Care.com HomePay’s vice president, Kerri Swope, reflects on the company’s mission.
By Lauren Jones, Photo courtesy of Care.com HomePay
Care.com HomePay was founded on the belief that women helping women can change the world. The company, which works with families seeking to understand their duties as household employers, has helped 100,000 caregivers, saved families 12.5 million hours on paperwork and processed more than $3 billion in household payroll, according to Vice President Kerri Swope, who has been with the company for 13 years.
Child care is the No. 1 cost burden to families, and navigating the entire process of hiring and paying a household employee can be both confusing and tiresome. Entrepreneurs Bill and Stephanie Breedlove founded Care.com HomePay (then Breedlove and Associates) in 1992 after realizing a need in the market.
When the Breedloves started the company, they had two young boys, were both working and shared a nanny with another family.
“They were aware of their tax obligations, but their accountant was not familiar with the laws,” Swope says. “There wasn’t anywhere they could turn.”
Care.com HomePay seeks to empower both families and caregivers in the Austin community.
“When household employees are paid legally, an array of benefits becomes available,” Swope says. “You and I have social security, Medicare, a work history and access to disability, but when a caregiver isn’t paid legally, she doesn’t have access to that.”
In addition to educating families and paving the way for a better life for caregivers, Care.com HomePay empowers its employees.
“When I joined the company, I got really lucky,” Swope says. “I had the type of mentor that most people spend their career hoping to find. Stephanie Breedlove was the type of mentor that took the time to build my skills and guide me. When she decided to retire and I took over, she worked with me for six months, eight hours a day. She believed that investing in people was the secret to success.”
Today, Care.com HomePay is on the rise, growing each year as more employees join the burgeoning company, but one thing will never change: its level of dedication.
“Getting to be a part of a woman-led business has created so many opportunities,” Swope says. “We are helping women and are championing for female participation in the workforce and equal pay for women. It’s a rewarding mission, and every day, I’m excited to come to work.”
To learn more about Care.com HomePay, visit care.com/homepay.