LA Parents, Rejoice: San Francisco's "Uber for Kids" Has Finally Arrived in SoCal

Photo: Kango

Raise your hand if you've ever daydreamed of cloning yourself for the sole purpose of chauffeuring your little ones around. If you're a parent in Los Angeles, we've got news for you: after launching its "Uber for kids" service in San Francisco two years ago, Kango has finally rolled out its trusted shuttles and childcare to LA.

Founded by CEO and Silicon Valley industry vet (and mom!) Sara Schaer and CTO Kaliyuga Sivakuamar, the startup's app allows parents to book same-day and pre-scheduled rides for themselves, nannies, and kids of all ages 7 days a week. Kango also accommodates carpooling — meaning you can have the driver pick up your kids' friends along the way. That's not all: in addition to calling up a car, Kango also allows parents to book childcare services. Plus, the app recently teamed with Chrysler to offer Pacific Hybrid minivans decked out with state-of-the-art technology.

"Many prospective customers [contacted] us from the SoCal/LA metro area requesting service from Kango as we are different from other options in the area," Schaer tells us. There was a clear demand for a service that would offer rides to kids under 6 years old and allow parents to request certain drivers, says LA-born Schaer, who adds that her own friends and family members also revealed their own need for trust-worthy and safe transportation options for getting their own kids to and from school.

Now, we know what you're thinking: how safe is it? In addition to passing Trustline certification, all drivers and sitters must successfully pass an in-person interview, two personal reference checks, background checks (including fingerprinting, sex offender and criminal searches across multiple states and counties, and other database searches), DMV checks, a full vehicle inspection, and more. Oh, and Knago also scored San Francisco magazine's Best of 2017 award for "Best Uber for Kids."

As far as pricing, the introductory service fee is $9 and ride fares vary depending on the mileage and time traveled. Similar to apps like Lyft and Uber, Kango provides an estimate before you officially book your ride, then charges you once the ride is complete (there's also a $16 minimum per ride). Sitting services range from $15 to $20 per child per hour.

Into it? Download the app here.