Child Companion
Age-appropriate companionship and supervised activities with a separately approved Family Buddy — games, reading, drawing, crafts, conversation and approved play. This is companionship, not clinical childcare.
Family Buddy
A little more support for the people who matter most.
Book an approved Family Buddy when you need another responsible person to spend time with, supervise or accompany someone in your family.
Sometimes you don't need a nurse, teacher or professional caregiver. You simply need another trustworthy person there.
Approved separately, for good reason.
Being an approved Buddy elsewhere on Hangout Buddies does not make someone a Family Buddy. Working with children requires its own review, and higher-risk services such as school pickup, transporting children, overnight care and specialised disability care are not offered.
What a Family Buddy can do
Homework & Reading Company
A Family Buddy can sit with a child while they read, complete homework or follow their normal study routine.
- A companion, not a professional tutor
Play & Activity
Games, drawing, crafts, age-appropriate activities and approved outings. What is allowed is set by the parent or guardian's instructions.
Short-Term Family Presence
A Family Buddy stays with an approved family member for an agreed period while the person who normally supports them is temporarily unavailable.
Family Check-In
Book someone to visit a family member and send you a simple update after spending time together — a social update, not a medical assessment.
Approved Accompaniment
Another responsible person to accompany a family member to an agreed, approved place — within the limits the family sets in advance.
When a booking involves a child
Parent or guardian information and authorisation are required, and the approved plan cannot be changed without it. A Family Buddy will never:
- use physical discipline
- introduce unauthorised third parties
- share images publicly without permission
- transport a child unless that service has been separately approved
- take a child to an unauthorised location