Parents of college students are increasingly hiring mothers-turned-entrepreneurs to care for their children from afar, often spending thousands of dollars in the process.
This trend is particularly notable in states like Alabama, Georgia, and Texas, according to reports.
Take Carrie Eckhardt, for instance. She operates under the name Bama Mama and initially worked as an Uber driver at the University of Alabama. While driving students around, she found herself giving advice, which earned her the nickname Uber Mama.
From that experience, she started a Facebook group that quickly gained traction. Parents sought her help for tasks like picking up prescriptions, delivering treats, or orchestrating birthday surprises for their kids.
As the requests continued to pour in, Eckhardt developed two service packages for parents, along with customizable options available a la carte.
The basic package, dubbed “Essentials,” costs $999 per semester or $275 per month. This includes weekly laundry, grocery shopping, monthly cleaning, treat deliveries, and a basket gift at the semester’s end.
For those looking for more, the “Peace of Mind” premium package is available for $1,500 a semester or $425 a month. It includes everything in the Essentials package, plus a dozen cookies during the semester, an additional personal check-in, monthly sweets, and prioritized service access.
Extras like birthday deliveries, a care basket for sick days, and additional cleaning services are also offered.
Eckhardt, or Bama Mama, emphasizes that many students are far from home and lack a support community. Sometimes, she notes, it’s as much about the parents’ peace of mind as it is about their children.
Another entrepreneur, Mindy Horwitz, known as MindyKnows, has expanded her business to ten different campuses, from the University of Florida to UCLA. She allows local mothers to set their own pricing. One of her clients compared the service to surrogacy rather than a delivery service.
Horwitz pushes back against the notion that these mothers-for-hire are simply coddling young adults who are navigating independence for the first time. “We’re just a support system,” she clarifies.
A parent of one of Horwitz’s clients referred to the service as “insurance,” adding that it provides reassurance knowing there’s someone available if their child requires assistance while they can’t be there.
