Mom-Created “HopSkipDrive” To Bring Transportation Solution For Busy Urban Families
BY SHALEEN DESTEFANO
Families in Wash Park and surrounding neighborhoods have seen major growth in the past few months alone. One major area of change has been the traffic build-up. As a working mother of three, this is just one of the major hurdles in my shuffling of kids to practice, school, play dates and every other activity in the book. Sure, it’s only the beginning of August, however reality is going to set in before we know it with the start of school in a few short weeks. But, wait, hold the phone, Denver area parents’ lives are about to get a little easier with the launch of HopSkipDrive, Colorado’s first-ever ride service for kids. A new solution for busy Denver parents, HopSkipDrive is a safe and dependable ride service that helps parents get their kids where they need to go when they’re not able to do so themselves.
As the current go-to solution for busy parents in Southern California and San Francisco, HopSkipDrive has expanded services to Colorado – its first market outside of California. Founded by three working moms, HopSkipDrive offers safe, convenient and dependable rides for kids. With real-time monitoring, the highest industry safety standards, and experienced caregivers (aka CareDrivers), parents can rest assured that their children will arrive safely at their destinations. Since launching three years ago, HopSkipDrive has delivered hundreds of thousands of rides.
“I was raised in Denver, and witnessed first-hand the challenges my family and others faced in trying to get their kids everywhere they needed to be,” said HopSkipDrive co-founder and CEO Joanna McFarland. “Denver has changed since I grew up here, and with the incredible innovations around school choice many Denver families face daily challenges getting kids to and from their schools and after-school activities. Other ride-sharing services are not allowed to service any passengers under 18 by themselves, so I’m thrilled that we are expanding to my own hometown to help families here the way we’ve helped thousands of families in California. We built this company with our own children in mind, and as mothers we understand that today’s busy families need a dependable ride service to help them get kids where they need to be, with safety embedded into every aspect of the service. CareDrivers don’t just rush off to their next pickup, they follow customized instructions and adhere to the strictest safety standards in addition to good caregiver sense.”
Denver families can now schedule rides for kids ages six and older online or through the HopSkipDrive app. Once the ride is matched to a CareDriver, parents receive a picture and bio to share with their rider(s). Parents receive notifications at pickup and drop-off, a personalized secret code word for their rider, live monitoring throughout their child’s ride, and a dedicated customer service team committed to getting kids to their destinations safely and on time. Rides start at $15, and carpool rides can be as low as $6 with multiple families in the car. A fare estimator is accessible via the Hop Skip Drive website https://www.hopskipdrive.com/pricing-denver.
“I have been desperate to figure out how I can do a job I love and get my kids to all of their things. Their background checks are more than I did for babysitters. HopSkipDrive is a lifesaver,” said Kristen H., HopSkipDrive user and mom to 11 year-old Olivia.
“HopSkipDrive is a game changer – from moms able to keep their jobs or re-enter the workforce, to kids who don’t have to give-up their favorite after-school activities or are now able to attend their school of choice on the other side of town – we look forward to becoming a trusted solution for Denver families and schools,” said McFarland. “Colorado is leading the charge in public education through open enrollment to give students the opportunity to attend the schools that best meets their needs. However, this can create challenges for working parents who may have to drop off kids at multiple schools while trying to get to work on time.”
HopSkipDrive has driven to almost 3,000 schools and partners with hundreds of schools to create customized transportation solutions that include daily transport to and from school, as well as recurring transport to athletic events and extracurricular activities. These solutions help increase enrollment while saving money that schools can funnel back into serving kids.
“Taxi-ing the kids around is a full-time job. I heard about HopSkipDrive a few months ago, signed up and I’ve been waiting for it every day. Our family plans to use this service all the time,” said Michael M., a Denver dad.
Currently, HopSkipDrive is available for families whose rides originate within the following communities: Belcaro, Bonnie Brae, Capitol Hill, Cherry Creek, Congress Park, Country Club, Curtis Park, Five Points, Golden Triangle, Harvey Park, Highlands, Hilltop, Krisana Park, LoDo, Lowry, Montclair, Park Hill, Platte Park, Regis, RiNo, Sloan’s Lake, Stapleton, Sunnyside, University Park, Uptown, Washington Park and Whittier. Services will expand throughout the Front Range within weeks, and plans are in the works to expand to Boulder and Colorado Springs within months.
HopSkipDrive is the leading ride service for kids, and was founded by three working moms who were looking to solve their own transportation challenges. Women after my own heart. This solution makes it easy for parents to schedule rides with fully vetted CareDrivers through the app or on the web, then track the rides in real time. Schools and organizations also partner with HopSkipDrive to offer flexible ride-share transportation options for families. All CareDrivers have more than five years of caregiving experience and must pass a selective 15-point certification process, including extensive background checks, vehicle inspection, fingerprinting, DMV checks and in-person screenings. HopSkipDrive tracks and monitors every ride in real time with a team of dedicated safety specialists. All of their safety standards meet my toughest of guidelines, and I am a known worrier. So if you are like me, an active parent with multiple children going in different directions, and you need a little help, check out Hop Skip Drive at www.hopskipdrive.com or download the iOS or Android App. Or maybe, you’re a parent who is about to gain some freedom once school starts and you want to earn a little spending cash, they are looking for drivers as they expand and you can apply here https://www.hopskipdrive.com/driver-sign-up. Any way you look at it, this is a win for Denver families. Welcome to Colorado Hop Skip Drive!