SilverSitting – Caregiver Discovery Platform

SilverSitting is a childcare discovery platform that helps parents find senior caregivers independently. No agency middleman, no algorithmic matching. Parents browse, search, and contact providers directly, then arrange everything on their own terms.

I built the entire platform from scratch and deployed it on AWS.

Finding reliable childcare, especially from experienced senior caregivers, typically depends on word-of-mouth referrals or scattered Facebook groups. There was no centralized, trustworthy place for parents to discover senior childcare providers and reach out directly.

The client needed a platform that clearly positioned itself as a discovery tool, not a childcare agency. That distinction shaped every design and architecture decision.

The platform had to feel trustworthy enough that parents would use it to find someone to care for their children, while making it functionally clear that SilverSitting doesn't select, verify, or assign caregivers. It connects people and gets out of the way.

This meant the UX had to guide parents through a self-directed discovery flow: search, browse profiles, review available information, and initiate contact. No automated matching, no recommendations engine. The platform empowers parents to make their own informed decisions.

Parent-facing discovery flow – A clean search and browse experience where parents can find senior childcare providers based on available criteria. The interface is designed to be intuitive for non-technical users, many of whom are parents in a hurry.

Profile and listing structure – Caregiver profiles with relevant information that parents need to make contact decisions. Built with a flexible MongoDB schema so the client can expand profile fields over time without restructuring the database.

Direct contact system – Parents reach out to caregivers directly through the platform. No intermediary, no approval queue. The platform facilitates the connection and steps back.

Responsive, modern UI – Built with Next.js and Tailwind CSS for a fast, mobile-friendly experience. Childcare searches happen on phones between school pickups, so mobile performance was a priority.

Scalable backend – Node.js and Express.js API with MongoDB, structured so future features like messaging, verification flows, subscriptions, or location-based filtering can bolt on without rearchitecting.

This wasn't a "deploy to Vercel and done" project. The client needed proper cloud infrastructure for a European audience:

AWS EC2 – Application hosting with server configuration tuned for the expected traffic patterns.

AWS S3 – Storage for profile assets, images, and platform media.

Load balancing – Set up for reliability during traffic spikes, especially around seasonal childcare demand.

Cost optimization – Configured the infrastructure to stay efficient long-term. For a startup-stage platform, keeping AWS bills predictable matters as much as uptime.

Frontend: Next.js, React, Tailwind CSS

Backend: Node.js, Express.js

Database: MongoDB

Cloud: AWS EC2, S3, Load Balancer

SilverSitting launched as a fully functional childcare discovery platform serving parents across Europe. The architecture is built to grow: the client can add verification workflows, premium subscriptions, messaging, or geo-filtering without rebuilding the foundation.

The project covered the full spectrum from frontend to production infrastructure: UI development, backend architecture, database design, AWS deployment, load balancing, and cost optimization.