Is a Care.com Background Check Enough? (No — Here's the Full Stack)
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A platform background check feels like due diligence. You paid for the premium tier, the profile shows a green checkmark, and moving on feels responsible. It isn’t — not because the check is fake, but because it’s narrow. This page explains what platform checks actually cover, what they structurally miss, and the independent vetting stack that closes the gaps.
What a platform check typically covers
Care.com and Sittercity both offer background check options (usually as a paid add-on or premium-tier feature). The specifics vary by tier, but the standard package generally includes some combination of:
- Identity verification — confirming the person is who they claim to be
- SSN trace — address history associated with the Social Security number
- National sex offender registry search
- County criminal record searches — for counties in the address history
That sounds comprehensive. The gaps are in the qualifiers.
What it misses
Incomplete county coverage. The check searches counties tied to the address history from the SSN trace. If the trace misses an address — a recent move, an unreported residence, time spent in a county where they never established a formal address — that county’s records aren’t searched. Criminal records in the U.S. are fragmented across roughly 3,000 counties; a check is only as complete as its address list.
No driving records. Platform checks generally don’t include motor vehicle records. If your nanny will drive your children — and most do — you need the driving history: DUIs, reckless driving, license suspensions, at-fault accidents. This is a separate pull from the state DMV.
No reference verification. A background check verifies records, not reputation. It won’t tell you the candidate was fired from their last two families for chronic lateness, because lateness isn’t a crime. Nobody calls anyone.
No professional cross-check. Employment history, credentials, claimed certifications (CPR, early-childhood coursework) — unverified. A platform check doesn’t confirm the resume.
No social or public-records context. Patterns that show up in civil court records, restraining orders in non-searched counties, or professional licensing actions aren’t in a standard criminal package.
Timing. A check is a snapshot. It covers the past up to the day it runs, and says nothing about tomorrow. Annual re-checks for ongoing employees are standard practice in institutional childcare and rare in private homes.
The core problem: a platform check answers "does this person have a criminal record in the places we looked?" That's a useful question. It is not the question "is this person safe and reliable with my children?" — which requires references, driving history, and verified work history.
The vetting stack: what to run independently
Run all five layers. Each catches what the others miss.
Layer 1: The platform check
Run it anyway — it’s cheap, fast, and establishes a baseline. Treat a clean result as “no disqualifying records found in searched jurisdictions,” not as clearance.
Layer 2: An independent background check
Run a second check through an independent provider, so you’re not relying on a single vendor’s county coverage and data sources. One option: TransUnion SmartMove — a TransUnion screening product that pays this site a 25% commission on completed transactions (30-day cookie), as published by the program — verify current terms. Disclosed per our affiliate disclosure.
An important caveat, stated plainly: SmartMove is marketed for tenant screening, not household-worker screening. Before building your process around it, confirm with the provider that household/nanny screening is an accepted use — screening providers have terms of use, and using a tenant product for employment screening can raise Fair Credit Reporting Act questions. If it doesn’t fit, use a provider that explicitly serves household employers. The principle — an independent second check from a different data source — matters more than the vendor.
Whoever you use, confirm the package includes: SSN trace with address history, county criminal searches for all identified counties, national criminal database, and sex offender registry. Ask what happens when a county doesn’t report digitally — that’s where records go missing.
Layer 3: State DMV driving record
If the nanny will drive your children — even occasionally — pull the driving record from your state’s DMV (most states offer this online for a small fee, typically under $15). Look for DUIs, reckless driving convictions, suspensions, and patterns of violations. Also verify the license is current and the class covers the vehicle they’ll drive.
Additionally: confirm your auto insurance covers the nanny driving your car with your children, or that her policy covers driving for work. Call your insurer; this is a five-minute call that people skip.
Layer 4: Structured reference calls
This is the highest-signal layer and the one families do worst. Two rules: call at least three references, and never accept “they were great” — ask for specifics.
The reference-call script. Call, don’t text. Introduce yourself, confirm the relationship and dates, then:
- “What were [Name]’s exact duties and schedule with your family?”
- “How long did she work for you, and why did the arrangement end?” (Listen for the gap between “we didn’t need her anymore” and the real reason.)
- “Was she ever late or absent? How did she handle it?”
- “Did she ever drive your children? Were you comfortable with her driving?”
- “How did she handle discipline and difficult moments — tantrums, injuries, emergencies?”
- “Was there ever a safety concern, even a minor one?”
- “Would you hire her again without hesitation?” (The pause before the answer is data.)
- “Is there anything you wish you’d known before hiring her?”
Red flags: references who won’t take the call, vague praise with no specifics, employment dates that don’t match the resume, and any reluctance on question 7. A reference who says “she was fine” three times is telling you something.
Layer 5: Identity and professional cross-verification
- Verify government ID in person and keep a copy (with permission).
- Verify claimed certifications directly: CPR/first-aid cards have issuing organizations you can check; early-childhood coursework can be confirmed with the institution.
- Cross-check the resume timeline against references — gaps and overlaps are normal, contradictions are not.
- For candidates who’ll handle any household finances or have house access when you’re away, this layer matters doubly.
The FCRA note (brief, important)
If you use a third-party screening company for employment purposes, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act generally requires the candidate’s written authorization before the check and an adverse-action process if you reject them based on results. Many states add their own requirements. This isn’t a reason to skip screening — it’s a reason to get the consent form signed before you run anything, which reputable providers supply as part of the flow.
What this costs and how long it takes
Budget roughly: platform check (included in or added to your membership), independent check (~$30–$60), DMV record (<$15), and two to three hours of reference calls. Total out-of-pocket under $100 in most cases; total time one focused weekend. Measured against the value of what’s being screened for — unsupervised access to your children — it’s the highest-ROI spending in the entire hiring process.
The decision framework
| If… | Then… |
|---|---|
| Candidate will never drive the kids | Layers 1, 2, 4, 5; Layer 3 optional |
| Candidate will drive daily | All five layers, no exceptions |
| Candidate has <2 verifiable references | Extend the search, not the trust — thin history is itself information |
| Platform check comes back with a hit | Pause, get the full record, and apply your adverse-action process — don’t improvise |
| Everything checks out but your gut says no | Trust the gut. Vetting clears risks; it doesn’t create fit |
A background check is one layer of a stack. Run the stack.
Heads-up: product links on this page are plain links to retailers. We may earn a commission from some in the future, at no cost to you — see our affiliate disclosure for details.