What is backup care?
Backup care is care for your child or elder when your regular care breaks down, so that you are able to work. Hopkins provides partial payment of back up care for up to 10 days per year. There is a minimum of 4 hours and maximum of 10 hours for backup care, which counts as one day.
Care@Work by Care.com is a service that matches you with a backup care provider up to your maximum of 10 days.
If you need more care than this, for whatever reason, you can access the Care.com digital portal to help you in your search
How are caregivers vetted?
There is different vetting for each of the two types of searches:
- All backup caregivers placed by Care@Work have undergone in-depth vetting. This includes:
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- Child care reference checks
- Video or in-person interviews
- State/county criminal background checks (based on 7-year address history)
- National Sex Offender Public Website check
- U.S. work eligibility verification
- Caregivers that are hired independently in the digital network, are vetted primarily by you, the parent, with support from a variety of Care.com tools.com monitors site interactions and screens members to promote a safe community. Generally, Care.com does not verify member content, nor do they background check all caregivers. Families have access to the Safety Center, can run background checks offered through Care.com, and are advised to follow this five-step process when hiring a caregiver.
Can I have the same caregiver every time?
During the request process you will have the option to request a previous caregiver. If they are available, then that caregiver will be assigned to you again. If the caregiver is already assigned to another backup care job, a different caregiver will be assigned to you.
Can I talk to my caregiver beforehand?
Prior to arrival your caregiver will call you so you can get to know one another and confirm details for your day(s) of care. If you have further questions about the qualifications and vetting of backup care providers, please contact careteam@care.com. They are ready and available to help.
Can the backup provider provide care if I am working from home?
Yes. If you are working from home, you may use backup care to watch your children.
How do I pay my provider from Care.com?
Add your credit card to your account profile; payments to caregivers are managed by Care.com. For backup care, you will only be charged the rate according to your salary, for the timespan of the job. For providers hired from the digital network, you pay the rate agreed upon with your provider. In both cases, you are only charged after the care is provided.
How Do Payroll Taxes Work For Backup Care Days?
Our department works with the Tax Office to report the earned benefit of your use of backup care on your W-2 each year. The earned benefit will appear on your paystub as “NC BUC Non-taxable” or “NC Backup Care Tx” when it is reported to payroll. Backup care for children and adults is taxed differently, as follows:
Backup care for children may only be used for your dependents that you are able to claim when filing taxes. The earned benefit of your backup child care is reported as employer-provided dependent care assistance.
You are allowed to exclude from income up to $5,000 of employer-provided, dependent care assistance in any taxable year, in combination of child care voucher, dependent care flexible spending account, and backup care earned benefit. These child care dollars are considered employer-provided dependent care assistance and are reported in Box 10 on your W-2. The maximum amount that may be excluded from income is $5,000 total. Refer to IRS Publication 503, IRS Form 2441, and IRS Form 2441 Instructions for guidance pertaining to child and dependent care expenses. If you exceed $5,000 in any calendar year, the excess funds are reported as taxable income, and would be included in Box 1 on your W-2.
Backup care for adults is taxable. The earned benefit of your adult backup care is reported as taxable income, based on the fair market value of the service, on your W-2 each year.
Students who do not receive a W-2 from JHU will receive a summary of earned benefit in an email from Benefits and Worklife each year.
Can I use my Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account to pay for backup care or digital network care for my child?
Yes, you may use Dependent Care Flexible Spending to pay for the care of children under age 14. Retain your receipts, as you must submit them to Discovery Benefits for reimbursements.
CAN I USE MY CHILD CARE VOUCHER TO PAY FOR BACKUP CARE OR DIGITAL NETWORK CARE FOR MY CHILD?
Yes, you may use the Child Care Voucher to pay for the care of children under age 6 who are not yet in kindergarten. However, we do advise against using your voucher to pay for Care.com services because of the $5,000 tax-free limit in employer-provided dependent care assistance, as set by the IRS. If you use greater than $5,000 in combination of Child Care Voucher, Dependent Care Flexible Spending, and Backup Care benefits for any 12-month period, it will be applied to your wages as taxable income, as required by the IRS.
I need help with grocery shopping and delivery for my elderly or immune-compromised relatives. Would that be a job for the digital network, or for back-up care?
If you would like someone to run errands for your family member, you are able to use backup care or the digital network. If requesting as backup care, there is a minimum of 4 hours for a job and a maximum of 10 hours, and the job will count as one day.
During COVID-19, since the pool of home health aides and nurses serving backup care requests for adults may be limited for errand-type jobs, you may want to consider hiring from the digital network. You may also enter a different zip code associated with your request to serve your family member if they live in a different city than you do.
Is there care available for children on the spectrum/with special needs?
Yes. As you request backup care, you can indicate the needs of your child, and Care.com will notify you of whether or not they can match you with a backup care provider who has experience supporting those needs.
If you are hiring through the digital network, you can search for providers who are experienced with special needs, or indicate that you require special needs experience when you post a job.
I have a Care.com membership that I already paid for. Can I link this to my Johns Hopkins access?
Yes. When you visit johnshopkins.care.com to register, enter “Johns Hopkins” as your employer name and the email address of your existing account. When prompted, enter your JHED ID alone (without @jh.edu) to verify your eligibility. This will migrate your existing messages and profile into your Johns Hopkins account.
If you have paid for a Care.com membership, call Care.com Member Services to request a refund, 1-855-781-1303.
IF I CHANGE POSITIONS WITH THE UNIVERSITY, WILL I GET AN ADDITIONAL 10 BACKUP CARE DAYS?
The program provides ten (10) days of subsidized backup care per calendar year, per eligible affiliate, regardless of a change in position. If you change positions or job titles, your 10 days do not reset.
WHAT IF I AM ON A LEAVE OF ABSENCE?
If your employment status becomes inactive or you go on a leave of absence at any time, you may not use any Care.com benefits. You must currently be full-time and benefits-eligible to use backup care, free premium membership, or expert assistance.
If both parents work for Hopkins and are eligible for the Care@Work benefits, does the family get 20 days total?
Yes. Each individual person who is eligible for this benefit receives 10 days each of discounted backup care, even if they are in the same family. Keep in mind that if you also use Dependent Care Flexible Spending, or the JHU Child Care Voucher, the combination of these funds with backup care are tax-free up to $5,000 per family. Any amount beyond this limit will be reported as taxable income on your W-2.
I know someone who wants to become a backup care provider for Care@Work. What information can I give that person?
Care@Work by Care.com is hiring caregivers in key locations throughout the United States to support our clients and their employees. To apply, please visit care.com/vis/careers/department/caregivers to see where we are hiring.
Caregivers can also create a profile to be a provider on the digital portal – it’s relatively quick and easy.