More relevant opportunities
We aim to connect you with families who are genuinely looking for the type of support you provide.
For professionals
Your work could be part of the network a family needed to find.
We’re building a trusted network of professionals across Porto and surrounding areas to support families through pregnancy, postpartum and the early stages of life with a baby.
We want to build it with professionals who feel they are part of Vila too — because a network only works well when the people providing support also feel respected, heard and valued.
If your work could be part of that support, we’d like to meet you.
Every application is reviewed by Vila before a professional joins the network.
Being part of Vila
A network should make sense for the people providing the care, too.
Vila exists to make finding support easier for families, but that cannot come at the expense of the professionals providing it. We want to build lasting relationships with the people in our network, understand what works, listen when something needs to improve and create a way of working that feels right on both sides.
Freedom to decide
Your availability matters. Receiving an opportunity never means you have to accept it.
A close relationship
We don’t want to be simply the platform that sends you a request. We want to understand your reality, hear your feedback and be there when something needs to be resolved.
A network built with care
Every professional goes through a selection and verification process before they can receive requests through Vila.
When Vila professionals are doing well, Vila is stronger — and families feel the difference too.
The Vila network
Different ways of caring. The same commitment to the families looking for support.
We’re building the network progressively, starting with some of the most important needs around pregnancy, postpartum and early family life.
Pregnancy and postpartum
- Doulas
- Pelvic health physiotherapists
- Breastfeeding support professionals
- Prenatal and postpartum massage professionals
Baby and family support
- In-home baby and family support
- Night nannies
- Babysitters
- Other family support professionals
Parental rights
- Professionals appropriately qualified to provide support in the relevant areas
Don’t see exactly what you do on this list?
If your work supports families during this stage of life and you believe it could have a place within Vila, you can still apply. We would rather meet a great professional than restrict the network to a fixed list of categories.
From first contact to the network
First, we get to know each other. Then we decide whether it makes sense to move forward.
You apply
Tell us who you are, the support you provide, your relevant experience and training, and the areas you work in.
We review your application
We look at the information you have shared and the elements that are relevant to the type of support you provide.
We speak with you
Before approval, we want to get to know you better, understand how you work and give both sides the opportunity to ask questions.
If it feels right, you join the network
Once the verification and approval process is complete, you may be considered for requests that match your profile.
We contact you when a relevant opportunity comes in
When a family asks for support that may fit your work, location and availability, we contact you to see whether you are interested.
You decide whether you want to move forward with each request.
Being part of the Vila network does not require you to accept every request and does not guarantee a particular volume of work.
On the same side
Looking after the people who care is part of Vila too.
A family’s experience cannot be separated from the experience of the professional supporting them.
We want Vila to be a network built on respect, communication and trust on both sides.
We want to hear from you
Feedback from the people in the network helps us understand what is working and where we need to do better.
Your availability matters
We don’t expect you to rearrange your life around every request. We aim to bring you opportunities that may fit your availability, and you always decide whether you want to move forward.
We don’t disappear when something goes wrong
If something does not go as expected, Vila should not simply leave the family and the professional to deal with it alone. We want to help find a fair and clear way forward.
We grow together
As the network evolves, we want the professionals within it to have a voice in how we improve the experience, our processes and the support Vila provides.
We don’t just want to work with you. We want to build a Vila that you’re proud to be part of.
Verified by Vila
A trusted network starts before the first request.
Every professional is verified by Vila before they can receive support requests.
The process is adapted to the type of service provided. Not every activity requires the same qualifications or checks, so we focus on what is relevant to each role.
Verified by Vila
Identity
We confirm who is behind the application.
Experience
We look at the professional’s background and relevant experience.
Qualifications
Where applicable, we verify training, certifications, professional registrations or other requirements relevant to the activity.
References
We may ask for references or other information that helps us understand the work you have previously carried out.
A conversation with Vila
Every professional speaks with us before approval. We want to know the person, understand how they work and how they approach supporting families.
We don’t just want to know your CV. We want to know the person behind the support.
Every request is different
We don’t send every request to everyone.
When a family comes to Vila, we try to identify the professionals in the network who may make the most sense for that particular request.
Type of support
The request needs to be compatible with the services you provide.
Location
We consider where you work and where the family needs support.
Availability
An opportunity only makes sense if you are available during the period the family is looking for.
Experience
Your background may make you particularly well suited to certain requests.
Family preferences
We try to respect what the family tells us matters to them.
A family can ask for you specifically.
They may have worked with you before, received a recommendation or simply prefer your support. Whenever possible, we will take that preference into account.
Information with a purpose
Enough to understand whether the request makes sense. No more than necessary.
When we share an opportunity with you, we provide the information you need to assess whether you have the availability, experience and interest to move forward.
This may include
- The type of support being requested
- The relevant location
- Preferred date or period
- Duration or frequency, where applicable
- Context needed to understand the request
- Relevant preferences shared by the family
Personal information is only shared when necessary for the process and according to the stage the service has reached.
On both sides
What we expect from each other.
A strong network cannot be built only around expectations for professionals. Vila also has responsibilities towards the people who choose to be part of it.
From professionals
Professionalism
Honour agreed commitments, timings and conditions.
Communication
Communicate clearly and let everyone know as early as possible when something changes.
Respect
Enter personal and family environments with care, discretion and respect.
Transparency
Be clear about experience, availability, conditions and the limits of the support you provide.
Quality
Only provide support for which you have the appropriate experience, preparation and, where required, qualifications.
From Vila
Clear communication
We aim to make requests, expectations and next steps easy to understand.
Respect for your time
Your availability matters and every opportunity remains your choice.
Useful information
We provide enough context for you to make an informed decision before accepting a request.
Transparent conditions
The terms associated with working through Vila should be clear before you decide to move forward.
Support when needed
We listen, stay involved and help when a situation needs to be resolved.
We want families to trust the professionals we introduce — and professionals to trust the way Vila works with them.
Frequently asked questions
Before you apply.
Do I have to accept every request?
No. When a suitable opportunity comes in, we contact you to check your availability and interest. You can accept or decline each request.
Does joining the network guarantee that I will receive requests?
No. The number of opportunities depends on what families are looking for, location, availability, the type of support required and how well each request fits the professionals in the network.
Does the family choose the professional?
Vila identifies options that may make sense and shares them with the family. The decision to move forward always belongs to the family, just as the decision to accept an opportunity always belongs to the professional.
Can a family request me specifically?
Yes. A family may already know you, have received a recommendation or want to work with you again. We will try to respect that preference whenever your availability allows.
What happens after I apply?
We review the information you send us and, if we believe your profile could be a good fit for the network, we contact you to continue the verification process and arrange a conversation.
Does submitting an application mean I will join Vila?
No. Every application is reviewed, and joining the network depends on completing Vila’s verification and approval process.
Join the network
First, we’d like to get to know you.
Tell us a little about yourself, your background and the support you provide. We review every application before inviting a professional to join the Vila network.
Submitting an application does not mean automatic approval.
Your application
Tell us a little about yourself.
You don’t need to prepare any documents at this stage. We want to start by understanding the support you provide, your background and the way you work.
In free-text fields, please avoid including identification documents, banking details, health information or personal information about other people.