Believe it or not, Buggy has saved parents money on childcare costs. Admittedly, we had no idea of this fringe benefit when we first launched the service back in 2019, with only one van. But as we've grown and serviced over 200 children, it's been interesting to see how Buggy has benefited families in surprising and diverse ways.
Babysitting rates skyrocket
After-school programs can be expensive, and some parents are forced to enroll their children simply because it conflicts with their work, or other pickups. Not everyone can leave the office at 2pm to spend 1.5 hours doing pickup and drop-off without jeopardizing their jobs. Most corporate offices just aren't that flexible, which is a whole other story! By signing up for Buggy, parents can allow their children to leave school at normal dismissal and save money every month, while also getting the transportation benefit.
Almost 9,000 child care centers closed between December 2019 and March 2021, according to ChildCare Aware. Now, many parents are facing waitlists that are at least two years long.
Shortage of caregivers has families struggling
A slew of parents have informed us that while paying for Buggy was a stretch for them financially, it made sense when you consider aftercare costs, and the time involved with picking up their children. On the flip side, other's use Buggy to save money on nannies--which, in major cities like Miami, have only become more difficult to afford. What they will do in this case is often enroll their children in extra-curriculars at school, and then have Buggy do later pickup, bypassing the need for a nanny. The difficulty of employing nannies when you have school-aged children who don't need 24/7 care is one that many families face. Buggy can come in and bridge that gap for families--so they can budget more for the things that matter most, like enrichment for their child.
We are so invigorated to hear the multitude of ways Buggy is helping modern families manage their households. It just pushes us to want to keep going and take Buggy city to city!
Onwards,
The Buggy Team