Care.com Babysitting: How To Get Jobs, Sign Up, and More

Whether you’re interested in starting out as a babysitter, or you’re already experienced and looking to expand your business, Care.com is a great way to connect with families looking for caregivers. 

Can you see yourself as a Care.com babysitter? Apply now to a position near you.

Read on to learn more about signing up, navigating this user-friendly site, and landing your first babysitting job through Care.com. 

Care.com application and requirements

Care.com has a small amount of requirements that its caregivers must meet. Before you begin, you’ll need to make sure the following applies to you: 

• All caregivers must be 18 years or older.  14-17-year-olds used to have the option of a parent-monitored account. Now, all users must meet the Care.com age requirement of being 18 or older to complete the required background check. 
• You must be willing to complete the required CareCheck. Until this is complete, your profile will be shown as “pending.” Any message you send to families will not be received until the CareCheck is complete. 
• A photograph must be included in your profile. You must be willing to include a clear, well-lit photograph of yourself, which will be public on your profile. 

You’ll have to consent to the Care.com background check

Though no interview or drug testing is required to create a babysitter profile on Care.com, to accept bookings, you will need to pass the required Care.com background check, referred to as the CareCheck. Care.com prompts you to sign up and pay for this when you make a profile. 

This check must be completed annually — if you’re not a premium user, you will need to pay for the check once a year. 

Additional checks are available for purchase through Care.com. Unlike the CareCheck, these can be posted to your profile, and include a Motor Vehicle Records Check, a Criminal Records Check, and an Investigative Criminal Plus Check. Additional checks may make you stand out to prospective employees as someone responsible and trustworthy. 

You can pay for these additional checks yourself. Alternatively, Care.com includes an option for families interested in hiring you to request these checks and cover the fees. If a family requests these checks, they are time-sensitive, and the results can take up to a week to come back. Additional background checks will not be initiated unless you’ve agreed to them, and your personal information will be protected.

Interviews are encouraged but not required

Though Care.com does not require an interview to use the site, it does encourage care seekers to interview prospective babysitters. Treat it like a regular job interview and come prepared to answer questions about your skills and experience. This is another chance for both parties to get to know each other better before agreeing to work together — so an interview will often be to a babysitter's advantage, too! It’s okay — and even advisable — to suggest you meet in a public place such as a park or coffee shop for your interview versus a family’s home. 

Some families may also request a "trial day" for babysitters, usually after passing an interview. This is another good opportunity to make sure a babysitter is a good fit for a family. If you’ve been asked to do a trial period, do make sure you’ve agreed upon payment beforehand. A trial period is essentially training on the job and should be paid as such. 

Do you have to pay for Care.com as a babysitter? 

Care.com offers both free and paid versions. Basic (unpaid) members can build a customized profile, receive and respond to booking requests, respond to any premium members searching for a caregiver, and, most importantly, search and apply for jobs. 

Premium (paid) members rank higher in the searches of those seeking babysitters and receive priority job alerts through the site, increasing their chances of applying for a job before someone else does. They can also message care seekers without having to first make a booking request.  

Bear in mind that if using the free version of Care.com, the babysitter must pay the associated fee for the required CareCheck. With a paid account, this cost is included. The cost of the Carecheck is currently $24.99. 

Currently, premium accounts run around $39 a month for a monthly plan, $26 a month for a three-month subscription, or $13 a month for an annual subscription. 

Safe to say, you can still secure some great babysitting jobs without ever becoming a premium member. 

How babysitting on Care.com works

Put simply, prospective employers browse babysitter profiles, and babysitters browse job postings. When creating a profile you are prompted to enter your zip code, and your results are location-based. Either the care seeker or caregiver can be the first to reach out. 

Build your profile 

Your profile will be shown as a biography and photograph, along with any reviews you receive through the site. It’s important to build your profile carefully: it’s the first thing prospective employers will see. Include a strong photograph and a well-written biography to make a good impression. 

Natalie Dodd, a caregiver with over 20 years of childcare experience who has been using Care.com for three years, suggests asking families you work with to leave you a review. "I have had multiple families tell me they will only use highly reviewed sitters," she says. 

Biography 

A good bio is detailed, clearly and simply written, and highlights any experience, special skills, or credentials relevant to babysitting that you may have. For example, you could include that in the past you have babysat for 3 children aged 6-8 and organized after-school crafting activities for them. You could mention any degrees you may have or languages you speak. 

List any certifications you have, such as CPR or First Aid. Information like this, which may be included elsewhere in your profile, can be further highlighted in your bio. Natalie emphasizes that "a lot of parents these days will only hire a sitter that is CPR/First Aid certified." 

MaryKate Conway, who has been finding babysitting and tutoring jobs on Care.com for over 3 years, emphasizes the importance of highlighting your educational background in your biography. 

"Listing the College Institution you went to is a great way to network," she says. "I went to undergrad at Pace University and received an interview with a family immediately after applying. They said they wanted to interview me first because they also went to Pace University. It’s a great way to make a quick connection!"

Photograph 

Your photograph should be clear, well-lit, and authentic to demonstrate how trustworthy and approachable you are. Getting a professional headshot may help you land more gigs, but taking your own photo will be good enough in most cases so long as it comes across as professional (avoid selfies).

Reviews & references

Once you have worked with families or other care seekers, they can leave a babysitter review which will be visible on your profile. Building up good reviews over time will make your profile more competitive. Reviews cannot be deleted, though you can publicly respond to them. 

If you’re just starting out with Care.com, you can request a reference check. The site will contact your reference and add it to your profile.

Set your babysitter rate

You determine your pay rate, which is included in your public profile. Care.com offers a rate calculator to all members, which shows an average rate of pay for babysitters in your location. It’s important to take advantage of this feature, as rates can vary greatly depending on your location. Base your pay rate, too, on your skills and experience level. The more experience you have as a babysitter, the more you can realistically expect to charge. 

It’s also a good idea to browse other babysitters in your area to see whether your rates are competitive or not. If others with similar experience are charging much more for their services, consider increasing your rates. If yours are much higher than those who have similar experience levels to you, it may be a good idea to decrease your rates to improve your chances of getting hired. 

Be sure to re-evaluate your rates as you gain more experience. This will lead to a greater chance of higher earnings down the line. 

How to find a job on Care.com 

As a caregiver, you’ll be able to search Care.com jobs. When you begin the search, you’ll be asked when you want to begin work: now, within a week, or in a couple of months.

When looking for jobs, you can easily filter by subcategory. For example, you could filter for bilingual or overnight childcare jobs. 

Job postings will list the kind of care a family is looking for, the location, and the range of pay offered — though often, the amount being paid is at the lower end of the range. Care seekers are also required to post a photo of themselves and a description of the care job so you can get a sense of whether or not any particular job will be a good fit for you. 

Care seekers can list preferences for their babysitters. They may prefer a non-smoker, for example, or someone comfortable with pets. Scroll down to their preference section to see if what they list aligns with what you can offer before you message them or apply for a job. 

Care seekers can filter by these preferences when browsing babysitter profiles. So remember to be thorough when building your profile, or you might not show up in the search of a care seeker looking for someone exactly like you. 

Not every care seeker includes their hiring schedule in the description, though many do. At the bottom of a job posting, you will find a calendar with schedule requirements, so you can easily determine if their asks align with your availability. You can also fill out a calendar on your profile so care seekers can easily see your availability without having to message you. 

Remember, not every job will be a good match for you: don’t take it personally or feel disheartened if one job doesn’t work out, as new listings are added to Care.com daily. 

How do I schedule jobs? 

If a care seeker is interested in using you as a babysitter, they can send a secure message through Care.com. Phone numbers are hidden, but there’s an opt-in text alert feature. If the care seeker is a Premium user, you can respond to the message and begin to make arrangements, either for an interview or to set up a job. 

Similarly, once you have found a job that interests you, you can apply using the Care.com application button. You can then message the job poster directly. Your chances of landing the job will be higher if you include a thoughtful, personalized message explaining why you’re a good fit for this job. Re-read the job listing and be specific. " Remember to keep it professional," MaryKate advises.

This is where the paid version and free versions of the site differ slightly: 

Free

If using the free version of Care.com, you can't message care seekers unless they message you first. You're also at a disadvantage when it comes to finding jobs as you won't rank as highly in searches by care seekers.

Premium 

If using the Premium version of Care.com, you’ll be able to message a care seeker directly without waiting for them to message you. You'll also rank more highly in search results, giving you priority access to new jobs.

It’s certainly possible to get jobs using both Basic and Premium versions of Care.com. Using the free version might just require a little more patience, as you may need to reach out to more families to land a job. 

MaryKate notes that families may also find Premium caregiver accounts more straightforward and easy to navigate. "The communication feels more direct," she says. 

Getting paid 

All payments are made and received through Care.com’s payment platform, Stripe, which is also used by Amazon, Google, and Zoom. Once you have added a debit card to the payment platform, payments are automatically deposited into your account.  

These payments are safe, and Stripe keeps banking information confidential from the family you are working with. However, Stripe does take a certain percentage of your earnings (the Stripe surcharge), and Care.com charges a fee for bookings you accept through the platform. 

Deposits usually occur within two to three business days, though sometimes the first payment can be delayed. Reach out to the Care.com customer service team if you are experiencing any issues receiving payment.

What’s the difference between a babysitter and a nanny on Care.com? 

Given that the two terms are often used interchangeably, and that the site differentiates between the two when you sign up, you might be wondering exactly what the difference is between a babysitter and a nanny. 

Generally, babysitter jobs are one-off, more infrequent jobs, paid hourly. Nannies typically provide more regular care and are often paid weekly or monthly. A contract is often involved, and they can be eligible for benefits like insurance. Nannies often have additional skills, such as child education. They are expected to perform extra duties, like preparing dinner, doing laundry, and making sure homework is completed on time.

Once you’ve gained experience as a babysitter, and if your schedule allows for it, you might consider listing yourself as a nanny on Care.com. This will likely increase your earning potential through the site. "With the added duties you should expect to be paid a higher wage," MaryKate says. 

Whether you choose to list yourself as a nanny or a babysitter, read each job posting carefully before you apply to ensure the care seeker's needs match what you can offer. You may be comfortable being an overnight babysitter or helping out with household tasks, jobs more typically associated with nannying. 

"Make sure you are marketing yourself differently based on whether you’re looking for a babysitting or nannying job," MaryKate says. "Parents are typically looking for different skill sets for each role."

How do I get the most from Care.com?

Making the switch from babysitter to nanny isn’t the only way to increase your earnings and work experience on Care.com. The site also offers users the ability to create profiles for pet sitting, tutoring, senior carer, or housekeeping, along with special needs care, allowing you to vary your work and develop multiple income streams.

Get Started

Can you see yourself as a Care.com babysitter? Apply now to a position near you.