Earlier this week, my old team at Care.com let me in on a little secret: starting tonight at midnight PST and going strong all weekend long, the online service is offering free memberships to families looking for summer sitters and caregivers in their neighborhood.
We bet this school break many families are going to be looking to get the most bang for their buck without sacrificing quality, in every aspect of their lives, and in a babysitter or pet sitter, trustworthiness is clutch and quality of care non-negotiable. As an "insider" to Care.com (I was their editorial director for almost two years prior to launching Shoestring and am still a part-time pet sitter through the service, as we mentioned in our recent New York Post interview), I can vouch for the cool factor in Care.com's features, as well as for their dedication, due diligence and "doing your homework" attitude when it comes to hiring someone to look after your little ones (or your elderly relatives, or your home…)
Premium membership — free access to which you have during this weekend's deal only — at Care.com allows you to view pre-screened profiles (almost like a social network would) for any prospective caregiver, all of whom are hand-picked by their Mom Force (a gauntlet of stay- and work-at-home moms who are pretty selective, let me tell you…) Each profile includes access to the caregiver's background check and reviews from other members (think Yelp) as well as — here's the really cool part — mp3's of recorded interviews with the caregiver's references. It's virtually hassle-free to find someone who seems like a good fit for your family, check out their qualifications and what former clients have to say about them, and then contact them for a job, or to post a job and sit back and wait for the virtual dossiers to come pouring in.
The bonus? Once you're a Care.com member, you can barter and swap child care or pet care with other Care.com families for free through their new Care Exchange, which you know we loved instantly.
And, if you're looking for a weekend pet sitter, me, Ginger, and Dante are available in 02144, come with glowing references, and have 10 years of experience. Look us up.
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