Meet the service ready to help transport your kids around town

If there’s one thing Kim Rome would appreciate, it’s avoiding comparing her new business offering transportation for kids to Lyft or Uber.

And it’s tempting to do just that.

But Boomerang is not Uber or Lyft for kids, Rome said.

“It’s a very different model,” she said. “Other than the drivers being contractors and using their own vehicles, that’s really where the similarity ends.”

For instance, when parents sign up through the Boomerang app, they can see which drivers are available and when. Beyond that, they can browse driver profiles, including their professional and child care experience. The parent selects an individual driver for the child’s ride, and the service also is an option for carpools.

“I’m a mother of four and grandma of one, and I treat everything about this business as if I were putting my own children in those vehicles, so safety is truly not a tagline for me. It’s No. 1 priority,” Rome said.

When the app officially launches May 2, parents will be able to book rides for kids age 5 to 17 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays with service in Sioux Falls and adjacent communities. The hope is for 24-hour notice, though shorter lead times potentially could be accommodated, Rome said.

Booster seats are provided, and if parents provide a car seat and a way to pick it up at a drop-off location, it can be used.

There are multiple layers of security within Boomerang, Rome said. They include a password system and app-centered technology that allows parents real-time tracking of the driver and lets Rome monitor driver behavior.

“The parent can see where the driver is at all times,” she said, adding there are notifications sent at pickup and drop-off.

“When a parent tries to schedule a ride and there aren’t drivers available, I will get notification to help me learn when demand peaks and when we need more drivers available.”

She hears from new applicants daily but has been deliberate in hiring, she said. There’s a 15-point process drivers must clear to be hired.

They must be at least 21, have a minimum of five years of caregiving experience and a vehicle at least 10 years older or newer. To learn more, click here. 

Before starting Boomerang, Rome spent 34 years at Citibank, primarily working in technology.

“I thought, what would I like to do in retirement? And I created my dream job,” she said.

Beyond on-demand service for parents, she also has been contacted by preschools, the Sioux Falls School District and the city of Sioux Falls as all continue to explore transportation options for kids.

The city’s perspective is “that this will be very organic in terms of word of mouth and spread very quickly once people understand it’s available,” Rome said. “It’s really to give a service that’s much-needed to the community.”