SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Being a parent can sometimes feel overwhelming. From long work days, kids soccer practice, and keeping up with errands, the juggling act can be hard to keep up.
"I'm on different projects all the time," said Keisa Steele a single mom balancing work life and her teenage daughter Danielle's schedule.
Steele turned to Kiddie Commute. A Rideshare startup based in San Diego that takes care of the pickups and drop-offs for parents.
"If I can have somebody who can help with one task that I can rely on... I think that's great," Steele said.
Shan Cureton created the company. She came up with the idea after struggling to keep up with her college classes at San Diego State University and keeping up with her own kids' busy schedules.
"I had a high schooler, middle schooler and a kinder...It was challenging," Cureton said.
Cureton said her company is a way to help parents who need an extra hand.
"We have some single parents who are just working a couple jobs and not necessarily able to transport their children...We have some who are lawyers who are always in the court, and they just need to depend on us," Cureton said.
New rideshare services also provide an opportunity for people to make extra income for their families.
Debbie Lopez is a stay a home mom and her husband works to provide for the entire family. Lopez looked to rideshare as a way to help out. She makes around $800 bucks of additional income a month.
"I feel like I'm just a mom giving other moms help by bringing their kids to school or practice, or just bringing them safely home," Lopez said.
However, putting your child in a car with strangers can be scary for parents.
Lainie Carswell who uses Hop Skip Drive, another rideshare service for kids in San Diego, admits she was uneasy with the idea at first.
"I mean I'm putting my children in a car with a total stranger ...I was like how fast will she drive, I wonder if my kids will feel comfortable and they both loved it," Carswell said.
Both Kiddie Commute and Hop Skip Drive say their drivers go through an extensive hiring process which includes background checks, fingerprinting, in-person interviews, GPS tracking, drier training and constant monitoring by the Department of Justice. These are just a few of the things these rideshare companies are doing to ensure the parent feels comfortable with the service and children are safe.
Whether your someone looking for ways to make money or a parent in need of additional help, rideshare for kids may soon become the norm.
With the new school year here both companies are looking to hire drivers to keep up with the demand. They both have different packages you can look into for pickups and drop-offs.
The San Diego Office of Education just awarded Kiddie Commute a contract to transport the foster youth of San Diego and will be looking for additional drivers to take on that project as well.
