General Membership and Service Inquiries
- What is the Caregiver Support Program?
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For the duration of the program Rutgers employees will be eligible for childcare and elder care support services through care.com.
- Who is eligible?
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During the program year, the following part-time and full-time employees are eligible for Care.com benefits:
- Type Class 1
- Type Class 3
- Type Class 6 TA/Gas
- Type Class 7 PTLs
- Type Class 8 Winter/Summer Instructors only
Employees on leave or unpaid status are not eligible.
- How do I access and sign up for my Care.com Membership?
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Sign up for a Care.com account at Rutgers.care.com or give them a call at 855.781.1303. Please be sure to sign up using your NETID@rutgers.edu email address.
- What does my Care.com Membership include?
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Access to the world’s largest network of caregivers. You can explore detailed provider profiles, access background check options, use safety tools, and send real-time payments to caregivers. Types of caregivers include nannies and sitters, senior caregivers, special needs caregivers, and more. Backup Care is also available when school is closed, your babysitter or adult caregiver is sick, you need to work late, or any other time your regular care isn’t available. Reimbursement is made for personal network child and adult care when in-network options are not available.
Enroll and sign in today to explore detailed caregiver profiles in your area, post a job for caregivers to apply to, access the Care Safety Center and background check options, and send real-time payments to caregivers.
- How can I use my Care.com Membership?
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You can find, schedule, manage, and pay for care on the Care.com app or desktop site.
- What services are offered through Care.com?
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Vetted and subsidized adult and childcare providers and reimbursement when using your own personal network of caregivers when your regular care is not available. You can use Backup Care when:
- School is closed
- Your babysitter or nanny is sick or on vacation
- You have to work late
- Daycare is closed
- You are working from home and need someone to watch the kids
- Companion care is needed
- An extra set of hands after surgery would help
- Your regular senior care isn’t available
*Camp costs are not eligible for reimbursement
- What precautions does Care.com take to maintain a safe community?
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Safety is a top priority and Care.com is committed to making the care journey as safe as possible for those hiring and being hired. Today, safety at Care.com includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- All caregivers active on the platform have completed a background check – CareCheck – which includes SSN trace, National Sex Offender Public Website search, multi-jurisdictional database search, and Federal and county criminal records search.
- License verification of daycares in the Care.com Marketplace Directory.
At care.com/safety-center, you can find:
- Safety guides to help you make safer decisions throughout your caregiver search
- Information on the vetting, health and safety training, and screening process that caregivers undergo who are employed by either Care.com or its network of agencies
- Background Check Guide
- Option to request and run a background check on a caregiver
- Safety Resources such as how to handle reference checks
- Safety FAQs
All employees are encouraged to review this information carefully and to take any steps they feel are necessary to vet caregivers.
- What is LifeMart Discounts?
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LifeMart Discounts is an online platform providing offers and discounts on products and services nationwide. With LifeMart Discounts, you can experience great savings on Child Care Centers, Senior Care Facilities, Parenting Resources and more! In addition to savings on care, you also have exclusive access to other major discounts. Whether you’re planning a big purchase or want deals on day-to-day essentials, LifeMart Discounts has savings on thousands of nationwide brand name products and services! Visit LifeMart Discounts to browse major deals on:
- Childcare centers
- Senior care products and services
- Groceries and restaurants
- Pet Care Gym, fitness, and wellness
- Technology like computers and phones
- Legal and financial services
- Home goods
- Travel, hotels, and rental cars
- Tickets and entertainment
- Car buying and auto services
- Apparel
- And much more!
- How do I access LifeMart?
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LifeMart is accessible through our dedicated Rutgers.care.com portal. Redeeming discounts or searching for offers is quick and easy. You can search by category, then select an offer to review the details and redemption instructions.
- What if I have a current Care.com account outside of Rutgers University?
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- Visit Rutgers.care.com
- Click "Enroll Now" When asked if you are new to care.com; Click “No”
- The prompts will ask you to enter in your credentials for your current account and may ask additional questions to validate as a Rutgers employee
- Need help? Dial the member care team at 855-781-1303
Child Care Inquiries
- When can I use child Backup Care?
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When your regular care isn’t available during work hours. In-home child Backup Care is available for newborn to teenage children and providers come prepared to make sure your children are safe and happy, and to keep your home in the same condition you left it. They should not be used for laundry, errands, or household chores. In-center Backup Care is available for children during center hours, which may vary.
- How are in-home child Backup Care providers screened?
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All individuals performing in-home Backup Care for children are required to complete a Backup Care services orientation and screening process that includes:
- Criminal Background Check
- Social Security Number Trace
- National Sex Offender Public Website Check
- Identity Verification
- Reference Checks
- How does Care screen Backup Care centers?
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Care’s dedicated staff thoroughly vets each facility before it becomes an approved Backup Care center in the network. Centers must be state licensed, perform criminal background checks on the teachers and staff they employ, check against the National Sex Offender Registry, check against Central Abuse and Neglect Registry, and confirm eligibility to work in the U.S.
- What is the process for arranging childcare?
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Employees who are registered can visit the Rutgers.care.com portal or call Care.com directly at 855-781-1303 to request backup childcare. Identify yourself as a Rutgers employee. The childcare specialist will confirm your eligibility and discuss the fees for which you are responsible (Rutgers provides a subsidy for childcare services, but you're still responsible for a portion of the cost). Your credit card information will be taken down, and Care.com will identify a provider for you who meets your specific needs. You will receive two confirmations:
- Care.com will call to tell you about your caregiver.
- The caregiver will call to confirm the date, time, and location of the job.
When the childcare has been completed for the day, your credit card will be charged the appropriate fees depending on the length of time and the number of children cared for that day.
- My child is sick. Can I still use Backup Care?
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If your child has a low-grade fever, runny nose, mild cough or has started an antibiotic, you can use In-home Backup Care. For the safety of the caregivers, Care can’t provide care to children with fevers over 100°F or with highly infectious illnesses like Chickenpox, Coxsackievirus, or Pinkeye. In-center Backup Care is not available for children who are sick.
- Can I talk to the caregiver beforehand?
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Yes, this is encouraged. The in-home caregiver will call prior to providing care to make an introduction. You may also contact your Backup Care center prior to the day of care.
- What kind of information do I need to provide about my dependents?
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To ensure your care needs are met, the following information will be asked during registration:
- Name
- Age
- Gender
- Any special needs
Adult Care Inquiries
- When can I use Adult Backup Care?
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Adult Backup Care is available in either your home or the home of the adult needing care. For new adult care requests, an in-home assessment is conducted by an agency in Care’s network before starting care.
- How are Adult Backup Care providers screened?
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Care’s network of adult care agencies maintains a rigorous screening process for care providers they employ. Providers will have at least two professional references and a criminal background check in accordance with state guidelines, and may be certified nurse’s aides, home health aides, or experienced elder care companion
- What if my loved one lives in another city?
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While we can’t guarantee a network agency in all locations throughout the country, the team endeavors to meet the needs of your adult dependents, wherever they live. Providing information on location and the type of care needed in advance will help ensure the right match.
- Can I talk to the caregiver beforehand?
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Yes, this is encouraged. The in-home caregiver will call prior to providing care to make an introduction. You may also contact your Backup Care center prior to the day of care.
Cost and Payment Inquiries
- Is there a cost to use the Care.com benefit?
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If you choose to use Backup Care benefit, you will be charged a subsidized rate of $6.00/hour for in-home care and $15.00/day/child for in-center child care. There are limitation to the number of times you can use the subsidized services as outlined in the next FAQ.
There is no cost to find care providers on the self-service website. Once you identify someone you would like to hire, the cost of care should be discussed directly with your potential caregiver. Please be sure to review the safety information at care.com/about/safety/.
- Is there a limit to the number of times I can use the Care.com benefit?
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- For Backup Care, each eligible employee will be able to take advantage of this subsidized service up to a maximum of five days over the course of the pilot year or until the total number of days the university has contracted with Care.com has been exhausted.
- For each plan year, following the pilot year, each eligible employee will be able to take advantage of this subsidized service up to a maximum of five days or until the total number of days the university has contracted with Care.com has been exhausted.
- For each plan year, following the pilot year, each eligible employee will be able to take advantage of this subsidized service up to a maximum of five days or until the total number of days the university has contracted with Care.com has been exhausted.
- There is no limit to the number of times you can use the self-service website.
- Any use of the subsidized care is considered one "day." (For in-home Backup Care, the minimum use is 4 hours and maximum is 10 hours; each is considered one day. Any in-center Backup Care is also considered one day).
- For Backup Care, each eligible employee will be able to take advantage of this subsidized service up to a maximum of five days over the course of the pilot year or until the total number of days the university has contracted with Care.com has been exhausted.
- What happens if I reach the limit of five days of Backup Care but still want to use the Backup Care service?
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Each employee is eligible for up to a maximum of 5 days of subsidized Backup Care or until the total number of days the university has contracted with Care.com has been exhausted. Employees who would like to use more than the 5 days of care will pay the full hourly cost by credit card.
- How do I pay for Care?
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You can pay caregivers directly through the Care.com website or through the Care app. The credit card you have on file will be charged after care takes place. Part of your Backup Care is subsidized, so you are only responsible for your co-pay.
- What if I need to cancel my request for care?
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A $30 cancellation fee will be assessed to you if a Backup Care request is cancelled within 48-hours of the backup care reservation start time and a Backup Care provider already had been reserved to fulfill the backup care request. Additionally, if the cancellation occurs within 24-hours of the backup care reservation start time, 1 day will be deducted from your allotted number of Backup Care Service Days.
Personal Network Backup Care Inquiries
- What kind of information do I need to provide to submit a claim?
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- Date and time of care
- Who received care
- Why you needed Backup Care
- Receipt for care that took place
- The amount you paid for care
- Who provided the care and their contact information
- Signature of caregiver
- Do I need to let you know in advance that I’m using Personal Network?
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No. While you’re welcome to enter your child care claim as soon as you realize you need care, you have 30 days after the care takes place to submit the claim. For adult care, you may only submit a claim once the care has taken place. Please note adult claims also must be submitted within 30 days.
- How do I get reimbursed for care?
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For in-home or in-center Personal Network Backup Care you will be reimbursed up to $125 per day. You’re still responsible for your co-pay. Log into your Care account and go to “Reimburse Me for Backup Care.” From this page you can add a claim and upload your receipt. Care that qualifies is work-related Backup Care and cannot include your family’s regular care expenses. If your claim is already in the Care system, you can edit and upload your receipt. Once your receipt is approved, Care will send you a reimbursement via direct deposit or by mailed check. Your claim needs to be submitted within 30 days of care. Anything after this deadline will be automatically rejected.
- My caregiver/center offered to give me a receipt on their own. What information should it contain?
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- The care provider’s name, address, and phone number
- Your full name and the full name of the person receiving care
- If care is for a child, the child’s age
- Type of service and number of hours provided
- Date of service
- Hourly rate and total amount paid
- Signature of provider and date signed
- How long will it take me to get my reimbursement?
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You will need to provide your bank account information to get reimbursement via direct deposit. If you would prefer, we can mail you a check. It can take up to 30 business days after processing your claim to receive your reimbursement.
- Is there a receipt template?
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Yes, you can download a sample receipt at care.com/media/cms/receipt.pdf. You can also use a receipt from your Personal Network care center or caregiver if it includes all necessary information.
- What if something changes after I’ve submitted a claim?
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You can edit or delete your claim at any time before it has been approved for payment. Login to your Care account, and select “View Claims” under “Reimburse Me For Backup Care.” Select “Edit” next to the claim you want to change or delete. If you delete a claim, the Backup Care utilization day will be added back to your account to be used at a later date.
- I have questions about using Care.com. Who should I contact?
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You can contact Care.com directly by calling 855-781-1303 or by emailing careteam@care.com.