For families
Sitters comfortable with mobility support
Kids with cerebral palsy do not need a sitter who treats them differently. They need a sitter who knows the routines — the wheelchair, the standing frame if your kid uses one, the transfers, the bath. Someone who can ask the question and then carry it through, without making a big deal of any of it.
Our sitters include paraeducators, Direct Support Professionals, and special-education teachers who do this work in their day jobs. They know the difference between assisting and overhelping, between adaptive equipment and what to leave alone.
What to expect
What your Sidekick will and won't do
- Sitters who learn the transfer your kid uses, in your handoff, before you head out. If your kid uses a Hoyer or a sling, the sitter will say so before they accept the booking.
- Comfort with feeding routines that take longer. Patience with self-feeding when that is what your kid wants.
- Help with toileting that is matter-of-fact and consistent with what your kid expects. No baby-talk.
- Communication adapted to what your kid uses. AAC devices, sign, eye-gaze, partner-assisted scanning — the sitter knows what to ask before the booking starts.
Boundaries
What we don't do
- The sitter is sitting. They do not deliver professional services, do not chart sessions, do not run a behavior plan.
- We do not bill insurance, Medicaid, or your DD Waiver. Cash pay only.
- Trach care, suctioning, G-tube feeds, and other procedures that need a licensed home-health nurse are out of scope.
- We do not administer prescription medications. The sitter can hand a routine dose to your kid per your written house routine, but they do not measure, calculate, or document.
Booking tips
How to set up a good first booking
- Walk the sitter through the transfer in the handoff. Five minutes upfront saves a lot of friction later.
- If your kid has a preferred way to be lifted or repositioned, write it in the notes verbatim. Sitters follow what you wrote.
- List the adaptive equipment by name in the booking. If your sitter has used one of those models before, they will say so.
- Favorite the sitter who clicks. CP routines get smoother every booking with the same person.
Common questions
- Will the sitter help with transfers?
- Yes — within reason. If you walk through the transfer in the handoff and your kid is comfortable being transferred by the sitter, they will do it. If your kid needs a two-person transfer or a Hoyer the sitter has not used, we will say so before the booking confirms.
- What about feeding?
- Adaptive feeding routines are in scope. If your kid has a swallow study, dietary restrictions, or any other feeding-related complexity, write it in the notes. G-tube feeds specifically are out of scope.
- Will the sitter know how to use the AAC device?
- Some of our sitters have used common AAC devices in their day jobs. List the device model in your kid profile and the sitter will say what they know about it before accepting.
- Do you have sitters for adults with cerebral palsy?
- Yes. Many of our Direct Support Professionals work with adult clients with CP during the week. See our adult bookings page.
Other kid profiles we sit for
Common bookings
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Tell us about your kid; we'll match you with someone whose day-job experience fits.