Back-Up Care in Raleigh, NC
A screened caregiver when your usual care falls through.
What back-up care covers
Back-up care is a membership that gives you on-demand access to our network of screened local caregivers. You book when your usual care falls through, and pay the caregiver directly for the hours they work.
Sick days
Your nanny wakes up with a fever. Book a caregiver and keep your workday.
Vacations and time off
Cover your nanny's vacation week without asking a grandparent to fly in.
School closures
Snow and ice days, teacher workdays, and track-out weeks when your plan has a gap.
Sick kids
Care at home for most common illnesses like flu, strep, or a stomach bug, when you tell us at booking.
Overnights and weekends
A night out, a work trip, or a weekend wedding, subject to caregiver availability.
Newborns and elders
Care for babies under 12 weeks, and companion care when a parent's usual caregiver is out.
Back-up care or a sitter app?
Both get you a caregiver on short notice. The difference is who's checked them, and who's on the other end of the phone.
“Their floater program gives working parents a sense of security regarding childcare” Dr. Ashley Thrower, Facebook & Google Review
Need regular hours instead? Part-Time Nannies · Full-Time Nannies
Raleigh families who use back-up care
Any family that employs a nanny can join. These are the members who use it most.
A cancelled clinic isn't an option
When your nanny is out, patients at WakeMed, UNC Rex, or Duke Raleigh are still waiting. Back-up care means a sick day at home doesn't mean a lost day at work.
There's no grandparent to call
New to Raleigh, with family hundreds of miles away. Back-up care is the support network you haven't had time to build yet.
One parent's on the road
Early flights out of RDU and conferences that run late. Book overnight or extended coverage so the parent at home isn't on their own.
Don't have a nanny yet? Start with a full-time or part-time nanny search, and add back-up care once you've hired.
What does back-up care cost in Raleigh?
You pay three things: a yearly membership, a referral fee for each day you book, and the caregiver's hourly pay, which goes directly to them. You get a quote before anything is scheduled.
Sick care with a fever of 101°F or a confirmed contagious illness is paid at a $40 hourly hazard rate. 24-hour and travel coverage is quoted case by case.
Totals include the caregiver's pay and the referral fee with any surcharge. Newborn means under 12 weeks. Overnight care is $150 a night for up to 8 consecutive sleeping hours; active care before or after is billed hourly. Membership is separate.
Three things to set up before the first sick day
Back-up care works fastest for families who've done the setup on a calm day, not at 6am with a feverish nanny.
Join before you need it
Membership starts with a family form, a call, and a 30-minute onboarding call with our Placement Director and Client Concierge. Do it now, so on the day you need care, you're just booking.
Know the Raleigh closure days
Raleigh shuts down for ice that other cities would shrug off, and Wake County schools close with it. Add teacher workdays and year-round track-outs, and most families need back-up more than they expect. Book early when you can see a closure coming.
Be upfront about illness
We cover most common illnesses, like flu, RSV, strep, and stomach bugs, when you tell us at booking. Caregivers can't take COVID-19, chickenpox, measles, mumps, rubella, or whooping cough. Telling us early protects your caregiver and your membership.
Joining back-up care, step by step
- An in-person interview with our team
- Reference verification
- A criminal background check
- Credential checks, such as CPR and newborn training
Fill out the family form
Tell us about your household, your kids, and your usual care.
Talk with our team
We review your form and schedule a call. If you move forward, you'll get your membership documents.
Onboarding call
A 30-minute call with our Placement Director and Client Concierge builds your family profile.
You're active
Your network access is turned on. Book through the Client Concierge whenever you need care.
Get a quote, then a match
We send a quote before scheduling and typically match you with a caregiver within 24 hours.
Pay the caregiver directly
You pay the caregiver for their hours. Our team is on call until 8pm on weekdays and 7pm on Saturdays.
What Raleigh members say
“Triangle Nannies’ Floater Service has saved us from curveballs thrown our way.”
Facebook Review
“The floater service lets us have total peace of mind that we will never have to cancel clinics…”
Google Review
“Triangle Nannies has a pool of floater Nannies that can help temporarily and/or at short notice.”
Google Review
Questions about back-up care in Raleigh
How much does back-up care cost in Raleigh?
Membership is $350 a year. Each day you book, there's a $40 referral fee per caregiver, plus surcharges for holidays, overnights, or newborns, and you pay the caregiver $25 to $30 an hour directly. A typical 8-hour weekday costs about $240 to $280 in total.
Who can join back-up care?
Any family that employs a nanny can join. Many of our members are physicians, business travelers, and families without relatives nearby.
How fast can you send a caregiver?
We typically match families with a back-up caregiver within 24 hours of a request. Our team is on call until 8pm on weekdays and 7pm on Saturdays. Requests outside those hours may carry a higher booking fee.
Will a back-up caregiver look after a sick child?
Yes, for most common illnesses like flu, RSV, strep throat, pink eye, hand-foot-and-mouth, and stomach bugs, as long as you tell us at booking and the caregiver agrees. Care with a fever of 101°F or higher is paid at a $40 hourly rate. We can't cover COVID-19, chickenpox, measles, mumps, rubella, or whooping cough.
Do you offer overnight back-up care?
Yes, subject to caregiver availability. Overnight care is $150 a night for up to 8 consecutive sleeping hours, plus the referral fee and overnight surcharge. Active care before or after sleep hours is billed hourly, and young babies who need frequent night care may be billed hourly throughout.
Does back-up care cover elder care too?
Yes. Back-up care can cover an aging parent when their usual caregiver is out. For ongoing support, see elder care companions.
Other household roles we place in Raleigh
Back-up care works alongside these roles. See everything we do in Raleigh.
Set up back-up care before you need it.
Fill out the family form today, and the next sick day is just a booking. We'll reach out to set up your onboarding call.
Raleigh, NC 27601