About Us
Select Sitters was started in 2011 in Lynchburg, Virginia by Caleb and Kara Varnell. Kara was the "go to" sitter and nanny for her friends and family when she was in college, and she quickly saw a desperate need for childcare that she and Caleb couldn't meet on their own. What originally started out with contracting college students to provide date nights to families on the weekends, quickly grew into a full service babysitting and nanny placement agency servicing the Triangle and Wilmington areas of North Carolina.
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The Varnell's are NC natives, and knew they wanted to move back home to be closer to family, so they made the decision to move back to Raleigh. With that move came the birth of the Triangle branch of Select Sitters, and shortly after, they started the Wilmington branch as well, where the Varnell's frequent for business and fun in the sun!
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Select Sitters has an extensive list of babysitters who provide backup and on-demand care to our families, recurring babysitters for consistent needs, as well as a large pool of nannies looking to be placed part-time or full-time with families for long-term placements. Thank you so much for trusting us to care for your family!
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Meet The Team
Kara Varnell
Owner
Kara is the owner of Select Sitters. She is a mom of two rambunctious and sweet children. Luke who is 6, and Eliza who is 3 going on 13! She has worked in just about every role working with children in her career including: babysitter, summer nanny, live-in nanny, live-out nanny, date nights, overnights, and working with special needs. She has a Master’s degree in Human Services with a focus on Marriage and Family, and thoroughly enjoys building relationships with both her clients and nannies. Kara is married to her high school sweetheart Caleb, co-owner of Select Sitters, who is a Real Estate Attorney in Raleigh. In the very limited free time she has, Kara enjoys reading, baking, the beach, family game and movie night, and being outside.
Jessica Whitley
Operations Manager
Jessica is the Operations Manager, and has been working with Select Sitters since March of 2018. She's originally from Indiana, but moved to North Carolina five years ago to be with her husband. She has her A.A.S. in Veterinary Technology from Harrison College, and her B.A. in Communications from Southern New Hampshire University. She loves connecting with the families we serve, and always looks forward to interviewing potential babysitters to add to our team! Jessica enjoys working out, reading, cooking and baking, playing with her dogs, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.
Ashley Giampietro
Recruiter
Ashley is one of the newest additions to the Select Sitters team! She started in July of 2019 as a Nanny Recruiter. Since graduating from the University of Central Florida in 2010, she has worked in a variety of industries, including elementary and middle school teaching, training, child and animal welfare, and recruiting! She has a passion for the nanny and babysitting industry, as she is a former babysitter and nanny herself. In her free time, Ashley enjoys reading, traveling, trying out new restaurants (a true foodie at heart), and challenging her physical abilities in cycle, yoga, zumba, and kickboxing classes!
Mandy Foalima
Administrative Assistant
Mandy is a part of our administrative team. She started working for us in November of 2019. Mandy views listening to parents needs as the most crucial part of her role, so we can appropriately match families to our exceptional babysitters! Mandy is a former babysitter and nanny herself, so she looks forward to applying her experience and point of view to be a unique voice within our team and amongst our sitters! She is a recent Meredith College graduate where she studied Psychology and Communication. She enjoys exploring the Triangle, spending time with her loved ones and her sweet puppy Ollie!
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Marie is the newest addition to the Select Sitters team! She started in January of 2020 as a Nanny Recruiter, after moving from Michigan the previous summer. She was an elementary teacher for 20 years, and previously worked as an HR manager for an industrial computer manufacturing corporation. While being a mom of four adult children may remove her from the immediate need of childcare, it does not mean she cannot remember how imperative it was to find the proper care for her children. She is excited to be a part of that journey for the families we service. Marie enjoys traveling, spending lots of time on the beach, reading, watching anything on HGTV, but mostly just being with her friends and family.