How can we help?

Private Mentorship is a marketplace platform that introduces families to self-employed Private Family Assistants. We curate and vet the roster; the day-to-day work happens directly between the family and the Assistant.

You browse the roster, request an introduction, meet your selected Assistant in a 3-way intake meeting facilitated by Private Mentorship, then begin the Engagement. We handle the booking, payment, and quality of the roster.

Every Assistant on the Platform has been interviewed in person by Private Mentorship and reference-checked. A current Criminal Record Check with vulnerable sector screening is mandatory — we see the check ourselves before an Assistant is introduced to any family, and no Assistant can begin without one. Standard First Aid + CPR-C is not required of everyone, and whether an Assistant holds it is shown on their profile so you can see it before you choose. Every Assistant has signed an independent contractor agreement with Private Mentorship.

Approximately 30% of applicants are invited to the roster.

Visit the Assistants ^soon page, browse the roster, and click "Request Introduction" on any profile. Private Mentorship will follow up by email within one business day to schedule a 20-minute intake call.

The intake call is a brief conversation between you and Private Mentorship. We learn about the family's situation, schedule, and what you are looking for. We confirm that the Assistant you have selected is the right fit — or, if not, we suggest alternatives.

After the intake call, we schedule a 30-minute 3-way meeting in person or by video — you, the Assistant, and Private Mentorship.

A typical agency employs caregivers, dispatches them on shifts, and adds significant overhead to your hourly rate. Private Mentorship operates differently: the Assistant is an independent contractor who works directly with you, on a schedule the two of you agree on, at a flat hourly rate.

We are responsible for the quality of the roster, the introduction, and the contractual framework. The Assistant is responsible for delivering the Services.

Once your Engagement begins, you and your Assistant agree on the days, times, and duration of sessions directly. Private Mentorship provides the platform with scheduling and messaging tools, but does not set or direct the schedule.

Each Engagement includes three Flex Tokens. A Flex Token is a single-use credit that lets you cancel or reschedule any session — including with short notice — without losing the hour from the Engagement balance. Tokens are pooled, so they cover any combination of cancellations and reschedules.

Flex Tokens reset at the start of each new Engagement and do not roll over.

After your three Flex Tokens are used, the standard rule applies:

· Cancellations or reschedules more than 24 hours before the scheduled start: no charge, the hour is preserved.
· Cancellations or reschedules less than 24 hours before the scheduled start: the hour counts as used.

Yes. Schedule changes are coordinated directly between you and your Assistant through the Platform's messaging. As long as the change happens with reasonable notice (24+ hours), there is no penalty.

If your Assistant cannot attend a session, the hour is rescheduled at no cost to you. If a Backup Assistant has been pre-cleared with you at the start of the Engagement, they may step in for individual sessions.

You always retain the right to decline a substitute and reschedule with your primary Assistant instead.

Standard Engagements are $30 per hour. Common contract sizes:

· 24 hours per month — $720
· 40 hours per month — $1,200
· Custom Plans (80 / 160 / 240 hours) — $2,400 / $4,800 / $7,200

You pay the full Engagement Fee through the Platform at the start of the Engagement. Payment is processed by Stripe.

The fee is split: 30% is Private Mentorship's Platform Fee. The other 70% is the Assistant's, and Private Mentorship never holds it. You pay once and the payment splits as you make it — 30% to Private Mentorship, 70% straight into your Assistant's own account, before their first session. Where Private Mentorship has agreed you may pay another way, you pay your Assistant their 70% directly and Private Mentorship its 30% separately.

The Platform Fee covers vetting and recruitment of every Assistant, payment processing, the booking and messaging platform, ongoing introduction to qualified families, dispute resolution, and the contractual framework that makes the engagement secure for both sides.

For Custom Plans III and IV (engagements over $5,000), bi-weekly billing is available on request. Please ask during the intake call.

Standard 24-hour and 40-hour Engagements are paid upfront.

Hours unused at the end of an Engagement period roll forward as bank hours you can use later, or into a new Engagement by mutual agreement. They are not refunded for cash — see section 6 of your Client Engagement Agreement, which is the binding version of this rule.

Each Assistant's profile lists their specialties. Common categories include: tutoring and academic support, life skills, senior support, disability support, programs and funding navigation, appointments and advocacy, and general family operations. Discuss specifics with your Assistant during the introduction meeting.

You do. The family directs the day-to-day work in the home. Private Mentorship does not supervise sessions or dictate how the Assistant delivers the work. If you would like the Assistant to focus more time on a particular area, simply ask them.

Yes, within their specialties and within the agreed hours. If the task is significantly outside their stated specialties (for example, a complex medical task), discuss it with the Assistant first. Tasks that require additional time beyond your booked hours should be booked through the Platform.

Tipping is not expected. The Engagement Fee is the agreed compensation. If you would like to acknowledge exceptional work, a thank-you note or a small holiday gift is more in keeping with the spirit of the relationship than cash tipping.

If your Assistant cannot personally attend a session, they may arrange for another vetted Assistant from the Platform roster to attend in their place — but only with your prior approval. You are entitled to meet the Backup before agreeing. We recommend pre-clearing one Backup at the start of every Engagement.

Message your Assistant directly through the Platform. If a Flex Token is available, the change is free of charge. If your Flex Tokens have been used and the change is within 24 hours of the scheduled session, the hour counts as used.

Yes. Either you or your Assistant may end the Engagement at any time. Unused hours are either credited toward an Engagement with a different Assistant on the Platform, or held as bank hours you can use later. See section 6 of your Client Engagement Agreement, which is the binding version of this rule.

If you are experiencing repeated short-notice cancellations from your Assistant, please contact Private Mentorship. We will review the pattern and either work with the Assistant directly or suggest a switch.

Yes, at any time. Unused hours from your existing Engagement are credited against a new Engagement with the replacement Assistant. There is no penalty.

Tell us. Private Mentorship will speak with both parties and either resolve the issue, switch you to a different Assistant on the roster, or refund the unused portion of your Engagement Fee.

Assistants are self-employed and carry their own insurance where the work calls for it. Whether insurance is needed is assessed case by case — during the briefing after your onboarding and at your introduction — based on the support you are asking for. Where an Assistant holds cover, it is shown on their profile. Notify Private Mentorship immediately if something is damaged and we will help you contact the Assistant.

For any immediate safety concern, call 911 first. Then notify Private Mentorship as soon as practicable. We take all safety concerns seriously and will investigate within 24 hours.

The contact form at the bottom of this page reaches us directly. For urgent matters, email support@privatementorship.ca. We respond to all messages within one business day.