Care.com's Workplace Solutions Growth Continues as iRobot, Oregon State University, and The Methodist Hospital System Enhance Benefit Programs

WALTHAM, Mass., Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Care.com, Inc. (http://www.care.com), the premier source of trustworthy family care options, announced that Oregon State University, The Methodist Hospital System, and iRobot have selected Care.com's Workplace Solutions as their newest employee benefit offering. These forward thinking HR leaders are enabling employees, faculty, staff and students to be present, focused and engaged at work and in the classroom by providing access to local babysitters, nannies, special needs caregivers, senior care providers, pet sitters, tutors and housekeepers through a national network of trusted care providers. Families in need of care can search by ZIP code, service and pay rate to find high-quality care providers in their area.

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This move reflects current studies that are showing an evolution in the focus of benefits programs.  MetLife's 9th Annual Benefit Trends Study found that 60% of surveyed employees indicated that employee benefits are an important reason why they remain with their employer. As a result, companies large and small are looking to new types of benefits to support employees and their families.  

"I am delighted to be working with such a diverse group of businesses and organizations who are committed to offering access to quality family care to their employees," said Sheila Lirio Marcelo, Founder and CEO of Care.com. "These organizations join a wide range of technology companies, educational institutions, professional services firms, and Fortune 500 companies who have partnered with Care.com.  It demonstrates a growing belief that that access to great care is not only good for society, it's good for the entire job sector."

"There was a gap in the services we could offer OSU students, staff and faculty when it came to finding quality, reliable care providers," said Stephanie Duckett of Child Care & Family Resources, Office of the Dean of Student Life. "We also recognize that families come in all shapes and sizes and wanted an organization that reflected our own desires to be maximally inclusive. We ultimately chose Care.com's Workplace Solutions because the service was demonstrably inclusive of all the types of care one could need: elder care, babysitting, pet care, housekeeping and more."

"The Methodist Hospital System is extremely excited about launching the Care.com employee benefit.  As a Care.com member myself, I was familiar with the service and thought that it would be a great benefit for our employees.  As an award-winning hospital for both patient and staff care, we see offering Care.com to our employees as an important part of continuing our tradition of excellence," said Janay Andrade, Director of Benefits for The Methodist Hospital System.

"We are pleased to partner with Care.com as part of our new benefits offering.  iRobot Cares comes from the feedback we received about the importance of helping employees better manage the balance between work life, home life, and everything in the middle.  This year, we added Care.com to further extend the way iRobot cares about this important balance," said Russell J. Campanello, Senior Vice President of Human Resources for iRobot Corporation.  

Care.com Workplace Solutions members can search reviewed and prescreened profiles of hundreds of thousands of babysitters, nannies, tutors, housekeepers and senior caregivers, both locally and nationally.  Care.com provides 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. Care.com also offers its members a variety of other features, from articles and blogs to access to community groups where parents can connect with each other online for peer advice and the opportunity to connect off-line through groups and co-ops essential to modern-day parenting.

About Care.com's Workplace Solutions

Care.com's Workplace Solutions provide broach-reaching, low cost, high impact solutions for employers looking to reduce costs resulting from care-related absences and distractions as well as improve employee wellness and loyalty.  From providing an executive with back-up childcare so she can lead a crucial meeting to helping a newly relocated employee reestablish his care network, Care.com enables employees to quickly and easily tackle care needs across the spectrum so they can focus on work.  Care.com's Workplace Solutions keep top talent productive and engaged, and can be a primary resource for employees or an integral part of a comprehensive benefits program.

About Care.com, Inc.

Founded in 2006, Care.com (www.care.com) is the largest and fastest growing service used by families seeking high-quality caregivers, providing a place to easily connect with hundreds of thousands of care providers, share care giving 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, pet care, housekeeping and more.  To help ensure safety both online and at home, Care.com provides prescreened profiles, monitored messaging, access to background checks, recorded references, and educational information on the interviewing process.

SOURCE Care.com, Inc.