Care.com

By Allison Berman
May 5, 2009

When my assistant and I parted ways, I started my search for someone who would be happy to have the highly unusual job description: help make my life easier one day a week. The primary responsibilities are always housecleaning and laundry. The secondary responsibilities vary week-to-week depending on what's going on with my family, my business, and me personally. The last person was great with computers, who knows, maybe the next person can help me sand and prime furniture and home accessories.

While scoping Craig's List and the Help Wanteds I noticed the rampant unemployment had created a surge in overqualified candidates looking for "household gigs." And since the less than stellar economy has lots of stay-at-home parents going back to work, and work-at-home parents picking up extra hours there are plenty of us looking for their help.

In my search to find my Jack or Jill of all trades, I found an online "matchmaking service" that helps potential employees and employers to find each other.

Care.com was founded by Sheila Marcelo, a fellow working mom. She started the company "because of my own difficult experiences finding quality care for my children, parents, and pets." Her mission was to provide a service to connect employers with great caregivers.

I personally love that the company was started (and is still run) by a mom, to help her in her quest to balance her career and her family and that more than half the employees work part-time or remotely so they are better able to balance their own career / family challenges.

One mom group screens applicants' profiles to make sure the caregivers are "mom approved". Are their profiles coherent? Are pictures provocative? Are the applicants over 17 and legal to work in the United States?

Another mom group runs background checks using Nexus Lexus.(*Note: they are only run when one is requested by a potential employer.) They verify the social security number is valid and there is no criminal history. You still need to be diligent to check references and you might want to run a more comprehensive background check, but it's a pretty good start.

These moms get paid for reviewing applicants' profiles from the comfort of their dens while their kids run underfoot. And when I started interviewing, I found several of the applicants are moms trying to bring in money while still being home at 3pm to take their kids off the school bus. They in-turn help fellow moms like me balance our careers and families.

Hmmm.

One working mom making it easier for another working mom, making it easier for another working mom…as Martha Stewart would say, "It's a good thing."

Allison Berman, an artist and mother of two, handpaints custom home accessories for interior designers and private customers. She works out of her home studio in Warwick, NY. See her collection at www.withlovealib.com. She can be reached at ali@withlovealib.com. Her column appears Tuesdays.