Our Verdict
Care.com is an affordable, accessible way to find a caregiver quickly and easily for both short and long term care.
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Care.com – Find Trusted Childcare Providers
- Compare and hire the best babysitter or nanny to fit your needs
- Choose from over 485,000 caregivers
- 29 million families have turned to Care.com
- Average star rating for child care providers is 4.6
- Developed with safety, advocacy and thought leadership in mind
Key Features
- Provides flexible solutions for caring for kids, seniors and pets, including on-demand options
- Background checks are performed on all caregivers, with the ability to purchase additional background check types through Care.com
- All providers are paid through a third party via Care.com
Care.com was founded in 2006 and launched in 2007 as an accessible platform for families to meet their childcare, senior care, pet care and housekeeping needs. Care.com is currently available in 17 countries and aims to make care accessible and affordable to people of all different backgrounds.
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Care.com at a Glance
- Care.com is very accessible, as it has a large user base and is available in 17 different countries
- Care.com is free to sign up, with premium options ranging from $12.95 per month for a standard annual membership to $38.95 per month with no further commitment
- Experience is quick and seamless, with some users having issues with automatic subscription renewals
How Does Care.com Work?
Care.com connects families with local caregivers, all of whom have been background-checked.
I began the sign-up process by sharing where I’m located, what kind of care I’m looking for and who needs care (I selected the “child” option). I then added information on when my child was born, which days I need care and whether I’m looking for a nanny or daycare.
When I went to my Care homepage, I was able to see the best nannies and recurring babysitters in my area (according to user ratings on Care.com) along with an option to upgrade to a premium version of Care.com in the upper right-hand corner.
Caregivers can start by clicking “Apply to Jobs” on Care.com. This leads to the enrollment page, where the caregiver can select “Individual” from the dropdown menu and can then share which types of jobs they’re interested in (nanny, senior care companion, etc). After completing a CareCheck background check, caregivers can fill out a profile and start their job search.
FEATURED PARTNER OFFER
Partner Offers feature brands who paid Forbes Health to appear at the top of our list. While this may influence where their products or services appear on our site, it in no way affects our ratings, which are based on thorough research, solid methodologies and expert advice. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services
Care.com Senior Care
- 100% of caregivers you can find on Care.com are background checked
- Browse caregiver profiles, read reviews and access background check options
- Trusted by over 3 million families
- Select from a list of nearby options
On Care.com's Website
How Much Does Care.com Cost?
Here’s a breakdown of how much Care.com costs, by membership option:
Tinder Plus | |
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Basic membership | Free |
Annual standard | $12.95 per month |
Monthly standard | $38.95 per month |
Annual premium | $19.95 per month |
Quarter premium | $29.95 per month |
You also have the option to purchase more in-depth background checks, per the company.
Here’s what each membership option includes:
Basic: With a basic membership, you can set up an account, post a job, view caregiver profiles and use certain resources Care.com provides, like hiring guides. However, to actually message providers, users need to upgrade to a paid version.
Annual standard and monthly standard: The standard paid version of Care.com offers access to messaging with a caregiver, hiring a caregiver, Care.com’s on-demand booking feature and deals and discounts.
Annual premium and quarterly premium: With a premium membership, users will get all the features of the basic membership, but with the ability to contact caregivers directly, interview them, hire them and use Care.com’s on-demand booking feature. They can also get unlimited access to criminal and motor vehicle checks and exclusive deals and discounts offered by Care.com.
What Experts Say
“Care.com is user-friendly and affordable,” says Megan Metzger, a childcare consultant and founder of Preferred Childcare. “It is the most well-known platform on the market and has many benefits,” she adds. “They have grown to offer a variety of services beyond childcare. You can now find pet sitters, tutors, special needs caregivers, elderly caregivers and more.”
Due to its popularity, Care.com has a large user base, says Metzger, which means you can find a caregiver quickly. On the provider’s end, “you have multiple positions to choose from, and that access makes it an attractive choice over the other platforms,” she says.
Need An Extra Hand?
Find part-time sitters, full-time nannies, and one-time care on Care.com.
The Experience
I have used Care.com in the past, and had a positive experience: I quickly found a reliable nanny who helped tremendously with my daughter’s development. When I signed up for Care.com more recently, I found the experience to be seamless and can see how user-friendly it is.
On review sites like Trustpilot and Better Business Bureau, users have one primary complaint: Their memberships auto-renew, and they have a hard time canceling them. “They will make it seem like you’re paying for a 30-day use period and then auto charge your Visa for as long as they can and then they will not refund you,” one reviewer wrote. Care.com’s Trustpilot rating is 1.2 stars out of 5 as of January 2024.
Although Care.com is not a Better Business Bureau-accredited business, users have filed complaints there, particularly about Care.com’s billing practices. “Upon reviewing my December 2023 credit card statement, I noticed a charge for $156 from Care.com. I haven’t actually ever used any of their care providers but did sign up several years ago and thought I had canceled the service,” another review wrote. “I contacted the vendor via online chat and explained that I don’t use the service and didn’t even know I had auto-renew enabled and asked for a refund…I was informed they would not consider a full refund and my case was closed.”
If you’re looking for a quick, easy way to hire a caregiver for any of your needs, Care.com can be a good option. With that in mind, on top of the general cost of childcare, some might find the fees associated with a Care.com membership to be too steep, and canceling your membership may be difficult.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is it worth it to pay for Care.com?
Users cannot message or hire caregivers using the basic version, so if a user would like to find a caregiver, it may be worth it to pay the membership fee.
Why does Care.com cost money now?
Care.com charges caregivers a screening fee so they can continue to invest in safety and technology, according to the company.
Is $10 an hour good for babysitting?
Rates for a caregiver vary depending on geographic location. In general, this rate is low—2024 data from Care.com found that the nationwide average is $19.15 per hour.