FAQs

For Students

What is MD COVIDsitters? 

MD COVIDsitters is a voluntary initiative, organized by medical students and other volunteers. Our mission is to support local healthcare workers with urgent household needs during the coronavirus pandemic. MD COVIDsitters is not affiliated with or officially endorsed by any academic institution.

Who will I be helping?

MD COVIDsitters supports health care workers, including doctors, nurses, other hospital staff, technicians, paramedics, cafeteria workers etc. Many of these professionals are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response.

Though MD COVIDsitters will take every precaution to protect our volunteers, there is a risk of exposure to the virus while volunteering with families. Please know that MD COVIDsitters also cannot verify the information provided or run background checks on families requesting support. We cannot guarantee your health or safety while volunteering!

What will I be asked to do?

Our volunteers can provide: childcare services (babysitting and/or tutoring for children of all ages), pet-sitting, as well as assisting with grocery shopping, light housekeeping, or other errands in/at the home of a healthcare worker. When completing the application, you can specify what tasks you are comfortable doing and other preferences.

Keep in mind, many healthcare workers work odd hours including nights and weekends. Please consider what you are comfortable with, and what your weekly schedule allows for. How many hours you wish to devote to volunteering is completely your choice.

Will I be paid for my work?

No. Services are offered free of charge to healthcare professionals.

If you are asked to make purchases (e.g. buy groceries) for your volunteer family, please clarify how you will be reimbursed with the family prior to completing the task.

What if I get paired with a family and their requests are outside of my comfort zone or the hours are too much for me to handle?

The health and wellbeing of our volunteers is top priority. If you are uncomfortable with a particular request or have concerns about the family you were matched with, you are under no obligation to accept the assignment. Please notify us of any concerns or conflicts that arise, so that we take appropriate action.

If you are having trouble completing requests because of scheduling conflicts, please email us at info@mdcovidsitters.org and we will work with you and the family to either come up with a plan that works for everyone or match you with a new family.

What is MD COVIDsitters doing to limit the spread of the virus?

All student volunteers are required to follow the current CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus and review the COVID-19 Curriculum developed by Medical Students at Harvard.

  • Wash your hands frequently

  • Avoid touching your face and eyes

  • Practice strict social distancing and isolation during and outside of volunteering

Per recent CDC guidelines, we advise that volunteers wear cloth face coverings when entering groceries, pharmacies, etc. where social distancing is difficult.

Each volunteer will only be assigned to one family to limit cross-family exposures, and may only care for children from the same household (i.e. siblings, live-in relatives).

We also ask volunteers to personally document travel location, hours of service, and the people present at every volunteer shift. This will allow us to know who to contact in case of a possible exposure.

Students are not allowed to volunteer if they:

  • Have travelled recently to known COVID-19 high-risk areas (China, most European countries, Iran, etc.)

  • Have travelled recently to known COVID-19 high-risk states with states with positivity rates of 10% or higher, as per the MDH public health advisory.

  • Been in recent contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus

  • Has experienced a fever, coughing, shortness of breath or other COVID19-related symptoms in the last 2 weeks.

  • Are in frequent contact with the elderly or other high-risk populations

  • You have existing medical conditions that place you in at-risk category (asthma, diabetes, etc.)

  • Are not fully immunized.

We ask participating healthcare professionals and their families to inform volunteers and MD COVIDsitters as soon as possible, if anyone in the household displays COVID-19 symptoms or tests positive, so that appropriate action can be taken to avoid further spreading the virus.

If you have further questions regarding our policies for volunteers and families, please email mdcovidsitters@gmail.com

What do I do if a family no longer needs my help?

We are grateful for your continued help! We ask that you isolate yourself for at least 7 days before applying to help a new family. If you or your previous family develop COVID-19 symptoms, please inform us soon as possible so that we can take appropriate action and temporarily remove you from the volunteer pool.