Care.com Announces Safety Advisory Board

WALTHAM, Mass., March 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Care.com, Inc. (http://www.care.com) the premier source of trustworthy family care options for children, for adults & seniors, pets and home & lifestyle, today announced the formation of the Care.com Safety Advisory Board.  

The Care.com Safety Advisory Board is composed of experts in technology, family care and personal data safety from leading non-profit organizations, corporations and service providers dedicated to improving sources for finding in-home caregivers.  The Board's members include:

• Beverly Schmalzried, Ph.D., Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives for the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA)
• Mike Cool, Vice President, Acxiom Information Security Services, a background screening company, and Founding Member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS)
• Anne Jablonski, Chief Data Officer, Regulatory DataCorp Inc. (RDC)
• Cindy Mall, Program Director, Trustline
• Jill Kagan, MPH, Program Director, ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center

At Care.com families can search mom-reviewed and prescreened profiles of hundreds of thousands of babysitters, nannies, tutors, housekeepers and senior caregivers, both locally and nationally.  Care.com gives families access to detailed background check reports and recorded reference interviews, adding a layer of confidence and security when making important decisions regarding personal family care needs.  The mission of the Care.com Advisory Board is as follows:

The Care.com Safety Advisory Board is dedicated to protecting the security and safety of all families and providers seeking high quality care online. The Board will meet this goal by developing and promoting the best safety practices and standards for private and public organizations that endeavor to create the highest possible human safety in the digital age.  The Safety Advisory Board's Best Practices will include an education program to develop and promote online safety tools and resources driven by innovation and research that will support a national standard through advocacy and education.  

"The safety and security of our Care.com families and care providers is our primary concern," Sheila Lirio Marcelo, Care.com founder and CEO said. "The formation of the Care.com Safety Board, which includes leaders in their fields who have married innovation with experience to create an environment for families to feel safe and secure, is a significant milestone for our company.  Care.com was founded four years ago with the belief that while technology would transform how people seek care online, trust and a sense of safety would be the true mark of success."

"Care.com's commitment to safety and security has already secured its position as a leader in the field of family care," said Mike Cool, Vice President of Acxiom Information Security Services.  "As someone who has been in the background screening industry for 15 years, I am impressed with the desire to be a steward both within the care provider industry as well as the larger online community."

"The National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) is excited to participate on Care.com's Safety Advisory Board," said Beverly Schmalzried, Ph.D., Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives for NACCRRA. "We look forward to combining our expertise in child care safety to improve the national standard for child care safety."

"Conducting business and managing our personal lives online is commonplace and expected right now, particularly among families in need of care," Anne Jablonski, RDC's Chief Data Officer said.  "We are delighted to be able to share our knowledge of risk intelligence best practices and best-in-class technology to protect families and providers and to be part of a team establishing the gold standard for how companies can safeguard their customers."

As the largest and fastest growing service used by families in the United States, Care.com intends for the Safety Advisory Board to expand its focus into all areas of family care security online and in-home, including safety guides for families and care providers, expansive care provider vetting and greater collaboration with medical and law officials.  

About Care.com

Founded in 2006, Care.com is the largest and fastest growing service used by families to find high-quality caregivers, providing a trusted place to easily connect, share caregiving experiences and get advice. The company addresses the unique lifecycle of care needs that each family goes through-child care, special needs care, tutoring and lessons, senior care, pet care, housekeeping and more. The service helps families find and select the best care available based on detailed profiles, background checks and references for hundreds of thousands of mom-reviewed and pre-screened providers who seek to share their services. Through its Care.com Employer Program, corporations can offer Care.com memberships as a benefit to employees. www.care.com

SOURCE Care.com