Tips for finding a babysitter New Year's Eve

1. Book your sitter ahead of time. Many teenagers and college students don't make plans until the last minute. Take advantage of this. Call them a few weeks before New Year's Eve and get on their schedule.

2. Post a note on Web sites like craigslist.com saying that you're in need of child care. Go to online babysitting sites, like sittercity.com, that list sitters and their availability.

3. Check the bulletin board in the waiting room at your pediatrician's office. Sitters and nannies often post cards or contact information.

4. Call your local community college or university's job office and ask for babysitting referrals. Chan says many students stick around campus during holidays or are from the local area and could be available.

5. Ask your regular sitter to suggest a friend or another referral if she isn't available for the holiday.

6. Find out if anyone at your child's day care, preschool or kindergarten is available to babysit or offer a referral.

7. Swap holidays with friends. One family watches the kids on New Year's Eve and the other family takes all the children on Valentine's Day.

8. Find or form a baby-sitting co-op with several families.