Our community guidelines
We believe that our community should be driven by a set of clear values and expectations of conduct. Our community guidelines set out those rules, and we actively suspend or remove members when they break them.
Respect everyone
Everyone in the Care.com community is expected to be respectful in every interaction, whether online or in person.
Respect each other.
Discrimination & harassment. Communication or conduct that expresses hate, bullying, harassment, or discrimination is not allowed.
Privacy. Privacy is important. Do not share photos of children without the legal guardian’s consent. Do not place “nanny cams” in bathrooms that a caregiver might use. Refrain from asking personal questions that have no bearing on the job without explicit invitation, and never include personally identifiable information in your job postings, applications, profiles, or reviews.
Physical contact. We do not tolerate any threatened, actual or attempted acts of physical assault, child abuse, or other violent acts. This includes corporal punishment.
Sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct, harassment, abuse, exploitation or assault is grounds for removal from the platform. And sexual activity between caregivers and adult family account holders is always prohibited—even if it is consensual.
Boundaries and expectations. Set clear boundaries upfront regarding rules, care expectations and needs. If you say you’ll be home by 6pm, be home on time. If a guardian requests no candy or treats for their child or pet, respect their request. Gift giving should always be facilitated directly with the parent or guardian.
Respect others’ homes and property.
Treat others’ homes with respect. Don’t bring anyone else to the job or into the family’s home without the family’s explicit permission. Unless they’ve asked you to, don’t attempt to log in to computers, review files or otherwise snoop around. Upon ending a caregiving relationship, you must return house keys, car seats, leashes and other items provided by the family or caregiver that do not belong to you.
Respect others’ time.
Show up on time for engagements.
Always let a family or caregiver know if you need to cancel a job.
Pay caregivers a living wage.
Be honest
Honesty is the cornerstone of a trusted community. Being honest goes a long way in creating safe and positive experiences through the platform.
Don’t misrepresent yourself.
Provide accurate personal information to Care.com and anyone you connect with on the platform. Don’t send someone else to do work that you were hired to do. Misrepresenting your identity and/or signing up to facilitate someone else’s use of the platform is grounds for removal from the platform.
Don’t misrepresent your qualifications, experience, care needs or pay rate.
Families rely on caregivers’ experience when making hiring decisions. Similarly, caregivers rely on families’ descriptions of their needs to ensure they can commit to providing the necessary care. Don’t lie about your qualifications or care needs.
Don’t misrepresent anything for financial gain.
Identity theft, scams and all other forms of fraud are not tolerated in this community.
Stay safe
Everyone has a role to play in helping to create a safe experience for families and caregivers, from the moment you log in to the platform through the completion of a job and beyond.
Communicate on platform as long as possible.
For added security and privacy, keep communications on the platform for as long as possible, especially if booking one-time jobs. By doing so, our Trust and Safety team can review and act on inappropriate or fraudulent messaging.
Follow safe hiring practices.
For families, review our safety guides for in-home and out-of-home care, follow the tips provided, and get to know anyone who will spend time in your home before they arrive or interact with your family. For caregivers, review our safety guide for professional caregivers and follow the tips provided.
Stay alert.
Caregiving is serious business. Caregivers should not be under the influence of marijuana, alcohol, illegal drugs, or any other substance that impacts or impairs judgment while providing care. Both families and caregivers should stay accessible and reachable throughout caregiving engagements.
Provide safe care environments.
Care should be delivered in a clean and safe environment. Whether care takes place in the family’s home, the provider’s home, or someplace else, ensure there is no access to:
- Unsecured firearms. Firearms should be secured safely to prevent any accidental misuse.
- Hazards. The care environment should not contain any hazards or excessively unsanitary conditions. Enabling or providing dangerous and/or uninhabitable care conditions may result in removal from the platform.
- Illegal Drugs. The caregiving location should be free from illegal drugs.
Report concerns.
Be accountable and report any safety concerns using the Report tool on the site.