How To Navigate Care.com's Background Check

Before potential caregivers on Care.com can see and apply for jobs, the platform requires the completion of a yearly background check, referred to as a CareCheck. Potential employers might also require additional background checks before hiring you. Read on to learn more about Care.com’s background check process! 

Can you see yourself as a caregiver on Care.com? Apply now to be a babysitter, senior caregiver, petsitter, or housekeeper. 

How do Care.com’s background checks work? 

There are two types of background checks for caregivers on Care.com. The first is Care.com’s initial, required background check, known as CareCheck. The completion of the initial background check is required before potential employers can see your profile and before you can apply for jobs on Care.com. If you have a Basic Care.com membership, you’ll pay for this yourself, but if you’re on the Premium plan, the fee is waived (read about the differences between plans here). 

The second type is comprised of additional background checks that careseekers may request on their own. Careseekers will pay the cost for these.  

Who performs background checks for Care.com?

CareCheck is completed by Care.com’s third-party background check vendor, Sterling. Potential caregivers must provide their legal name, Social Security Number, permanent address, and date of birth. Families who might see your profile do not see this information, nor do they see specific background check results — they only see that a check is completed and secure. 

A CareCheck includes the following searches: 

• Social Security number trace
• National Sex Offender Public Website search
• Multi-jurisdictional criminal database search 
• Federal and county criminal records search

Once this background check is completed with no problems, your profile will be approved, and a CareCheck badge will be displayed on your Care.com caregiver profile. You’ll also be able to start applying to caregiving jobs, and potential employers will also be able to see your profile. 

Caregivers are subject to a yearly recurring background check while actively using the Care.com platform, so if you keep working on Care.com, you’ll need to redo the background check in a year. 

Families are also allowed to request additional background checks for potential caregivers before hiring them. In the case that a family prefers to perform additional background checks before hiring, the families themselves are required to cover any associated costs. 

Before families can run any additional background checks, you need to give your permission — you’ll never be hit with a surprise background check you didn’t consent to. If a family requests additional background checks, the Care.com platform will inform you that someone has requested an additional check. From there, you can either accept or deny the request. 

How much do background checks on Care.com cost? 

Caregivers on the Basic membership plan pay for the initial background check (CareCheck) themselves. The cost of the background check varies by area— for example, the service was listed as $24.99 per year for caregivers in the New York City area at the time of writing. 

However, if you sign up for Premium membership, you can get the fee for the yearly background check covered as well as some additional perks. There’s also typically a discount for your first month of premium membership on Care.com.

As discussed above, potential employers can request additional background checks from potential caregivers. In this case, the potential employer covers all associated costs of the additional background checks. MaryKate Conway, a caregiver on Care.com for over 3 years, notes that "agreeing to these additional background checks can increase your chances of getting hired."

How long does the background check usually take? 

In most situations, Care.com’s initial background check, CareCheck, typically only takes a few days to be processed. Some individuals receive approval in as little as 24 hours, while others report they had to wait around two weeks to get approved. Certain situations such as recent name changes, providing incorrect information, or a recent relocation may delay the background check process. 

While there is no official way to check the status of the Care.com CareCheck, you can always email Care.com’s customer service. "If it has been over two weeks and your CareCheck has not been approved, reach out to customer service ASAP," recommends MaryKate.

However, since Care.com’s background checks are performed through third-party services, it’s unlikely that Care.com customer service will be able to help speed up the process. If there are other issues with your background check — for example, if you realize that you provided incorrect information on your background check — they may be able to help you reset the process. 

Keep in mind that the ability to use the Digital Assistant to chat with the Care.com MemberCare team is limited to Care.com users who pay for a Premium membership or anyone who has an active booking. Caregivers under Care.com’s Basic membership tier without an active booking will need to simply email customer service.

What are the Care.com background check requirements? 

Generally, CareCheck’s record searches span federal and county courthouse records to examine possible criminal records for the previous 7 years. CareCheck will not return findings on offenses committed before an individual turns 18 years old. Misdemeanors and felonies committed within the past 7 years will generally disqualify you from being eligible to use Care.com’s platform to find caregiving jobs. 

However, the additional background checks that families might request are more comprehensive. These include a much larger array of databases from which information can be pulled. These background checks can go back further in time (and can include offenses committed before age 18). They can also include reports on driving records, previous declarations of bankruptcy, and civil restraining orders filed by or against the caregiver. 

It is up to families whether they decide to continue the hiring process after the completion of additional background checks. If you are worried about something that might appear on these checks, it might be worthwhile to discuss this with your potential employer beforehand. 

"It is always better to be upfront and honest, even if it’s a moving violation. Doing this will help you build trust with the families," recommends Natalie Dodd, who has been using Care.com for over 3 years to find babysitting, pet sitting, and tutoring jobs. To this end, disclosing something on your record, even something as small as a moving violation, might be in your best interest when it comes to building trust with hiring families. 

You can also work on petitioning to have certain criminal, misdemeanor, or felony cases expunged, though this will likely take additional time and will depend on legal processes by state. It's not a quick process, but it can be worth it as it may help increase your chances of getting hired in the long run.

"However, it is always possible that the family you're interviewing with will be open to hearing what happened depending on the type of charge and give you an opportunity to explain yourself," says MaryKate.

Care.com’s background check, CareCheck, is performed yearly

If an offense (such as a felony or misdemeanor) is incurred after your initial Carecheck, Care.com may become aware of this. Care.com performs recurring yearly background checks for Caregivers to continue using their platform. 

If your profile is removed for any reason, you will be notified by the Care.com team. 

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Can you see yourself as a caregiver on Care.com? Apply now to be a babysitter, senior caregiver, petsitter, or housekeeper.