MONSTER BOARD FOR CAREGIVERS

Posted by: Amy Dunkin on June 22

Speaking of mothers and nannies, I just came across an intriguing new site for finding caregivers: care.com.

Launched in May, it can lead you to nannies, tutors, aides for seniors, and even pet sitters in your area. The subscription service prescreens applicants and provides free background checks. It also lets you customize your search by such criteria as pay rate, hours, and whether you prefer a nonsmoker or someone who’s comfortable with pets. (I remember one nanny applicant when my son was an infant who bolted the minute she saw my dog.)

CEO and co-founder Sheila Marcelo has experience with other consumer Internet companies. She helped start the college savings site, Upromise, and was vice-president and general manager of TheLadders.com, which posts $100,000+/year jobs.

I asked her about her latest venture.

How did the idea come about?

Through my own personal experience. I have two children, 15 and 7, and last year I had difficulty finding care. My father went through quadruple bypass surgery and I was trying to juggle his care as well. I also have two dogs.

There was really no comparable site. Our belief is care is a constant need for families that’s constantly changing. You might have a nanny lined up, the next thing you know, your nanny falls ill. We offer a resource you can turn to.

How does care.com work?

You subscribe to the service for as little as $10 a month. There are different fees depending on how long you subscribe. You enter the type of provider you want, your zip code, and within how many miles you want them be. Then a list of names and profiles pops up. We offer free background checks, access to contact info, and references for hundreds of providers in your area.

Where do the applicants come from? How are they checked out?

We’ve been recruiting since January. We go to churches, college campuses, libraries, and online classifieds, such as Monster, the New York Times, and the Boston Globe. We screen the providers and encourage them to get references. We pay Lexis-Nexis to do a Social Security check, address verification, and search through the national criminal record and sexual offender databases.

How would you characterize the service?

We’re not an employer or referral service. We have an eBay approach to buying and selling. We're an efficient marketplace for people to find each other and we want to provide a social network for people to give each other advice.

What will you be doing to improve the site?

Very soon we will be checking references. Right after July 4th, we'll be starting a job-listing service that will be focused primarily on families looking to fill positions. It will be great for moms who want to search for jobs on behalf of nannies who've been great for them but they no longer need.

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