A Rider Assistant is an additional adult who rides in the back seat of the car during a HopSkipDrive ride. The Rider Assistant is responsible for the rider — their comfort, safety, and wellbeing. This allows the CareDriver to focus their attention on driving and staying safe on the road.
Here's how the typical Rider Assistant ride works:
- The Rider Assistant meets the CareDriver at the starting location — usually the rider's school or the drop-off site.
- Together, they travel to the pickup location to get the rider.
- Finally, the Rider Assistant rides in the back seat with the rider to the drop-off location, then back to the starting location.
Some Rider Assistants are employees of CarePartner organizations that partner with HopSkipDrive, but CareDrivers can also serve as Rider Assistants in addition to CareDrivers by completing some additional requirements. You can also become certified as a Rider Assistant without being a CareDriver.
- To learn more about becoming a Rider Assistant, see this article.
- To learn more about the Rider Assistant role and responsibilities, see this article.