Hop Skip Drive: Ride-share company for kids launches in Phoenix
PHOENIX (FOX 10) - It's very similar to the other ride-share companies that we are all so familiar with, but Hop Skip Drive focuses specifically on kids ages 6 and up.
"My first ride was really easy, I pick up a girl, took her to her physical therapy," Juliana DeSanctis said.
DeSanctis started a new job this week.
"If they are older we have to put a booster seat, make sure everything is clean and get prepared for the car, even the music, like I personally play Disney music,"she said.
The mother of three knows how busy life can be, so she's helping parents who need an extra lift. She's driving for Hop Skip Drive.
"Rides are scheduled at least eight hours in advance, which gives us time to match a driver to a ride -- you get a picture and a profile of the drivers," Joanna McFarland said.
Co-founder and CEO, Joanna McFarland started the business out of need -- she's a mom of two.
"You go online, you go on the app, you can create an account in just a few minutes and you book a ride for your child," she said. "You book a ride in advance. You get a picture and a profile of the driver."
McFarland says the service had to be safe enough for her kids, so it's safe for yours.
"You get notifications the entire ride, you can track the ride live," she said. "We also have a safe ride support team that is monitoring every ride live in real-time to make sure that kids get to where they need safely."
Care drivers like Juliana go through a 15-point certification process. They have to have five years of caregiving experience, they're fingerprinted and background checked, they're driving records are checked, and they meet with the team before they're hired.
"I already have the entire month scheduled for August for a pick-up and drop off and that's going to start on Monday," she said.
Hop Skip Drive officially launched in the Phoenix area on July 30.
There are 100 drivers and 1,000 people have already signed up for the service.
Hop Skip Drive
www.hopskipdrive.com