Care.com Review

 With the kind of stories that you hear these days, asking just any person around the block to babysit your kids while you have to work late or enjoy a party on a weekend is not something that you can do these days. So when Sarah turned 6, we started to wonder how we should go about finding a reliable, experienced and responsible babysitter for her. We did not want to look through newspaper listings because anyone can put an ad in the newspaper, and there is no guarantee these people are trained or who they say they are.

My wife and I looked online and found Care.com, and instinctively knew this solution was a far safer route to take. The company not only provides babysitters but also aids in finding people who can care for seniors or pets or do housework, which is good to know in light of the frailty of my wife’s aging father.

How Care.com Works

The manner in which Care.com works is extremely simple. All you have to do is to sign up (this is free). Once you have done so, you can either put up an ad for a baby sitter detailing your specific requirements or contact babysitters that are already listed in the database. In each case you can choose to interview the babysitter that applies or simply choose from the list. The website also provides background checks and references on request for free.

Our Experience

When we registered with care.com, we chose to put up our own ad since we had specific time requirements and wanted to hire someone who was comfortable with the times we required. We also requested for babysitters in a specific area to contact us since we did not want them living too far away. We received 5 applicants and chose a couple from the list, which we interviewed. It was a tough call but ended up choosing Rita, a very pleasant and as it turns out reliable young lady with first aid experience.

The Benefits of Using Care.com

Care.com gave us massive peace of mind. We found a responsible and trained baby sitter and ensured that background checks were done. We also had the option of a babysitter on call in case the babysitter cancelled at the last minute, and we can still use this option if Rita isn’t available. And all this comes for a premium membership of only $30 per month.

The website is user friendly and takes care of entire process within the click of a few buttons. Being busy people, my wife and I feel that the service is very convenient, affordable and trustworthy. The background checks, feedback and ability to interview instills confidence in the process and you can be sure that your child is in able and safe hands when you need to go out.