Sittercity: Hiring, Background Check & Employment Verification FAQs

Sittercity was founded in 2001 by Genevieve Thiers and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The company built one of the first online platforms designed to let families search for and evaluate in-home child care providers, replacing word-of-mouth referrals and community bulletin boards with a searchable directory of local caregivers. Over the years the marketplace expanded beyond babysitting into nanny placements, senior care, pet sitting, tutoring, and household help.

In August 2020, Sittercity was acquired by Bright Horizons Family Solutions, a publicly traded provider of employer-sponsored child care and family support benefits. Sittercity continues to operate as a consumer-facing brand within the Bright Horizons portfolio, and its platform is also used to extend flexible in-home care options to employees at companies that offer Bright Horizons benefits.

An important distinction shapes how screening works here. Caregivers discovered through Sittercity are generally engaged directly by the families who hire them rather than employed by Sittercity itself. The company's own corporate workforce is a separate group made up of technology, product, trust and safety, customer support, marketing, and operations professionals, most of them connected to the Chicago headquarters or working remotely. A Sittercity background check therefore means one thing for a corporate job applicant and something different for a caregiver listing services on the marketplace.

Company culture and employee programs:

Sittercity describes its mission in terms of making care easier for families to find and for caregivers to provide, and safety features sit at the center of the product. The platform offers families tools to screen candidates, including optional background check packages and motor vehicle records checks that families can order during the hiring process, along with identity verification for caregivers who register an account. For corporate roles, compensation, benefits, and work arrangements vary by position and are typically outlined during the interview process, so candidates should confirm details with a recruiter.

Yes. Employers in the online marketplace and consumer technology industry, including Sittercity, are legally permitted to conduct pre-employment background checks on job candidates as long as they follow applicable federal, state, and local law. In the United States, employment screening is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which sets rules for candidate disclosure, written consent, and the adverse action process. Illinois, where the company is headquartered, and other states layer additional requirements on top of the federal baseline.

Sittercity is generally reported to conduct background checks on candidates for corporate positions, which is standard practice among technology and marketplace employers. Separately, the platform makes background check options available to families hiring caregivers, and public information about the service describes more than one level of screening. The scope of any Sittercity background check typically depends on the role, the state, and, for caregivers, which package a family chooses to run.

The exact steps vary by team and seniority, but the Sittercity hiring process for corporate roles generally begins with an online application, followed by a recruiter screen. Candidates who advance usually complete interviews with the hiring manager and members of the team, and some roles include a practical exercise or portfolio review. A conditional offer typically comes before any background check, and candidates are asked to provide written consent at that point. Caregivers joining the marketplace follow a different path that centers on building a profile, completing identity verification, and connecting with families directly.

Turnaround depends on which searches are ordered, how quickly courts and past employers respond, and whether the candidate has lived in several jurisdictions. Many reports come back within a few business days, while searches that reach multiple county courts or require manual record retrieval can take longer. Candidates who want a fuller picture of typical timing can review background check turnaround times.

The employer or, in the case of a caregiver search, the family ordering the report decides which components to include. For a role connected to Sittercity, a background check may include some or all of the following:

Review the disclosure and consent paperwork provided during the process to see exactly which searches apply to your situation.

Lookback windows depend on the search type and the law in the state where the candidate lives or worked. Under the FCRA, consumer reporting agencies are generally restricted from reporting most adverse information older than seven years, with exceptions for certain record types and for positions above a defined salary threshold. A number of states, including several with large caregiver populations, apply tighter limits. Because the rules are jurisdiction specific, two candidates with similar histories can see different results.

Sittercity has not published a detailed policy on applicants with felony records, and decisions of this kind are typically made case by case. Relevant factors usually include the nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and how it relates to the responsibilities of the role. Many states and cities have adopted "ban-the-box" laws that restrict when an employer may ask about criminal history during an application. Candidates are generally best served by answering honestly and being ready to discuss the context if the subject comes up.

Candidates are typically asked to sign a standalone disclosure and give written consent before any screening begins. Expect to provide accurate personal details, including full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and address history. Caregivers registering on the platform may also be asked to verify their identity with a government-issued document. Accurate information helps searches run in the right jurisdictions and reduces the chance of delay.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act is the federal law that governs how consumer reporting agencies assemble and share background check information. It requires employers to obtain written permission before running a report, to provide a copy of the report and a summary of rights before taking adverse action, and to give the candidate a chance to dispute anything inaccurate before a final decision is made. For a closer look at how the statute works alongside Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidance, see Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Caregivers who list services on the platform are not employees of Sittercity, so screening works differently than it does for a corporate hire. Public information about the service describes identity verification at registration plus optional background check packages and motor vehicle records checks that families can purchase while evaluating a candidate. Because a family chooses what to run, the depth of screening can vary from one placement to the next, and caregivers are typically asked for consent before any report is ordered.

Running a personal background check with Checkr lets you preview what Sittercity may see and help you identify potential inaccuracies before they affect your job application. In one secure report you can review:

Create your report in minutes at Checkr Personal Background Checks. To showcase verified credentials proactively, build a free Checkr Profile you can share with recruiters, hiring managers, or potential employers.

Check your report status in the Candidate Portal. Or, visit the Checkr Help Center for FAQs, dispute steps, and to contact support.

The resources and information provided here are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Always consult your own counsel for up-to-date legal advice and guidance related to your practices, needs, and compliance with applicable laws.