Terms and Conditions
Effective Date: August 17th, 2026
Last Updated: August 17th, 2026
Welcome to The NorthStar Sitters (“NorthStar Sitters,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of our website, booking services, sitter referral services, and related services.
By accessing our website, creating an account, submitting a booking request, applying as a sitter, or otherwise using our services, you agree to these Terms.
If you do not agree with these Terms, please do not use our website or services.
1. About North Star Sitters
NorthStar Sitters is a babysitting referral and booking service that helps connect parents, guardians, and families (“Families”) with babysitters, nannies, and other childcare providers (“Sitters”).
Unless expressly stated otherwise in writing, NorthStar Sitters does not itself provide childcare. Our role is to help Families locate, communicate with, and arrange services with Sitters.
A referral, introduction, recommendation, profile, or booking through NorthStar Sitters does not guarantee that a particular Sitter will be appropriate for every Family or circumstance.
2. Eligibility to Use Our Services
You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into a binding agreement to book childcare services through North Star Sitters.
By using our services, you represent that:
The information you provide is truthful and accurate.
You have authority to arrange childcare for the child or children included in the booking.
You will provide accurate information concerning each child's needs, health concerns, allergies, behavioral considerations, emergency contacts, and other information reasonably necessary for safe care.
You will comply with these Terms and all applicable laws.
3. Sitter Screening and Qualifications
NorthStar Sitters may establish screening requirements for sitters before they are eligible to receive referrals or bookings.
Depending on our current screening process, these requirements may include:
Application review
Interviews
Identity verification
Reference checks
Background screening
Childcare experience review
CPR and/or First Aid certification verification
Other safety or qualification requirements
Screening procedures help us evaluate potential sitters but cannot guarantee a person's future conduct, judgment, reliability, compatibility, or performance.
Families are encouraged to communicate directly with their assigned Sitter and make their own determination about whether they are comfortable proceeding with a booking.
4. Booking Childcare
Families may submit childcare requests through our website, booking form, phone, email, or another approved method.
A booking request does not guarantee that a sitter will be available.
A booking is considered confirmed only after NorthStar Sitters provides confirmation that a Sitter has been assigned or the booking has otherwise been accepted.
Families must provide complete and accurate information when booking, including:
Date of care
Start and expected end time
Service location
Number of children
Children's ages
Emergency contact information
Allergies and medical considerations
Pets in the home
Special needs or accommodations
Transportation expectations, if applicable
Any other conditions that could reasonably affect the sitter's ability to provide care
Material changes to a confirmed booking may require additional approval, fees, or a different sitter.
5. Booking and Referral Fees
NorthStar Sitters may charge Families booking fees, referral fees, membership fees, placement fees, administrative fees, rush-booking fees, or other charges displayed on our website or communicated before a booking is confirmed.
All applicable NorthStar Sitters fees will be disclosed before or during the booking process.
Current booking fee: [Insert Booking Fee]
Unless otherwise stated in the applicable cancellation policy or required by law, booking or referral fees may become non-refundable once a booking has been confirmed and North Star Sitters has performed the corresponding referral or booking service.
Babysitting wages paid to a Sitter may be separate from North Star Sitters' booking or referral fees.
6. Sitter Pay
The applicable hourly rate, flat rate, overnight rate, or other compensation for childcare should be disclosed to the Family before the booking is finalized.
Unless NorthStar Sitters specifically states otherwise in writing, Families are responsible for paying the Sitter according to the agreed-upon rate and payment arrangement.
Additional charges may apply for circumstances including:
Additional children
Late-night care
Overnight care
Holidays
Same-day or last-minute bookings
Transportation
Additional hours
Special events
Other specialized childcare requests
Families and sitters are responsible for complying with applicable tax, wage, employment, and reporting requirements associated with their childcare arrangement.
7. Cancellations and Refunds
We understand that plans change. Cancellation terms may vary depending on the service booked.
Unless a different policy is disclosed at the time of booking:
Family cancellations: A Family that needs to cancel should notify NorthStar Sitters as soon as possible.
Cancellation made at least [24/48] hours before the scheduled start time: partially refundable.
Cancellation made less than [24/48] hours before the scheduled start time: non-refundable.
Same-day cancellations or no-shows: non-refundable.
Booking, referral, rush-booking, membership, or administrative fees may be non-refundable once the applicable service has been performed, except where otherwise required by law or expressly stated by NorthStar Sitters.
If NorthStar Sitters or the assigned Sitter must cancel, we may attempt to locate a replacement Sitter. A replacement cannot be guaranteed.
If North Star Sitters cancels a service and cannot provide an appropriate replacement, any refund or account credit will be handled according to the policy applicable to that booking and applicable law.
8. Late Returns and Additional Time
Families are expected to return by the scheduled booking end time.
If a Family expects to be late, the Family should contact the Sitter and NorthStar Sitters as soon as reasonably possible.
Additional childcare time may be charged at the applicable hourly or overtime rate.
Repeated late returns may result in additional fees, booking restrictions, suspension, or termination of access to NorthStar Sitters services.
A Sitter is not required to remain available beyond the agreed booking time if doing so would be unreasonable or unsafe.
9. Family Responsibilities
Families are responsible for providing a reasonably safe environment for childcare.
Before leaving a child with a sitter, Families should provide appropriate instructions regarding:
Emergency contacts
Allergies
Medications
Medical conditions
Bedtime routines
Meals and feeding
Household rules
Screen-time rules
Authorized visitors
Pets
Security systems
Transportation
Emergency procedures
Any other information important to the child's safety and well-being
Families must disclose known hazards or circumstances that could reasonably place a Sitter or child at risk.
10. Medical Emergencies
Families authorize sitters to contact 911 or other emergency services when the sitter reasonably believes emergency assistance is necessary to protect a child.
Families remain responsible for medical expenses or other costs associated with emergency services provided to their children unless otherwise required by law.
Families should provide accurate emergency contacts and relevant health information before childcare begins.
NorthStar Sitters and sitters should not be relied upon to provide medical services beyond their training, qualifications, and legal authority.
11. Medication
Families must disclose any medication that a child may need during a booking and provide clear instructions.
A sitter may decline to administer medication if the Sitter is uncomfortable doing so, has not received adequate instructions, or reasonably believes administering the medication would be unsafe or outside the sitter's qualifications.
Families remain responsible for ensuring medication is properly labeled, stored, and accompanied by appropriate instructions.
12. Transportation
Sitters may not transport children unless transportation has been specifically agreed upon in advance.
When transportation is authorized, Families are responsible for providing any legally required and developmentally appropriate child safety seats unless another arrangement has been agreed to.
No sitter should transport a child while impaired, distracted, unlicensed, uninsured where insurance is legally required, or otherwise unable to operate the vehicle safely and lawfully.
13. Cameras and Recording Devices
Families must comply with applicable law regarding security cameras, audio recording devices, nanny cameras, doorbell cameras, and other monitoring equipment.
Families should disclose indoor recording or monitoring devices to sitters before a booking begins.
Recording devices may not be placed in bathrooms, changing areas, or other locations where a person would reasonably expect a high degree of privacy.
14. Pets
Families must disclose pets that will be present at the childcare location.
Families are responsible for ensuring pets do not create an unreasonable safety risk for sitters or children.
A Sitter may request that a pet be secured during a booking if the sitter reasonably believes the animal presents a safety or comfort concern.
15. Prohibited Conduct
Users of NorthStar Sitters may not:
Provide false or misleading information.
Harass, threaten, discriminate against, abuse, or endanger another person.
Use the service for illegal purposes.
Request that a Sitter engage in illegal or unsafe conduct.
Place a Sitter in a materially different situation than what was disclosed when the booking was made.
Engage in fraudulent payments or chargebacks.
Attempt to interfere with the website or booking system.
Misuse another person's personal information.
Violate applicable local, state, or federal law.
NorthStar Sitters may refuse, suspend, or terminate service when we reasonably believe a user has violated these Terms or created a safety risk.
16. Relationship Between Families and Sitters
NorthStar Sitters facilitates connections between Families and sitters.
The legal relationship between a Family and a sitter may depend upon the particular facts and circumstances of the arrangement and applicable law.
Nothing in these terms is intended to improperly classify any person as an employee or independent contractor when applicable law provides otherwise.
Families and sitters are responsible for understanding and complying with any employment, payroll, tax, insurance, wage, licensing, or other legal responsibilities applicable to their specific arrangement.
17. No Guarantee of Availability
NorthStar Sitters will make reasonable efforts to assist Families with finding available sitters, but we cannot guarantee:
Sitter availability
A particular Sitter
Same-day coverage
Emergency coverage
Replacement coverage
Availability during holidays or high-demand periods
That every booking request will be accepted
Families should have an alternative childcare plan when childcare is essential to employment, travel, medical appointments, or other time-sensitive obligations.
18. Safety and Sitter Performance
NorthStar Sitters takes safety seriously and may use screening procedures designed to evaluate Sitters.
However, no screening method can eliminate all risk.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, NorthStar Sitters does not guarantee the conduct, actions, judgment, reliability, or performance of any individual sitter.
Families should immediately report serious concerns regarding a sitter to NorthStar Sitters.
If there is an immediate threat to the safety of a child or another person, Families should contact appropriate emergency services or law enforcement.
19. Assumption of Risk
Childcare and in-home services involve inherent risks that cannot be completely eliminated.
By arranging childcare through NorthStar Sitters, Families acknowledge these ordinary risks and agree to provide accurate information and a reasonably safe environment for care.
Nothing in these terms is intended to waive rights or remedies that cannot legally be waived under applicable law.
20. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, NorthStar Sitters will not be responsible for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from the use of our referral or booking services.
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where such exclusion or limitation is prohibited by law.
Any liability provision contained in these terms is intended to operate only to the extent permitted under applicable law.
21. Website Information
We make reasonable efforts to keep information on our website accurate and current. However, services, pricing, availability, policies, sitter profiles, and other information may change.
We do not guarantee that the website will always be uninterrupted, error-free, or available.
We may modify, suspend, or discontinue portions of the website or our services when reasonably necessary.
22. Intellectual Property
Unless otherwise stated, the NorthStar Sitters name, logo, website design, written materials, graphics, branding, and original website content are owned by or licensed to NorthStar Sitters.
You may not reproduce, distribute, sell, modify, or commercially use our protected materials without written permission.
23. Privacy
Use of North Star Sitters is also subject to our Privacy Policy.
By using our services, you acknowledge that information may be collected and used as described in our Privacy Policy.
Parents and sitters should avoid sharing unnecessary sensitive personal information through unapproved communication channels.
24. Communications
By submitting your contact information, you authorize NorthStar Sitters to communicate with you regarding:
Booking requests
Booking confirmations
Sitter assignments
Scheduling changes
Payments
Safety matters
Customer service
Account notices
Other service-related communications
Marketing communications will be handled in accordance with applicable law and any available opt-out rights.
25. Suspension or Termination
NorthStar Sitters reserves the right to suspend, restrict, or terminate a person's access to our services when reasonably necessary, including for:
Nonpayment
Fraud
Harassment
Safety concerns
Repeated cancellations or no-shows
Misrepresentation
Violation of these Terms
Illegal activity
Conduct that threatens children, Sitters, Families, employees, contractors, or the NorthStar Sitters community
Where appropriate, we may also decline future booking requests.
26. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms periodically to reflect changes to our services, policies, or applicable legal requirements.
The revised Terms will be posted on our website with an updated “Last Updated” date.
Where legally required, we will provide additional notice or obtain additional consent before material changes become effective.
Continued use of the services following the effective date of revised Terms constitutes acceptance to the extent permitted by law.
27. Governing Law
These Terms will be governed by the laws of the State of Washington, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, except where applicable law requires otherwise.
Any dispute concerning these Terms or NorthStar Sitters services will be handled in an appropriate court with jurisdiction, unless the parties agree to another lawful dispute-resolution method.
28. Severability
If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in effect to the fullest extent permitted by law.
29. Entire Agreement
These Terms, together with any applicable booking policies, Privacy Policy, Sitter agreements, Family agreements, and other policies expressly incorporated by reference, constitute the agreement concerning use of NorthStar Sitters services.
30. Contact Us
Questions about these Terms and Conditions may be directed to:
North Star Sitters
Website: northstarsitters.com
Email: hello@thenorthstarsitters.com
Phone: 804-709-5440
Service Area: Seattle, Washington and surrounding areas
By submitting a booking request or otherwise using NorthStar Sitters services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms and Conditions.
Before publishing, I recommend having a Washington attorney review the liability, cancellation, worker-classification, screening, and payment provisions against how NorthStar Sitters actually operates. Washington DCYF specifically notes that licensing requirements depend on the type and location of childcare, so the site should avoid blanket statements such as “all of our sitters are state licensed” unless that is actually true.
I also deliberately avoided a mandatory arbitration/class-action waiver; those provisions deserve individualized legal review rather than being dropped into a template.