Regarding child care or dog boarding, depending on your friends and family is a great way to go, but it severely restricts your alternatives. Sites like Sittercity and Care.com have made finding a babysitter a breeze in the digital era.
Care.com’s ease of use is what first draws families to it, but many are wary due to concerns about the site’s security and reliability.
All you need to know about Care.com will be covered in this post, including how to choose trustworthy and safe care for your family.
What is Care.com and how does it work?
Families and carers throughout the world use Care.com to find each other. Caregivers such as nannies, dog sitters, senior caregivers, and caregivers for those with special needs can all be found on Care.com.
All you have to do as a caregiver is fill out your free profile with your contact information, education, and any background checks you’ve completed. Then you can look through the jobs that families have posted and get in touch with the one most closely matches your skills and interests.
There is a charge for requesting a background check, but if you want to connect with families on Care.com, you’ll first need a Care.com Caregiver membership. Similar to if you’re an individual looking for a caregiver, you can post a position for free, but you’ll need a paid membership to answer.
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Is Care.com a legitimate service?
No, Care.com is not a scam. It is estimated that Care.com has helped 22 million people find in-home caregivers in over 20 countries worldwide.
There have been accusations of unethical people using the platform to contact families and carers alike, even though it is valid. Because Care.com does not require background checks, troublemakers are bound to show up.
It is for this reason that caregivers and family members are always urged to do their research before making any commitments.
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Is Care.com reliable?
Care.com is a dependable resource for locating the greatest possible family caregivers. Care.com, like any other social networking site that allows users to communicate with each other, will inevitably be attacked by individuals with evil intent.
An online interview, reference checks, and background checks are essential before meeting face-to-face with a potential caregiver or family member.
An optional background check for carers is available through Care.com and costs between $59 and $300. Families should request a copy of a caregiver’s background check letter from their prior workplace if they already have one.
In the case of families, there is no such screening process. Therefore, speaking with the family, you will be working or living with is critical before agreeing to any employment arrangements.
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Is Care.com safe to use?
As with any online resource, you’ll encounter a diverse group of users, the most of whom are sincerely looking for a job or a caregiver match. Dishonest people lurk on this and other social networking sites, waiting for an opportunity to defraud others.
Care.com users have stated that scammers have used fake IDs to post fake jobs to obtain your personal information, either for their gain or to waste other people’s time.
Occasionally, sitters have provided inaccurate information regarding their qualifications (such as CPR training or knowledge of Montessori learning methods), and Care.com has failed to verify such claims.
Because Care.com doesn’t need a background check as part of their induction procedure, anyone who wants to make a few more dollars can create a caregiver profile. Poor childcare services have come from admitting unfit and incompetent sitters, which has left families with distrust.
Care.com’s background check is a great approach to show that you’re a reputable and trustworthy caregiver. Protecting your personal information and only releasing it with your permission is equally vital.
9 Care.com safety tips for using the service
Care.com does an excellent job of connecting families and caregivers, despite some customers’ reservations about safety in the past. Care.com also has many success stories to back up its claims. You can find good care for your family if you use the service with caution and care.
Care.com safety tips for parents
When searching for and shortlisting individuals on Care.com, keep the following suggestions in mind as a family.
1. Perform your due diligence
Regardless of whether the caregiver has authorized background checks on their Care.com profile, you should always request letters of recommendation and criminal background check results from past employers before hiring them. You can learn more about the individual you’re inviting into your house by speaking with their past employer if they have one on file.
Until you’ve made up your mind about a particular applicant, it’s best not to give out your contact information to them. You don’t want to expose your family to the risk of death threats, robbery, or any other kind of harm.
3. Always schedule an online interview or a meeting at a public location
Schedule a quick consultation with each candidate once you’ve narrowed the field to a manageable number. Based on their responses, you can then decide if they are the right person for the position. If an online interview does not make you feel at ease, try scheduling a meeting in a public place like a park or a coffee shop.
You should always check the caregiver’s social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) to verify their identity. With fewer security filters on their profile, you’ll be able to look into the company they maintain, the groups they’re affiliated with and the political or religious connections they may have.
5. Draw out a contract to have everything in writing
Once you’ve found the perfect caregiver for your family, get them to sign a contract, so everything is official. To show the applicant that you are taking this relationship very seriously and safeguarding your family, do this.
Care.com safety tips for sitters
The following advice can assist you in finding the ideal family to provide care for while reducing your risk of falling victim to con artists and fraudsters.
Always insist on interacting with possible employers via email first, rather than revealing your phone number immediately while you are having conversations with potential employers. You may schedule a meeting to take place on Zoom or utilize Skype to communicate with members of the family.
2. Always request an online interview
When it comes to family caregiving, knowing who you’ll be working for is crucial because it’s a two-way street where everyone should feel at ease. Interviewing with a family online is the most secure way to learn about the position, the family, and any other facts you could need to begin your new employment.
3. Make sure you have all the information about the family
You should get to know the rest of the family if you’re spending a lot of time at your employer’s house. A 75-year-old woman lives with her daughter and two cats, and you may be applying for a position as a caregiver. Even if the money and benefits are great, you won’t be able to work with cats if you have an allergy to them.
4. Always leave the contact information of your employer with a trusted family member
A safety precaution is to tell a family member where you work and how they can contact you if you lose your cell phone signal. In an emergency, your employer should also be aware of your contact information.
We shouldn’t stop utilizing the internet because we’re worried about our online safety. Ordering a pizza or finding a babysitter are just two examples of how social networking sites make life easier. Is Care.com safe?
We hope this article had answered the question you had in mind when you started reading it. You can now confidently use Care.com to provide your family with the best care.