Need a babysitter? Just ask Amazon.

British company launches childcare search service on Amazon

They’ve already changed the way we buy books, music, movies and even groceries but now parents can use online giant Amazon to find childcare.

Childcare.co.uk, a UK technology platform for parents, childcare providers, schools and tutors has launched an Amazon Alexa ‘skill’ to allow parents to find a babysitter in seconds using only their voice.

The company, which is already the UK’s largest website for finding childcare, has created the Amazon skill in response to demands from their 1.5m members.

Parents can add the Childcare.co.uk skill from the Amazon Alexa app and give verbal commands to their Alexa device when they need help with their kids.

Spoken requests such as “Find me a babysitter for next Saturday at 9pm”, will instantly search their database for providers who are available on the date and time required and an Amazon Alexa device will provide a spoken summary of available providers for the parents to choose from. When a parent has found a babysitter they like the sound of they can give a verbal command to send them an automated message.

Richard Conway, CEO and Founder of Childcare.co.uk said: “Most parents are time poor and often have little time to sit down and search online for services they need. Many of our members told us they had Amazon Alexa devices and would find it quicker to be able to find childcare using their voice. As the UK’s most innovative childcare technology company, it was important for us to give them what they wanted.”

Childcare.co.uk launched the world’s first mobile apps for finding childcare on both iPhone and Android in 2011 and their app was crowned one of the Best of 2012 by Apple.

The Amazon Alexa Childcare.co.uk skill is another world first and the company have submitted their work to a global Amazon Alexa Skills Challenge competition run by Devpost with prizes worth up to US$44,000.

Download the Childcare.co.uk Amazon Alexa Skill