Birmingham-based Wyndy, the uber of babysitting, is expanding to help families impacted by COVID-19

Bham Now first wrote about Wyndy, the Birmingham-based babysitting app startup back in 2017.  At the time it was aptly described as “uber for babysitting.”

Since then, the app, which helps parents easily find, book, and pay college babysitters has expanded into 21 markets around the Southeast.

Now Wyndy, and its founders Ginger and Tommy Mayfield are solving a different kind of problem. They are responding to the COVID-19 crisis with the launch of a new program that helps Birmingham employers provide childcare to its employees impacted by school and daycare closures. 

According to the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA), the program provides flexible options for employers. 

And here is the best part for bosses everywhere, Wyndy can manage all of the logistics around implementing the program, including enrolling employees, reporting on utilization and handling reimbursements.

“Childcare is something a huge swath of the workforce needs help with,” said Wyndy’s Tommy Mayfield in the BBA news release. “I read a New York Times article that talks about how, in light of COVID, the cost of childcare is so high that it has almost put parents in the position of having a job or taking care of their kids – but they can’t have both. It’s too expensive. Our hope is that more employers will recognize the need and partner with us to provide better childcare benefits to their employees who need help in order to perform their jobs effectively.”

In addition to the childcare service, Wyndy has also launched a nanny program to its services to provide more regular, consistent childcare for families who need it. 

And if you just need a babysitter, don’t worry, Wyndy still offers its on-demand babysitting services via its app, enabling families to quickly connect with a vetted, background-checked college student that best fits with their family.

Partnering with Dr. Ellen Eaton

“Wyndy knows safety is a big concern for all families. So we are pleased to see the company partnering with Dr. Ellen Eaton (someone else who has been featured in Bham Now), who specializes in infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

 Dr. Eaton is serving as an advisor to educate the company on the best ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19 within the business, not only for sitters and the families they serve but for the community at large.

“This is a priority for us and will continue to be as we move through this,” Mayfield said. “We’re at a place in society where we unfortunately can’t completely eliminate the risk, but we are doing what we can to reduce and mitigate the risk.”

Continuing to Grow

We are very proud Wyndy calls Birmingham home.  The company now serves roughly 20,000 families using the app for over 275,000 hours of care. In Birmingham alone, Wyndy has put almost $3 million in the pockets of local college students who can babysit as much or as little as they would like. 

Now, more than ever, families need creative solutions to their childcare needs.  It is great to see a Birmingham-based lead the way.