Find Trusted Child Care Providers Near Me

What child care looks like to one parent may differ from another, so there is no one child care definition. That being said, child care is a professional service that involves looking after children and ensuring their safety and wellbeing. Some parents may need to hire a child care provider to take care of their young children while they are at work for 40 hours a week, whereas some families may just need after school transportation and care. Other families may just need to hire the occasional babysitter on the weekend.

The first step is to outline what you'd like from a candidate before starting your child care search. Think about how much you are willing to pay, the level of experience you wish them to have, if you want them to have any first-aid certifications, and if you need them to handle additional duties beyond taking care of your kids.

After this is completed, create an account on Care.com and answer a few questions to find child care providers that match your needs. You can then either post a job that can be seen by our extensive pool of caretakers, or search for child care providers on Care.com based on years of experience, hourly rate, availability, distance from your area, etc. After you have selected your candidates, you can schedule interviews, check references, request additional background checks, and hire the child care provider that best meets the needs of your family.

You want to find a child care provider that will get along with your kids, but also follows many of the same parenting ideas you have. Structure your questions around how your kids behave in certain situations and what the provider thinks is the best action to take. Finally, ask each provider about their past child care experience, references from other families near you and if they are certified in first aid and CPR. You can visit the Care.com Safety Center to learn more.

The average rate for child care services on Care.com as of January, 2025 is $19.29 per hour. This rate will fluctuate depending on your location, how much experience the child care provider has and the number of children to be watched. Other factors that may also influence the rate include the need for additional child care duties and any specialized care needs you have, such as overnight care.