Babysitting questions, answered
Here are the questions parents ask us most, with the short answer first. Emerald Coast Angel Care is a babysitting and nanny service based in Shalimar, Florida that sends experienced sitters to vacation rentals, condos, resorts, hotels and homes from Perdido Key to Mexico Beach. If your question isn't here, call or text your Angel.
Booking a sitter
How do I book a babysitter with Emerald Coast Angel Care?
Call, text, or send the request form with your date, start and end time, where you're staying, and your children's ages. Your Angel matches a sitter who fits your family, then confirms the sitter, the time and the rate with you. Your sitter isn't booked until we confirm it with you.
How far ahead should I book a vacation babysitter?
Book as soon as you know your dates, especially for spring break, summer, holiday weeks and wedding weekends. Those are the busiest times on the Emerald Coast and sitters fill up. Booking early also gives your Angel time to match the right sitter to your kids' ages.
Can I get a babysitter on short notice?
Yes. We take same-day and short-notice bookings, 24/7. Call or text and we'll do our best to cover you. Short-notice sitting depends on which sitters are free that day and how far the drive is, so the sooner you reach out, the better your chances.
Is there a minimum booking time?
Short bookings are fine. If you need it, we can sit for as little as 30 minutes to an hour. Tell your Angel how long you'll be out and she'll confirm the details with you.
Is there a travel fee?
Only for longer drives. A travel fee starts once your sitter drives more than 25 miles, and your Angel tells you the amount before anything is booked.
Do you offer overnight babysitting?
Yes, overnight sitting is available when you need it. Tell your Angel the dates, the times and where you're staying when you book.
Do you have Spanish-speaking babysitters?
Yes. Our team speaks English and Spanish. Ask for a Spanish-speaking sitter when you book and your Angel will match one for your date.
How much does a babysitter cost?
We don't publish rates: call or text for current rates. Your rate depends on the number and ages of your children and how long you need a sitter, and your Angel gives you the rate before anything is booked. See how our rates work.
How do I pay for my sitter?
There's no deposit to book. Your Angel explains payment when she confirms your booking. Need to cancel or reschedule? Call or text your Angel as soon as plans change.
Where we sit
What areas does Emerald Coast Angel Care serve?
We sit from Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key east to Panama City Beach and Mexico Beach, and north to Florala on the Alabama line. That includes Destin, Miramar Beach and Sandestin, 30A and Santa Rosa Beach, Panama City Beach, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island, Navarre and our home base, Shalimar. See every area.
Will a babysitter come to our vacation rental, condo or hotel room?
Yes. Our sitters come to you: a vacation rental house, a condo, a resort, a hotel room, or your own home. Just give us the address, unit or room number, and any gate or parking instructions when you book. Read more about vacation and resort babysitting.
Our resort or community has a gate. What do we need to do?
Tell the front desk or gate that a sitter is coming, and give them your sitter's first name and arrival time. Many resorts and gated communities on the coast need a guest pass or a name on a list. If parking needs a pass, leave one out or tell your sitter where to park.
Our sitters
Who are your babysitters?
All our nannies and sitters are experienced. They're a small team that lives here on the Emerald Coast, and you can meet them on our home page. Your Angel matches each family with the sitter who best fits the children's ages and your plans.
What ages do your sitters care for?
Children of all ages: from babies, as young as you feel comfortable leaving with one of our Angels, to older kids who still need someone there for safety and comfort. Tell us each child's age when you book and your Angel will match a sitter who is comfortable with that age group.
What does the sitter do while we're out?
Your sitter follows your routine and your rules: meals, baths, screen time and bedtime the way you do them. Our sitters bring activities and crafts to keep kids busy, so the evening feels like a treat for them too.
Can the sitter take the kids to the pool or the beach?
Only if you OK it ahead of time. Tell your Angel when you book, and tell your sitter your rules for the water. Otherwise your sitter plans a fun evening in the room or rental.
Will the sitter drive my kids anywhere?
Only with your permission ahead of time, and only with your own car seats. Most families keep the evening where they're staying.
Can you help a child with special needs?
Yes. Let your Angel know what your child needs when you book, so she can talk it through with you and match the right sitter.
Weddings, date nights and military families
Do you provide babysitters for weddings?
Yes, we sit for families who are in town for a wedding, during the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony, the reception, or all three. We can sit at the venue or at the rental where you're staying. Several families can share sitters too, planned case by case. See wedding and event childcare.
Do you offer date-night babysitting for local families?
Yes. Local parents book us for date nights, dinners out, work events and anything else that needs a sitter for the evening. See date-night babysitters.
Do you babysit for military families?
Yes, military families are welcome. We sit for families near NAS Pensacola, Corry Station, Saufley Field, NAS Whiting Field, Hurlburt Field, Eglin AFB, Duke Field, NSA Panama City and Tyndall AFB. See military family babysitting.
Do you offer regular nanny care for local families?
Absolutely. Call and tell your Angel what schedule you need, and she'll match you with a sitter who can keep it.
About Emerald Coast Angel Care
Are the reviews on your site from Emerald Coast Angel Care families?
No. The reviews on our testimonials page are ones families wrote for our founder's previous babysitting agency between 2015 and 2017. Emerald Coast Angel Care is her new business, and we label those reviews that way everywhere they appear.
Where is Emerald Coast Angel Care based?
Emerald Coast Angel Care is based in Shalimar, Florida, between Fort Walton Beach and Niceville, and our sitters come to you anywhere in our service area. We're a service-area business, so there's no storefront to visit. See our Shalimar area page.
Still have a question?
Call or text your Angel. A real person answers, and we're happy to talk through your plans.
Rates aren't published: call or text for current rates. Your sitter is booked once we confirm with you.