Stretch: Uber For Kids!

By: Phoebe Ackland, ellaslist

Sydney mums: Does your child have to get to soccer practice? Or do they need to be picked up from a sleepover? Are you being driven mad with all the carting around of kids to the point where you feel like you spend half your life in the car? We think we have the answer: just call Stretch.

Stretch is yet to launch but has already caused quite the stir amongst mums. It's an Uber-like service for children, where drivers are screened thoroughly, have undergone police and background checks, working with children checks, and have insurance. Mums will have live access to the whereabouts of their little ones via a GPS map. It's sounding pretty tempting to us....

Are You 'Stretched' As A Mum?

Stretch is the product of 3 mums Michelle Newton, Joanne Gray and Preya McMahon. Newton tolds news.com.au: “Some of the time we had to be in two places at the same time for different kids — so we were literally stretched." In terms of safety, and letting your kids be picked up by complete strangers, Newton said: “All our drivers are personally interviewed by all three partners. We also check not only their excellent driving history and credentials but also proof that they have worked with children and have the empathy needed to do that — for example, one of our drivers is a child speech pathologist so she demonstrates patience and care of kids. So these are ‘care drivers’ who are a hybrid between a driver and a babysitter.”

Not Quite Like Uber

Unlike Uber, Stretch drivers take children from point A to point B, and if they need a ride home after the training/playdate/activity is over, drivers stay with them. They don't pick up another job in the interim, meaning they are ready to go right away as soon as your child needs it. Stretch rates are said to be based on an average babysitter's hourly wage- more reasonable than we were expecting. "Eventually this hybrid care driver will be like one of your favourite babysitters,” Newton told news.com.au. 

Safety Is Their Highest Priority

Still not convinced? So are tonnes of parents across Sydney. Having your child carted around town by someone you've never laid eyes on before is bound to leave mums feeling a bit unsettled, to say the least. According to their website, Stretch's top priority is your child's safety: "Your child is in safe hands. Leave it to us at Stretchride." Stretch says that they are the ideal service for mums who can't be in two places at once- sometimes sibling's extracurriculars clash, and this is the solution to that problem faced by so many families, sometimes on multiple days a week. Newtown told news.com.au: “We also conduct driver training sessions where we get in the car with the care drivers, drive with them and check for cleanliness of the car.”

Intrigued? Check out Stretch Ride's website.They are set to launch in mid-2017, and you can express your interest online now.

Would you call a Strech ride for your kids? We want to know! Comment below.