Last spring, I interviewed the founder of CareSquare, an online service that matches families with caregivers (babysitters and nannies) in their area. Now, a new entrant joins this field, Care.com.
As with CareSquare, the usefulness of the service depends largely on where one lives. In a small town or remote location, there may not be as many providers from whom to choose, especially while the services are still ramping up. Still, if you can find a provider in your area, both services let you view profiles and review recommendations for care providers, as well as submit your own comments (and I recommend that LGBT families always include a comment when they find an LGBT-friendly—or hostile—provider).
Care.com is the more full-featured provider, matching families with pet sitting, senior care, and tutoring services as well as babysitters and nannies. It allows providers to include videos as well as photos in their profiles. Those searching for services can also do a background check on providers (with the provider’s approval) that includes verification of name, address and Social Security Number, and a search of state and county criminal records, including sex offender registries. (CareSquare says this feature will be coming soon.)
CareSquare, however, has the better scheduling feature, with an online calendar that lets people book care directly, or find providers that are available for a specific day or time. With Care.com, you can contact the provider through their site, but must use the back-and-forth of messages to schedule service. CareSquare also lets you store profiles about your kids, including allergies and emergency contact information. (This information is only visible to the caregivers you have booked, unless you choose to allow others to view it.) The other big plus is that it’s free (the matching service, not the care itself). Care.com has a free basic membership that lets people search the database, review caregiver profiles, and receive e-mail alerts when new providers in their areas join Care.com. Basic Members cannot, however, contact caregivers, request background checks, or review references. Those who want these features must become Premium Members for $10 per month, plus a $30 sign-up fee, or $100 per year with no sign-up fee.
Which to choose? It depends on your needs. If you need more than just child care, then Care.com is the way to go. If you want background checks, you must also use Care.com’s Premium service, at least until CareSquare catches up. If you want a service that lets you arrange appointments with caregivers you already know, however, you may prefer CareSquare’s scheduling features and not need the background checks. If your care needs are infrequent, too, you may not want to pay for a Care.com membership.
Regardless of which you use, it’s good to see two competitors in this space, pushing each other to get better. That will benefit us all.
(This review was at the request of Mom Central Consulting, which gave me a three-month sample membership (a $60 value) to Care.com and a $20 gift certificate to Amazon.com for doing the review. My policy is that I will disclose any paid reviews, and will not accept payment directly from the company or creator of the product under review.)