Care.com and Knowledge Universe Join Forces to Provide Comprehensive Corporate Back-up Care Solutions

WALTHAM, Mass. and PORTLAND, Ore., June 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- As the number of dual-income households continues to rise and the sandwich generation grows, the need for back-up care solutions has become even more critical to employers and their employees. Care.com, the largest online care destination in the world, and Knowledge Universe, the leading global private provider of early childhood education and in-center child care, today announced a strategic relationship to give employers unprecedented access to back-up care when their employees need it most. The companies have created an unparalleled platform that draws on Care.com's global reach, extensive caregiver database, and expertise in in-home back-up care, and Knowledge Universe-US's network of wholly-owned and managed child care centers, high-quality teachers, and expertise in in-center back-up care to give corporate clients access to back-up care.

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"We know caregiving doesn't stop when an employee goes to work," said Tom Wyatt, Knowledge Universe-US CEO. "Knowledge Universe and Care.com are excited that employers can now provide their entire employee base with comprehensive, holistic family back-up care– a benefit that ensures their loved ones are cared for when their regular arrangements are not available for any reason. We look forward to continuing to help families better balance their needs at home with their responsibilities at work by reducing the stress so many families experience on a daily basis."

"At Care.com, we understand that families are more challenged than ever before with managing commitments at work and home. There is no one-size-fits-all solution; families need choices when it comes to care," said Sheila Lirio Marcelo, Founder and CEO of Care.com. "By bringing together our in-home care platform and Knowledge Universe's child care centers, we are excited to create an extensive global back-up care solution. Employees of our corporate clients can now secure the back-up care solution that best suits them, whether that's a child care center, an in-home care provider, or the services of an individual caregiver whom they personally review and select."

Through this relationship, employees of corporate clients have access to back-up care through a unified platform available through their employer's benefit program. This solution helps employees access and receive care when their regular caregivers are unavailable, such as school holidays or when children or caregivers are sick. In addition to child care, the service enables families to secure back-up adult and senior care for themselves or a loved one, as well as pet sitting services to support work-related travel.

With 8 million members across 16 countries, Care.com has rapidly established itself as the provider of choice for corporate clients in the US and Europe, including Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and Siemens, among many others. Knowledge Universe-US owns and operates child care programs at more than 2,000 locations in the United States, including KinderCare® Learning Centers, CCLC® and Champions® Before- and After-School Program sites. Outside the US, Knowledge Universe operates more than 300 childcare locations across Europe and Asia.

As part of the relationship, Care.com and Knowledge Universe will provide customizable solutions to corporate clients at the local, regional and national level. In the second half of 2013, Knowledge Universe and Care.com also will explore expansion of services to international clients, leveraging Care.com's presence in Europe, the UK and Canada, and Knowledge Universe's operations in Europe and Asia.

ABOUT CARE.COM
Launched in the U.S. in 2007, Care.com (www.care.com) is now the largest online care destination in the world with 8 million members spanning 16 countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada, as well as Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other European countries through Besser Betreut GmBH, now a Care.com company. Care.com enables families seeking care to connect with millions of care providers, share caregiving experiences and get advice. The Company helps families address the unique lifecycle of care needs they go through - childcare, including special needs, senior care, pet care, housekeeping and more. Care.com is unmatched in the national services it offers its members, including Care.com HomePay, managed by Breedlove & Associates, which provides members access to the nation's largest provider of comprehensive household payroll services; and Parents in a Pinch, through which corporations and families have access to in-home back-up care solutions. Care.com offers tools and resources to help families make safer more informed decisions throughout the search and hiring process, including monitored messaging, background check services, recorded references, and an online safety resource center. And, through Workplace Solutions, Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, technology companies, and professional services firms offer Care.com memberships as a benefit to employees.

ABOUT KNOWLEDGE UNIVERSE
Knowledge Universe® believes that the power of education changes lives. Every day more than 300,000 children across the globe take their first steps, learn to read and prepare for school through our early childhood and school-age programs in a nurturing and safe environment. The Knowledge Universe – United States family of companies includes KinderCare® Learning Centers, CCLC®, Champions®, Cambridge Schools™, Knowledge Beginnings®, and The Grove School® where more than 31,000 people help children discover books, music, science, sports, cooking, and language in a nurturing and safe environment. To learn more, visit us online at http://www.kueducation.com/us and on Twitter. Outside the US, Knowledge Universe-US affiliates include Busy Bees, Pat's School House, Learning Vision, Brighton Montessori, Odyssey and The children's house. Knowledge Universe serves both community families as well as corporations across all sectors to provide child care solutions, offering services through well-recognized institutions in early childhood, primary, secondary, and higher education.

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SOURCE Care.com