Now is a great time to start your Care.com nanny or babysitter search. Find a nanny, mother’s helper or tutor for the rest of the summer or start searching now to find a fulltime or afterschool nanny for the fall. Care.com is also the best place to find a reliable and available babysitter for those date nights you need to schedule.

 In our review of the Best Online Nanny Services, Nanny Services Guide judged Care.com to be the most active nanny recruiter based on the number of Care.com jobs revealed by a Google search for nanny jobs in various cities.  In addition to childcare, Care.com offers pet care, senior care, housekeeping, tutoring and has a separate category for special needs care. 

Start your nanny or babysitter search today. Use coupon code SUMMER15 to save 15% off any Care.com membership through September 15, 2010.

More on Online Nanny Services

• How to Choose an Online Nanny Service
• Best Online Nanny Services

An online nanny service can help you find a qualified and reliable nanny or babysitter. There are different types of online nanny services that vary in terms of the level of service provided and fees charged.

Type of Nanny Service

Nanny Job Boards: The most basic type of online nanny service is a nanny job board which charges a fee to advertise available nanny positions for a period of time.  For example, The Nanny Job Board on Nanny Services Guide charges $10 to post a nanny job for 30 days.

Online Nanny Services: Other online nanny services (like Care.com and Sittercity) offer more extensive services.  These online nanny services allow families to post a nanny job description and search nanny profiles including the nanny’s photograph, age, town of residence and qualifications. In addition to nanny and babysitter positions, many online nanny services also offer tutoring, housekeeping, pet sitting and senior care.  Membership fees at these online nanny services range from $25 to more than $100 per month.

Cost & Other Factors

Costs of Online Nanny Services: Cost is a key factor when choosing an online nanny service.  In comparing costs of online nanny services, consider any upfront or monthly membership fees and the specific terms of membership. Does membership include a “free” background check? Does it include a full background check or just a preliminary search? Also compare the costs of different online nanny services in the event that it takes more than one month to find a nanny.  Finally, check if the online nanny service provides any type of guarantee or a refund if you do not find a nanny or if your nanny quits after a short time.

Most Nanny Candidates: An online nanny service provides value only if it helps you find a qualified and reliable nanny or babysitter.  A key factor in choosing an online nanny service is which service is the most likely to help you find the best nanny or babysitter. It pays to visit more than one online nanny service to see which site has the most qualified nanny candidates in your local area.

For more information on choosing an online nanny service, see our list of the Best Online Nanny Services.

More Nanny Resources:

• How to Find a Nanny
• How to Choose a Local Nanny Service
• Best Online Nanny Services

Need a babysitter? The best local sitters and nannies are at Sittercity.com. Save up to $20 now!

In our post on the Best Online Nanny Services, Nanny Services Guide picked Sittercity as the online nanny service with the “Most Nannies.”  A free search of nannies on Sittercity yielded a greater selection of qualified local nannies than any other online nanny service.  In addition to nanny and babysitter care, Sittercity also offers pet care, senior care, housekeeping and tutoring.

• Most Nannies: Sittercity.com (Chicago, IL; founded 2001) Sittercity bills itself as the “largest and most trusted” online nanny service, with “more than one million caregiver profiles nationwide.”  A free search of nannies in my area yielded a greater selection of qualified local nannies than any other online nanny service.  In addition to nanny and babysitter care, Sittercity also offers pet care, senior care, housekeeping and tutoring.  Basic fee is a $39.99 sign up charge plus $9.99 per month.
• Best Nanny Recruiter: Care.com (Waltham, MA; founded 2007)  Care.com is the most active nanny recruiter based on the number of Care.com jobs revealed by a Google search for nanny jobs in various cities.  In addition to childcare, Care.com offers pet care, senior care, housekeeping, tutoring and has a separate category for special needs care.  Basic fee is $30 for a one month subscription including free background check.
• Most Experienced: Nannies4Hire.com (Norfolk, NE; founded 1987)  Nannies4Hire.com has the most nanny placement experience and is the most nanny-focused of all the online nanny services (with no offerings for pet care or housekeeping, for example.)  The company’s founder is affiliated with a traditional nanny placement agency and is a former nanny.  Nannies4Hire’s services have been featured on the Dr. Phil Show, Jon & Kate Plus 8 and Supernanny.  Basic fee is $129.99 for a one month subscription.
• Best Guarantee: GoNannies.com (Flower Mound, TX; founded 2003)  GoNannies offers a wide selection of nanny candidates and is a very active advertiser and nanny recruiter.  GoNannies also offers a “Find Them & Keep Them” guarantee, which extends a family’s membership if the family does not find a nanny who stays in the job.  Basic fee is $49 for a 45 day membership, including a free preliminary background check.

An honorable mention should also go to NannyPro.com, a new online nanny service based in Hamburg, New York that has been aggressively recruiting nannies and families.  In addition, fee-based online nanny services are offered by nanny tax and payroll specialists HomeWork Solutions Inc. (which is affiliated with 4nannies.com) and GTM Associates (which owns nannyjobs.com.)