Your kids or mine?

As parents face reduced work hours, lower wages, layoffs and uncertainties stemming from the recession, a growing number of families are turning to babysitting swaps to reduce what they pay local teenagers and college students to look after their children.

To be sure, parents have partnered to share the load of child care for years, but the economy has broadened the appeal. Traditional babysitters say business is down and some offer to work for lower rates to encourage parents seeking savings during the recession to use their services. But co-op costs can be hard to beat.

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