> Background Checks

To request a background check on a care provider, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your account
2. Search for a care provider by using the search box that appears across the top of each page on the site.
3. From a search results page, click on the name of a care provider to view that provider's profile information.
4. Click the "Background Check" tab on the provider's profile. If the provider already has a background check on file, you will be able to request access to view the background check. If the provider does not have a background check on file, you will be able to request that the provider run a background check on themself.

When you request a new background check (or when you request access to an existing background check) the care provider will receive a message notifying them of your request. The care provider must accept your request in order for you to view their background check. Once the provider has accepted your request, you will be notified by a message in your account. You can then return to the care provider's profile to view the results of the background check. Although care providers will typically respond to messages promptly, there may occasionally be delays. If a care provider is not responding to your request, you may follow-up by sending a message to the care provider through the Care.com website. If a provider fails to respond to your request or does not accept your request it may indicate that there is not a good fit between you and that care provider.

As a care provider, you can request a background check on yourself. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your account
2. Click on the "Background Checks" tab in the left navigation
3. Follow the instructions on the page that displays

At present, we do not offer the ability to run a background check on a care seeker.

When a background check is requested through Care.com, the following information is verified:

1. Social Security Number Verification - The user's Social Security Number will be verified to ensure that it is a valid Social Security Number and that it is associated with the user.
2. Address Verification - The user's address will be verified to ensure that it is associated with the user.
3. Criminal Record Verification - A search of criminal records will be conducted to see if the user has a criminal record. The records that are searched include:
   • State and county criminal record repositories;
   • State sex offender registries;
   • Prison, parole and release files from state Department of Corrections, Administrative Office of Courts, and other state agencies;
   • Proprietary LexisNexis criminal record information.

The specific records which are searched vary by state and county. For example, sex offender registries are not available in the states of Vermont and Washington. Accordingly, such offenses committed in these states would not be found by this search. Please refer to this table to understand exactly what records are searched.

If you are subscribed to Care.com as a care seeker, you can request the first background check on a care provider at no additional cost. If you are a care provider and would like to run a background check on yourself, please go to the "Background Checks" section of "My Account" for additional information and fees.

The results of background checks are compiled using various public and private sources. Although every effort is made to ensure that the background check results are correct, it is possible that the sources used to compile the background check are not 100% accurate or complete. Because mis-identifications can occur when trying to identify a person based upon name and other identifiers, extreme care must be used in the review of the background check results. For this reason, background checks should not be the sole basis for making a decision. It is also important to take additional steps, such as checking references and interviewing candidates directly, before making a decision.

A background check includes Social Security Number Verification, Address Verification, and Criminal Record Verification. Below is a description of the results that can be returned for each of these components of a background check:

Social Security Number Verification:

Verified — The Social Security Number is valid and it matches the name of the user.

Not Verified — The Social Security Number is either not valid or it does not match the name of the user. It may not match the name of the user if the user has recently changed their name (for example, due to marriage) or if the user did not specify their full legal name when submitting the background check request. However, this result may also indicate that the user attempted to run the background check with a Social Security Number that is not theirs.

Address Verification:

Verified — The user's address is associated with the first and last name of the user.

Not Verified — The user's address could not be associated with the first and last name of the user.

Criminal Record Verification:

No Records Found — The search of the national criminal databases did not return any criminal records for the user.

Records Found — The search of the national criminal databases returned one or more criminal records for the user. The details of the records which were found are provided in the next section of the background check report.

Incomplete — This verification check was not run due to the Social Security Number being invalid.

When considering the results of the Criminal Record Verification it is important to understand what databases are searched. The specific records which are searched vary by state and county. For example, sex offender registries are not available in the states of Vermont and Washington. Accordingly, such offenses committed in these states would not be found by this search. Please refer to this table to understand exactly what records are searched.

Additionally, please be aware that some traffic violations may be considered misdemeanors or felonies in certain jurisdictions. Such traffic violations committed in these jurisdictions would result in a criminal record being found by this search.

You always have control over who can view the results of your background check. The list of users you have allowed to view your background check is listed right under your background check report in the "Background Checks" section of "My Account." You can decide to remove a user's access to your report at any time.

I believe that my background check results are incorrect. What should I do?

Although every effort is made to ensure that the background check results are correct, it is possible that the records used to compile the background check are not 100% accurate or complete. If you believe that your background check results are not accurate, please contact LexisNexis (the provider of the verification service) at: LexisNexis Risk & Information Analytics Group Inc., P.O. Box 812289, Boca Raton, Florida 33481, or by telephone at (877) 913-6245. Additionally, if the result of the Criminal Record Verification resulted in a criminal record being found, you will receive a letter in the mail from LexisNexis informing you of the steps you can take to resolve any incorrect information. In the event that you receive such a letter, you can request a detailed copy of your background check report from LexisNexis without a fee.

What specific criminal records are searched?

The table below lists the different sources of public record information that are searched when the Criminal Record Verification (National Criminal Search) is conducted.

Sex Offender Registries Department of Corrections Files Administrative Office of Courts Files Court Records Alabama Alaska Arizona Maricopa County Superior Court Mohave County Superior Court Arkansas California Fresno County Superior Court Los Angeles County Superior Court Orange County Superior Court Riverside Superior Court San Bernardino Superior Court Santa Cruz Superior Court Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Alachua County Clerk of Courts Bay County Clerk of Courts Brevard County Clerk of Courts Broward County Clerk of Courts Charlotte County Clerk of Courts Duval County Clerk of Courts Highlands County Clerk of Courts Hillsborough County Clerk of Courts Indian River Clerk of Courts Lake County Clerk of Courts Lee County Clerk of Courts Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts Osceola County Clerk of Courts Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts Pasco County Clerk of Courts Pnellas County Clerk of Courts Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Cook County Clerk of Courts Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Wayne County Clerk of Courts Minnesota Mississippi Harrison County Clerk of Court Hinds County Circuit Court Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Auglaize Clerk of Courts Greene County Clerk of Courts Montgomery County Clerk of Courts Monroe County Clerk of Courts Portage County Superior Court Putnam County Clerk of Courts Warren County Clerk of Courts Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Bexar County District Court Brazoria County Court Collin County Court Comal County Court Denton County Court El Paso County Court Fort Bend County Court Gregg County Court Harris County Court Johnson County Court Lamar County Court Montgomery County Court Parker County Court Potter County Court Travis County Court Tom Green County Court Victoria County Court Waller County Court Williamson County Court Utah Vermont Virginia Fairfax County Court Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

When hiring a caregiver we suggest that you directly check the national sex offender registry. A number of free public registry sites are available including Family Watchdog and the United State Department of Justice website.