Parents are hiring 'moms' to iron sheets and make beds for their college students away from home

• Some parents are sending their kids off to college with a hired helper — and it comes at a price.
• Professional "moms" offer help with classes, care packages, and doctor visits, the WSJ reports.

If you're nervous about shipping your teenager off all alone to a new state for college, there are professional "moms" offering their nurturing services — for a fee.

Some parents are hiring people to shop for their kids' dorm room items, make their beds, and wash their clothes while they're at college or boarding school, The Wall Street Journal reported.

It's a perk that will cost $450 for an academic year, plus additional fees, at one service; another charges clients thousands of dollars.

Freshmen college students often rely on their parents to help with moving in and getting settled into their new dorm, but not all parents are able to be so involved in their children's transition into adulthood. For financial or geographical reasons, some students have to do it alone.

That's where services like Concierge Services for Students and mindyKnows come into the picture — at least for parents who can afford it: They can now hire someone to help share the load.

"A lot of parents feel anxious that they don't have access to their kids when there is need," Shari Brooks, director of marketing for mindyKnows, told Insider.

Mindy Horwitz, owner of mindyKnows, has a team that provides "peace of mind for college families" for $450 per academic year, plus delivery fees.

The "moms," who live in the area of the campuses they serve, are there as a resource for students who don't have a support system nearby. They've delivered medicine in snowstorms, received sensitive documents in the mail for safekeeping, and dressed students for job interviews, Brooks said.

Delivery fees on top of the annual fee at mindyKnows vary depending on the campus locations, but they start at $35 at Washington University in St. Louis. A rush fee of $25 is applied to requests made with less than a 36-hour notice. Annual members are billed $60 per hour for services that are considered extra, like packing, shopping, and organizing.

Parents trust the campus "moms" to step in and provide a nurturing presence without infantilizing their adult-age kids, Brooks told Insider. Sometimes, that means a member of the mindyKnows team finding a doctor for someone else's kid because their parents live hours away.

Her clients can book services for a month, a semester, a school year, or all four years of school, the mindyKnows website says.

Students can receive care packages when they're sick, birthday gifts, and overall guidance from mindyKnows. They also serve as "local experts on the ground," Brooks told Insider.

The near-campus near-parents come as Gen Zers are avoiding hustle culture and opting to "rot in bed" instead — and as internships are getting more competitive. The companies that make money from standing in as parents also offer academic support in addition to doing chores for students, according to the Concierge Services for Student website.

Brooks told Insider that the goal is to be a bridge between parents and students for those who need the extra support.