Hiring someone to help care for your loved ones is a sensitive task, and it can take time to build trust with a new caregiver. We help kickstart the process by requiring all individual caregivers on Care.com to complete a background check before you can interact with them.
But you need to do more, including running your own checks to learn about your caregiver before or after making a hiring decision. That’s why we offer additional safety check options, including our new Social Media Check.
Three ways to learn more about your caregivers
1. Social Media Check – NEW
Our new social media check is a seven-year search of an individual’s public social media activity across seven major platforms (including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X) plus thousands of news articles and webpages.
The report can help flag potentially concerning behaviors, such as hate speech, violence or substance abuse, so you can hire with greater confidence.
- Best for: Reviewing your top candidates before you hire
- Cost: Starting at $29.99
2. Enhanced Background Check
Get a glimpse into your preferred caregiver’s criminal history. This report includes everything in our required Care.com Background Check—plus expanded database searches and alias checks. Best of all, you get a full report to review so that you can be more fully informed.
You can also add a Motor Vehicles Records Check to get insights into a caregiver’s driving history, including information on license status, restrictions, violations, accidents and more.
- Best for: Gaining extra assurance before extending an offer
- Cost: Starting at $59
3. Continuous Background Check – FREE
With Continuous Background Check, an ongoing monitoring service checks select criminal databases for new reportable activity. If something changes, both you and the caregiver are notified.
- When: When working with a caregiver long-term
- Cost: Free for both you and the family with a Care.com membership
How added safety checks work
We’ve designed the process to be straightforward for families while also respecting caregivers’ privacy. Requesting any of these safety checks is simple:
- Visit the caregiver’s profile and select the safety check you’d like to run
- The caregiver will receive a notification and has seven days to opt in
- Our safety check partner, First Advantage, completes the report*
- Results are delivered directly to your inbox—usually within just a few days
This way, you get the clarity and confidence you need, while caregivers have transparency and added control over the process.
Safer hiring, made easier
Safety matters throughout your caregiver relationship, which is why we offer a variety of safety check options to support you both before and after bringing someone new into your home. Learn more about all of your safety options and tools on CareProtect safety center.
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It’s important to understand that background checks are subject to reporting limitations, not always 100% accurate and may not reveal a person’s complete criminal or sex offender history. Employees of businesses listed on Care.com may not be background checked. To learn more, see limitations of background checks.
*Continuous Background Check reports are only compiled and sent when some new reportable activity is detected in your criminal record.