions helping families whose regular childcare needs are unavailable. And we continue to recognize and reward those backup care babysitters who put in extraordinary time into this work. All this through our SmartStars program. 

This month we’re proud to highlight previously profiled sitters who have climbed the ranks. In June, Jordan R. and Maranda R. leveled up to Constellation level. Shana M. and Kelcie C. stepped up to Zodiac level, both working over 300 hours as backup care sitters. You can learn more about these amazing sitters by clicking the links on their names. 

We are also excited to introduce you to some new babysitters on the SmartStars board, who have entered at our first tier, Shooting Stars. We appreciate these babysitters so much and are glad for all the reliable coverage and fun days they have provided families around New York City and beyond. 

Dameeka N.

I am the youngest of 7 siblings, and I since I was 10 years old I've had a childcare role looking after my nieces and nephews. From preparing meals to potty training, entertaining indoors and outdoors, I've honed the necessities of childcare since then. I enjoy arts and crafts, and I have created fun memories. Most of my experience has been building healthy relationships with children from newborn to 15 years old. I have learned that if you can develop a healthy self esteem within a child you’ve done half the job when helping them academically. A child's self esteem with a growth mindset leads to success in their academic foundation. My goal is to ensure that they are confident holistically.

In the past 3 years, I have had the opportunity to extend my supervision to those in Early Childhood Education as a Teacher's Aide (PreK-3 - 5th grade). Every school year has ended with the children being confident, amiable, and independent. I love being a part of building a child's foundation. Beyond this, I am willing to work with parents to ensure their children are safe and proactive!

Cathy A.

I am the oldest of 6 children. My passion for working with children came from helping with my siblings. After getting my associates degree in child care and development, I started working at day care centers and as a live-in nanny. For the past 30 years I worked as a live-out nanny. I have worked with many families with children of all ages, often starting with one newborn and staying with the family until their second child went to kindergarten. I have lots of experience with infants and potty training. As the children got older we would do age-appropriate crafts, puzzles and board games. I enjoy going to the park and to the pool with the kids.

In my free time I enjoy rubber stamping to make greeting cards. With five siblings I keep busy with all my nieces and nephews, and I am a great aunt. I believe each child is different, and therefore they are cared for in different ways. As a child grows you see their strengths and weaknesses and help them to fulfill their potential. I love reading to kids and believe it’s very important for them to be read to. I enjoy being outside and love to take children to the park and for walks.

Courtney D.

I’ve been working in childcare for over 10 years. I inherited a vast knowledge of being a caretaker from my own living experiences. My older sister was involved in a tragic car accident at the age of 17, resulting in a traumatic brain injury. Through that tragedy, I learned valuable skills of rehabilitation and therapy that I’ve been able to use in other special needs circumstances. I moved to New York to study music and theatre at the American Musical & Dramatic Academy, which inspired me to bring a creative perspective into the childcare field. I want to keep kids creating and bring out the artist in them all.

When I first came to New York, I worked as an occasional sitter, which led me to care for over 60 families over the years. Eventually, I settled down with a great family and I spent over 3 years mentoring and caring for their children. I've worked with a wide range of ages (Infant - 15 yrs of age ), as well as working with children with different medical handicaps (ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, sensory processing, speech delays and anxiety disorders). Over these years of babysitting, I prioritize patience, compassion, and a need to leave an impact on a child's life. 

Kiera F. 

I was born and raised in the Bronx! I am the eldest of three siblings who I love dearly. Growing up I always had a passion for creativity, caring for others and theater, and I still carry that passion till this day. For the past eight years of my life, I have devoted my time to working with kids and helping them grow. In the past I was a teacher's assistant where I assisted the teacher in managing behaviors, creating lessons and caring for elementary students with special needs. After five years of working in the Department of Education, I moved on to being a teaching artist at a non-profit. Here, I teach at-risk students theater, arts and crafts. Beyond this, I have also nannied for several families with children ages 2-12.

I have learned how to provide kids with structure and how to be firm but also nurturing at the same time. Connecting with children has been a major part of my childcare experience.I'm a big believer that anyone working with kids should leave the kids feeling like they can conquer the world, and I'm proud to say that's what I have done. It brings me joy to assist children and families with their everyday lives. I’m good at being fun, encouraging, educational and assertive when needed. 

Kimberly L.

I started babysitting at 15 years old when a neighbor asked me to look after her three children. This childcare journey would continue for 10 years and counting. That evening, my maternal instincts, acquired from observing my mom and my aunt's care for their own children, suddenly emerged. At this moment, I felt an immense amount of gratitude for the inspirational women in my large extended Italian family. From camp counselor to full time summer nanny or part time sitter during the school year, my high school and undergraduate years were filled with many fun-packed hours working with children in a multitude of settings. 

In college, I worked as a residential assistant while also babysitting and internting. At FIT, I studied the history of fashion and art, fashion merchandising, advertising and marketing. After I graduated, I began working at a media agency, but I missed working closely with children. That is why I decided to go back to school to earn a masters in teaching, to influence and shape the next generation of children.

Huxley G.

I am a nanny, actor, and teacher, with a BFA in drama, as well as a minor in applied theatre from NYU Tisch. Originally from Texas, I am the oldest of three children. As a child, I spent most of my time daydreaming and engaged in imaginative play. I loved to play outside, do arts and crafts, and perform for my family. As I got older, I loved getting to care for my siblings and for the children of family friends. This love of childcare has only continued to grow! Since graduating college, I have been nannying, teaching, and performing all around the city.

During my time as a caregiver in New York, I have worked as a part-time sitter, a date night sitter, a last-minute sitter, and as a teacher. I began my NYC childcare experience as a nanny to a wonderful 4-year-old boy, and then cared for two sisters, ages 2.5 and 4. After college, I began working with the New York Kid's Club, assisting with their Storyland Adventure camp. I then grew with the company to become an assistant Pre-K teacher to a lovely group of 3-year-olds. In addition to Pre-K, I also taught gym, STEM, and art classes, working with ages 11 months to 6 years old. Outside of Kid's Club, I have provided creativity-based care to children ages 11 months to 8 years. I have been responsible for taking children to and from school, classes, and activities, doing bedtime routines including bathtime, supervising sleeping babies, cooking, and running errands. 

Do you think you have what it takes to become one of our next SmartStars?

Do you love working with kids and have great experience as a caregiver? Learn more about what it means to be a sitter in our backup care program in this previous post, then fill out an application online today! As always, we love to hear from you on Facebook or Instagram. For more information about SmartSitting and useful tips on childcare work, sign up for our Newsletter.