Au Pair ClearingHouse Blog: Au Pair Industry News Center

Au Pair of the Year Award - 2012

2011-12-28T06:46:00.000-08:00

AU PAIR OF THE YEAR AWARD 2012

It Is That Time of Year Again!

Most American au pair agencies are members of the International Au Pair Association (IAPA) and are annually invited to participate in their search for the "Au Pair of the Year Award." This is a great opportunity to showcase the unique experiences of the au pair program!

How does it work? If your agency is an IAPA Member in good standing, they will receive permission to begin to send in candidates. Host families are encouraged to submit their au pairs and a letter outlining why they think their au pair should be nominated for Au Pair of the Year Award.

A selection panel will select one winning au pair that will be required to attend (all expenses paid) the award ceremony which will take place during the IAPA Annual Conference and Work Experience Travel Market in Budapest, Hungary, March 2012.

If you think you have a terrific au pair and would like to nominate her/him, please check to see if your agency is an IAPA member!

Read the winners of this prestigious award for the past several years. Winners are from all around the world! Click here now to read the entire list of Au Pair Winners

AU PAIR OF THE YEAR 2011

Luna Vazquez de la Rosa is the Au Pair of the Year for 2011!

The Au Pair of the Year 2011 is Ms Luna Vazquez de la Rosa, a 20 year-old Spanish native.

She was given the honour during the annual Welcome Reception of WETM-IAC on Wednesday, March 16th.

Luna was hosted by the Packham family in Hove, UK, for a period of 9 months. The receiving organisation is "The Childcare Company” from the UK and the sender is International Au Pair and Language Abroad Group form Spain.

The award was given to Luna by Mr. Jack Hompes, IAPA chairperson, in the beautiful "De Munt” theater in Brussels.

Other finalists for the Au Pair of the Year were Nadine Kuehlkamp from Germany (Au Pair Ecosse) and Melanie Bluhm from Germany (EurAupair Intercultural Child Care Programs).

Said the Packham family: "There really is no better au pair experience than the one our family had with Luna. We were so very blessed. We have the most amazing memories of Luna's stay with us and a family friend for life."

AU PAIR OF THE YEAR AWARD 2010

Au Pair USA Au Pair Agency USA Winner!

Congratulations to Mayumi Yano (Japan),  2010 Au Pair of the Year!

AU PAIR OF THE YEAR AWARD 2009

Cultural Care Au Pair Agency USA Winner!

TOP TIPS - Working with Your Au Pair Agency Placement Staff

2011-12-28T06:36:00.000-08:00

Work Closely with your Agency's Placement Coordinator

Every agency has a placement staff to assist parents with au pair applications and matching. You might be assigned to work with one person, depending on your agency's procedures. Working with your placement counselor is KEY in getting the applications you want to review before you interview an au pair!

Follow these Top Tips and to ensure that you and your placement coordinator are on the same page:

#1. Gatekeepers to Au Pair Applications

Spend time to develop a good, friendly working relationship with the placement staff at your agency.

They punish parents who treat them poorly - either by not giving you any applications in hope that you will switch to another agency, or they will sabotage your efforts to get a great au pair by withholding quality applications! Agencies know that if host parents treat their staff badly, they might do the same with their au pairs - so this part of the process becomes part of the host family screening process.

Make your placement counselor your new best friend - a cordial, friendly relationship will reap benefits that you need to match with a great au pair.

#2. Slow Boat to China

Some agencies are slow to respond to a family's urgent need for immediate childcare and they will not release enough applications fast enough for you to review.

If you have tried to get more applications and help (and you have been consistently friendly and pleasant), but are beginning to feel you are stuck on a slow boat to China, tell your local counselor or LCC to intervene on your behalf.

That usually does the trick!

#3. Reminders Are Key to Better, Faster Matching

Don't assume your placement counselor knows 'exactly' what you are looking for in an au pair - they have your application, which lists your preferences, but they often do not bother to read this.

Send them email reminders and leave phone messages reiterating what your top preferences are (example, driving, German, good English). Leave up to 3 reminders, any more and you might be labeled as a 'difficult' host parent...

Remember, a squeaky wheel does get the grease, but only in moderation!

#4. A Good Match Depends on Quality Au Pairs

Be honest and upfront with the placement office - if you are busy and don't have time to review lots of useless applications, have a frank conversation with the placement counselor.

Tell her how busy your job is and how time is scarce. Make sure she knows how important it is to you to receive top, quaility applications for your review - this can cut your matching time in half!

To read more about matching, read our Matching Services Ratings by Agency

Au Pair Agency Websites - Winners & Losers

2011-12-14T09:37:00.001-08:00

We often receive email questions from parents who are dismayed by their efforts to get and find information on au pair agency websites.

Here is a typical email:

"Dear Au Pair Clearinghouse, why is it that many of the au pair sites, in business for 20 years and more, don't have good, functional websites? Some of the sites are so basic and outdated, I click away, because they don't even look 'legit' - in these days, when everyone including their grandmother, is virtual and on the internet, why would companies like this, who deal with parents looking for something as important as childcare, skimp on their websites?" Host Dad in Vermont

A Company's Website is Worth a Thousand Words

I have to agree with this host dad! It is true that many, if not most, of the 14 au pair agency websites lack essential information and resources. This makes researching au pairs/agencies very difficult and frustrating!

For example, many sites do not have a Host Family Resource page, where you can read about the au pair program, what an au pair is, what is involved in hosting an au pair, etc. Agency Program Fees are also difficult to find on au pair agency websites!

Au pair agency Website Reviews are all part of our comprehensive reviews and ratings of all 14 agencies in the United States. We call agencies, we rate their phone service, we visit their sites daily, clicking around to research material on au pairs and hosting au pairs, asking questions like, "how easy/hard is it to find costs, au pairs by nationality, matching/placement time frames, etc."

All of these searches really comes down to how efficient and streamlined an au pair agency's website is. A small handful of au pair agencies have updated their websites in the last 3 years:

GoAuPair has a colorful, user-friendly site that is chock-full of helpful and useful information and they recently added new features, such as Au Pair Statistics, Country of the Month (where they feature different nationalities) and a fun and informative Blog.
Cultural Care has one of the better sites, very professional looking, fast and easy to navigate, with their very popular Au Pair Answer Mom videos, featuring Susan Robinson, the "Martha Stewart" of the "how-to-guide video blog" on everything au pairs.
Au Pair Care has a great site that has been recognized for its ease in finding and matching with the au pair that fits your childcare needs. They were the recipients of tech 2006 CIO 100 Award, in recognition of the highest level of strategic excellence in information technology. You can read more about the award here. Au Pair Care's advanced search option allows host families to search by multiple criteria, including education of au pair, child care qualifications, language & driving skills, hobbies and more. After that award, several of the larger agencies rolled out their own online search features!

What About Agencies that Don't Deliver User-Friendly Matching Services?

Some agencies are hard pressed to deliver fast and useful information at critical service points - many of our host parents complained about the slow turn around time at Au Pair in America, beginning with ease of viewing applicants online:

Au Pair in America: The majority of host parents were only “somewhat satisfied” (72%) and the major complaint was the length of time it took to receive applications and to finally match with an au pair. The other complaints were the slowness of the program to get the family started on viewing applications, getting applications, and matching and receiving “dead leads” (i.e., host parents who are assigned au pairs that have already been matched with another family).

“I would go through the 3 applications they released to me, and find only one appropriate for my needs. Once I called and rejected the au pair based on the interview, I would ask for more applications. I don’t know why, but the office staff was very slow to release more au pair applications to me. It was one of the reasons I finally switched out of Au Pair in America.” Host Parent Survey Respondent

“We signed up with 3 agencies all at once, all at the same time. Cultural Care sent out a counselor that weekend, Au Pair Care scheduled a meeting for Monday evening, and we never heard back from Au Pair in America until after we signed up and starting interviewing through Cultural Care! Au Pair in America were late getting to us and as business man, if I did this with my customers, I would never make any money.” Host Parent Survey Respondent

We also have a recommended list of au pair/host family resources that include au pair agency specific resources, but other sources as well, including books, blogs and other online au pair resources. Read our Host Family Tips page for lots of essential and expert advice on finding and matching with a great au pair.

Let us know what favorite au pair or host family resource you use!

From www.bestaupairguide.com's author, Talya Shoup

2011-11-11T05:22:00.000-08:00

P.E.A.P.

Prevent Exploitation of Au Pairs

My friend and colleague, Edina Stone, of Au Pair Clearinghouse, and I have started a new support organization alled P.E.A.P. (Prevent Exlpoitation of Au Pairs).

We’ve founded P.E.A.P. in response to the recent story of a German au pair who was allegedly abused by her host father. This case is not the first and will certainly not be the last, instance of au pairs being mistreated. We are here to help prevent such abuse.

Au pairs are in a very vulnerable position. While most host families are safe, loving, and welcoming, the occassional host family’s home is not a place where au pairs are treated as they should be. In addition, some au pairs are tricked into believing they will work as au pairs, when in fact they end up as victims of human trafficking.

With P.E.A.P., we hope to be an advocacy group for au pairs. Our goal is to be the voice for au pairs who have been abused, exploited, or harrassed.

Our mission:

To serve as an advocate for au pairs in the United States and abroad, to help prevent abuse and to support au pairs who have been exploited.

Our guiding principles:

Au Pairs’ Right to Safety and Well-being – Au Pairs have a right to freedom from sexual, physical, emotional and occupational abuse.

Focus on the Au Pair Community and Au Pair Industry – Programs focus on global au pair communities and the au pair industry that represents, recruits, hires and places au pairs in host families. By promoting the need for educational programs, we challenge and support au pair agencies & au pair organizations to take responsibility for the prevention of au pair abuse.

Support for Victims of Abuse - Au pairs are encouraged to share their stories so others can learn from their experiences. Sharing stories of abuse raise awareness. Sharing stories of abuse can be personally and emotionally healing.

If you are an au pair who needs to report abuse or would like to share your story, please email us at preventexploitationaupairs@gmail.com.

To keep up with what is happening with Prevent Exploitation of Au Pairs, including news and updates, please visit our Facebook page.

P.E.A.P. - Prevent Exploitation of Au Pairs

2011-11-11T05:07:00.000-08:00

This story was very disturbing and we are following it at www.aupairclearinghouse.com, the nation's first and only website that reviews and rates all au pair agencies in the United States.

As a result of this story, my friend and colleague, Talya Shoup (www.bestaupairguide.com), started P.E.A.P., Prevent Exploitation of Au Pairs.

You can find us on facebook:

Prevent Exploitation of Au Pairs - P.E.A.P.

Please visit our au pair abuse awareness organization and "like" us and share our page with all the au pairs and host parents in your life!

Thank you!

Edina Stone, Founder & CEO
www.aupairclearinghouse.com

In Unsafe Hands - Au Pairs At Risk

2011-11-11T04:57:00.000-08:00

WILLAMETTE NEWS
October 26 2011 Shaw Healey/NEWS
In Unsafe Hands

After sex abuse charges, a Lake Oswego au pair agency denies placing a woman in harm’s way.

She was 18 when she came to Oregon from Germany as an au pair and moved in with an Intel manager and his family in September 2010. She agreed to provide live-in child care so she could go to school and have an enriching cultural experience.

But the young woman says she instead fought off the host father when he touched her breasts and put his hand between her legs. She fled the house and told the police.

Back in Germany, she filed a lawsuit Oct. 5 in Multnomah County Circuit Court, accusing a Lake Oswego au pair placement agency of negligence and fraud.

The suit alleges that US Au Pair Inc. and its owner, Helene Young, knew two previous au pairs had reported sexual advances made by the father, Ashish Gupta.

The suit says Young didn’t warn the German woman about Gupta before placing her in his home. The suit—seeking $990,000 in damages—says the woman, now 19, later became suicidal.

Experts say this is the first lawsuit of its kind in the U.S., and it reveals how au pairs lack adequate protection from abuse.

Gupta declined to talk to WW for this story. Young, whose firm was paid $6,000 by Gupta for the placement, denied the allegations.

“There is no basis for the charges,” she says. “They are totally unfounded. Anyone who knows me and my organization knows that what is being said is not true.”

The U.S. State Department says its au pair program is “a mutually rewarding, intercultural opportunity” for young people (typically women) aged 18 to 26 to study here while working for and living with a host family.

The State Department has approved 14 au pair placement agencies in the U.S., and ensures au pairs get 32 hours of training in first aid, child development, cultural awareness and other issues.

What they don’t get, placement agencies say, is training on how to deal with sexual harassment.

Edina Stone, founder and CEO of Au Pair Clearinghouse, an online advocacy group, says it’s not easy for au pairs to speak up when things go wrong.

“The au pair agencies have pretty much depended on the fact that these girls are young and foreign,” Stone says. “They’re here alone, and they don’t know how to get legal representation.

“The German au pair did the right thing by bringing the lawsuit, because it’s the agency’s responsibility to make sure they’re screening both sides of the contract.”

The lawsuit says US Au Pair’s Young told the German woman’s father that “the Gupta family had a few au pairs working with them in the past, there had been no problems reported, and the au pairs had enjoyed their experience.”

Records obtained by WW show that police turned up a very different story.

Washington County sheriff’s investigators found notes in US Au Pair’s files showing that an au pair in 2009 reported that Gupta had asked if she was a virgin and said he wanted to see her in a bikini.

An investigator interviewed another au pair who said Gupta in 2008 rubbed her thigh and back, told her to leave her bedroom door open, and came into her room and lay down in bed next to her. She reported his behavior to US Au Pair staff, the sheriff’s report says, and says Gupta had tried to punish her by refusing to let her attend school.

The German au pair said Gupta touched her inappropriately on five occasions, and that she was initially too scared to say anything when Gupta put his hand between her legs while they sat on a couch.

At one point, she said, he grabbed her bottom. “She was shocked,” the sheriff’s report says, “and [he] then asked, ‘Can I touch it again?’ and she said ‘No.’ He then said, ‘Can I at least smack it?’ and she said ‘No.’ She said he then laughed and made fun of it afterward.”

She said she resisted when Gupta kissed her neck and touched her breasts; when she rejected him, Gupta cut her pay and denied her use of the family’s car.

When a sheriff’s investigator interviewed him, Gupta denied any wrongdoing. He told the investigator that he gave the au pair back rubs, adding, “where he works at Intel, it is common for people to give each other shoulder massages.”

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office charged Gupta in January with one count each of sexual abuse and harassment, both misdemeanors. Gupta pleaded not guilty and hired Stephen Houze, a well-known Portland criminal attorney.

The DA dropped the case after the au pair and Gupta reached a civil compromise—a confidential agreement that she wouldn’t pursue the case. Gupta is trying to get the record expunged.

Rayney Meisel, Washington County deputy district attorney, says her office didn’t agree with the deal but didn’t fight it. (The settlement didn’t include US Au Pair.)

“The victim was in Germany, and it would have taken a lot for her to be able to come out here,” Meisel says. “A civil compromise was a better situation for her.”

Au Pair Clearinghouse’s Stone hopes the case will encourage placement agencies to screen host families more thoroughly and give au pairs sexual harassment training.

“There should be an awareness campaign that says if you are abused, if your host parent does something to make you feel uncomfortable, you need to document it,” Stone says. “That’s what the agencies should be doing.”

Expert Au Pair Author Responds to US Au Pair Law Suit

2011-10-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Talya Shoup, sent me her response to the breaking story of an au pair who is suing US Au Pair Agency. Talya Shoup is an author and editor of the popular au pair blog, Best Au Pair Guide, where she dispenses expert advice and top tips for young people who want to become an au pair!

Edina, the recent news of the German au pair, Amely Mae Conrad, suing her former au pair agency, US Au Pair, and its representative, Helene Young, for fraud, negligence, and sexual harassment is indeed big news. Of course, it is always best to hear both sides of a story before making a judgment call, but I would say that there are some things in this story that make me doubtful that the au pair agency in question, US Au Pair, is entirely without guilt in this situation.

It appears that the host father in question, who, according to the au pair filing the lawsuit, sexually harassed and assaulted her on more than one occasion. It seems that when she rejected his advances, he became angry an forced her to work more while docking her pay and saying abusive things.

This entire situation is disturbing, as au pairs are in such a vulnerable position. They are living with strangers in a foreign country, without family or the usual support system from home, and they often don't entirely know the new culture or home. Au pairs also tend to be very young, in their late teens or early 20s, making them all the more vulnerable.

If the agency in question is guilty as charged, and the host father did do the things that the au pair claims, then there were some major mistakes made.

Two other au pairs had been forced to leave this same family because of the father's horrid behavior. There should never have been more than one story like this - after one legitimate complaint of something of this nature, the family should not be allowed to host more au pairs. This should have never happened to more than one girl with the same family.

Of course, a trial will reveal more about the case, and hopefully the agency and its representative will be able to speak for themselves. If all that was accused is true, I hope they have excellent attorneys, because there is no reason that au pairs should be subjected to any sort of inappropriate sexual advances from their host families.

And for all au pairs - those working as au pairs and those who are interested in possibly being au pairs - must be cautious and aware of the sort of host parents they are working for.
Au Pair Safety Tips

I would like to offer the following tips for both prospective au pairs and working au pairs who may find themselves in a similar situation:

REPORT INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR: You must report any sort of behavior that makes you feel threatened and unsafe no matter who is involved - yes, that means your host father! Call your parents at home and your host agency.

TAKE ACTION: If the problem is not remedied immediately by your au pair agency, demand to be moved out of the house and be given a new host family. There is too much at stake to remain in an uncomfortable - and possibly unsafe - situation.

USE COMMON SENSE: Au pairs also need to use common sense. If a potential host dad asks you sexually suggestive questions before you meet them (such as in this case), major red flags should go off. Host families should have no interest in your private life, and you should not be asked to dress a certain way, do anything outside your defined au pair duties, or be expected to share intimate information. There are plenty of safe, good host families out there needing au pairs, so there is no reason to put yourself at risk by accepting a job with a family who might be questionable.
The main point is to pay attention to any potential warning signs and to stand up for yourself. Always. And if you do find yourself in a situation with a questionable host family and an agency who won't do anything to help you, the police are always there. Better to be safe than sorry in this sort of situation!

Read the entire story about US Au Pair Agency and the Million Dollar Lawsuit German Au Pair Filed for Sexual Assault and Fraud.

Au Pair Sues Au Pair Agency for 1 Million Dollars Citing Sexual Abuse, Fraud and Sexual Battery

2011-10-08T17:10:00.000-07:00

Courthouse News Service. October 7 2011

PORTLAND, Ore. (CN) - A teen-age au pair from Germany claims a placement agency aided and abetted an employer who sexually assaulted her, and that the agency knew or should have known that he had done the same thing to two other women the agency had placed in his home.

Amely Mae Conrad sued US Au Pair and Helene Young for fraud, negligence, sexual harassment and discrimination, sexual assault and battery, aiding and abetting and other charges, in Multnomah County Court.

Conrad, 18, says she contacted US Au Pair after seeing it promote itself on its website "a 'U.S. State Department-designated sponsor'" for au pairs.

During a 2-month process that included meetings with the defendants' partner in Germany, Munich Au Pair, Conrad says Young told her "she had found a wonderful family, the Guptas," for her to work with in the United States."

Young told her that "the Gupta family had passed an extensive background check," and that "the Gupta family had had a few au pairs working with them in the past, there had been no problems reported, and the au pairs had enjoyed their experience of working for the Gupta family," according to the complaint.

But Conrad says the latter statement is a lie, and Young should have known it - that US Au Pair had provided two other au pairs to the Guptas, both of whom were subjected to sexual advances by the father, Ashish Gupta.

In 2008, Conrad says, Gupta asked a German au pair "to send him a photo of herself wearing a bikini" before she arrived and "persisted in asking her about her sex life," after she told him it was none of his business. Gupta also rubbed her bare thigh, "inappropriately" fondled her and prohibited her from attending school, which was one of the main reasons she came to the United States, according to the complaint.

This au pair "finally has to leave the Gupta home because of Mr. Gupta's inappropriate behavior and retaliation for rebuffing his advances," the complaint states.

In 2009 US au pair placed a young woman, also from Germany, with the Guptas. Gupta again annoyed this woman with "very inappropriate and sexually proactive conversation," such as "when she had sex most recently, and the sexual positions she preferred," according to the complaint.

Conrad says Gupta also asked this young woman to go with him on a business trip, and asked "to see her in a bikini. Fed up with Mr. Gupta's inappropriate behavior and sexual advances, (the second au pair) left the Gupta home."

When she arrived at the Guptas' in September 2010, Conrad says, Gupta did the same things to her. She says that "almost immediately, Ashish ('Mr. Gupta') began behaving in ways that made plaintiff, who at the time was only 18 years old, feel very uncomfortable." She says Gupta made her "keep her bedroom door open at all times," repeatedly tried to ply her with alcohol, asked her often "to dress in hot shorts or a bikini," told her "not to change out of her pajamas in the morning," insisted that she let him go with her to a mall, where he told her "that she had a 'cute butt,'" then made her try on a pair of shorts, "squeezed her buttock, and said in a creepy voice, 'this feels good.'"

At this, Conrad says, she "was shocked and pulled away," but Gupta "undeterred, shamelessly asked plaintiff if her could 'smack' her buttock. Plaintiff, in horror and disbelief, loudly said no and walked away from him."

She says Gupta continued to molest her though mid-October in his home, sexually pawing her, kissing her "suddenly" without her consent, and trying to fondle her breasts and genitals. She says his molestations made her "devastated, embarrassed" and that afterward she "cried herself to sleep."

She said she repeatedly objected to his sexual pawings, which made Gupta "very upset, mumbling in anger under his breath."

As she continued to resist, Conrad says, Gupta "became abusive" and "began to mistreat her."

He told her she was doing a poor job and that he and his wife were unhappy with her, he docked her pay, made her work seven days a week, and demanded that she "clean the house, cook, and do other chores that were not part of her employment agreement," Conrad says.

Finally, Conrad called her father in Germany, who contacted US Au Pair through its German partner agency. The next day, Conrad says, defendant Young told her to pack her bags because she was being removed from the Gupta home. She says Young apologized for the harassment she had suffered, and promised to place her in a better home.

Shortly afterward, Conrad says, she found out about a previous au pair who had been "molested and victimized" by Gupta. Upon learning this, she says, she "felt she could no longer trust Young or US Au Pair to place her in a safe and healthy working environment," and returned to Germany, where she suffered "a full blown emotional breakdown and became suicidal."

Conrad demands $999,000 plus punitive damages from Young and the Lake Oswego-based business.
She is represented by Mitra Shahri.
Gupta is not named as a defendant.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/10/07/40401.htm

2011-09-26T11:07:00.001-07:00

Survey Results Reveal the
3 Top-Rated Au Pair Agencies and the NUMBER One Winner for Overall Excellence!

The Good NEWS!

Looking at the ratings of all agencies combined, our 2010-2011 Host Family Satisfaction Survey shows an increase in overall satisfaction from last year’s survey findings:

The percentage of top-ratings—“excellent”—given by host parents goes up from 39 percent a year ago to 49 percent in the latest survey!

This is certainly good news appears to reflects a very positive trend for customer service in the au pair industry.

Au pairs are highly affordable and are one of the most popular childcare choices for busy American families.

Finally, there is a better way to find an au pair!

While most au pair agencies receive very favorable customer satisfaction ratings from host parents, there are 3 agencies that receive positive evaluations that are above average and deserve our recognition in our yearly Top 3 Au Pair Agency List!

To read our Top 3 Au Pair Agencies for 2011, click here now!

Educare Au Pairs

2011-09-26T10:45:00.001-07:00

Jerry N. from Utah emailed us this question about Educare Au Pairs:

"My children are now 10 & 12. We really don't need a full time au pair. She doesn't have enough to do all day, and we cannot expect her to do the family's laundry and housecleaning. She often sits home all day until 3:00 pm, waiting for the kids to get home from the bus. I am thinking about the Educare program - do you recommend this program?"

Yes Jerry, of course. Let me print out my new article on Educare that I was planning to add on the website by end of this week! Here it is:

Educare Au Pairs Are Great for School-Aged Children

Educare au pairs are just the thing for families with older children! School-aged children, who are in school all day, do not need full-time childcare.

If you have school-aged children and you don't need a full 45 hours of childcare per week, perhaps you can get by with 30 hours of childcare. If this is the case, the good news is, you pay less!

What are the Benefits of an Educare au pair?

Au pairs participating in the Educare component receive 75 percent of the weekly rate paid to non-Educare participants. You save money with Educare au pairs. For 45 hours of childcare, the stipend for standard au pairs is $195.75 and for Educare au pairs, the stipend is only $146.81.
Educare au pairs, who provide care for school-aged children, up to 18-years-old, are often more mature, older and academically oriented compared to younger, less mature au pairs.
Au pairs from the Educare program are ideal for families that require childcare before and after school.

What are the Caveats of the Educare Program?

Educare au pairs may not be placed with families that have preschool childcare (unless other childcare plans have been made).
They cannot work more than 10 hours a day and only a maximum of 30 hours per week.
Au pairs must attend 12 academic credits during the program year (compared to only 6 credits standard au pairs take).
Educare host families are required to pay the first $1,000 toward the cost of the 12 academic credits during the program year (compared to only $500 education allotment for a standard au pair).

Between 20-30% of all au pairs in the cultural exchange program sign up for the Educare program. Au pairs who enjoy taking college courses appreciate the Educare program - these au pairs are often older and can be characterized as more mature and are more motivated to stay and finish their 12 month program.

Not all au pair agencies have Educare au pairs. Check out our Au Pair Agency Reviews & Ratings to see which agencies qualify.

Interview With Owner of Take-Care.me - Private Testing of Au Pairs

2011-03-01T15:18:00.001-08:00

Yossi Pinkas is the CEO and Founder of Take-Care.me, an online personality assessment of au pairs, nannies, and babysitters. TakeCare’s AuPairTest helps parents assess potential caregivers by providing a better insight into their personality and traits. Assessments are professional, easy to use and understand, affordable and available online anywhere and anytime.

Yossi has served as VP Sales & Marketing for Nemesysco, where he gained significant experience in the field of credibility assessment and integrity tests. Prior to Nemesysco, he has held the positions of VP of EMEA for Expand Networks and Director of Sales & Business Development for Tadiran Telecom. He has, a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the Technion Institute of Technology, Israel and an MBA from Henley Management College in the UK.

Yossi is a father to a daughter, age 14 and two sons (10 and 2.5) and has employed over the years 3 nannies and one au pair.

Edina: Yossi, thank you for much for talking to our readers about your innovative business, TakeCare! I am excited to have the opportunity to talk to you about your new au pair screening test, called the NannyTest, which is available to host parents to ensure they are making a good, safe match.

Yossi, can you tell us more about your business and what NannyTest is all about?

A New Way to Screen Au Pairs

Pinkas: Thank you Edina for giving me the opportunity to introduce the NannyTest to America. TakeCare’s mission is to improve the screening process of caregivers by providing parents with an access to a professional screening tool. Our NannyTest allows parents to gain a better insight into an au pair’s personality traits as well as highlight possible risk factors.

Edina: How did you start your business and what motivated you to design and offer a childcare screening test to parents worldwide?

Pinkas: I started my business by partnering with a leading provider of psychological assessment tools and had them develop a screening tool that is specifically designed for the assessment of au pairs, nannies, babysitters and other childcare caregivers, and making it easy enough to use by non-professionals.

Before founding TakeCare, I worked for a company developing and marketing various screening tools for corporate and government customers. When my wife and I started looking for a nanny for my youngest child, I realized that we really could have benefited from a childcare screening tool, but there were no tests available for parents at that time. It took me a year or so to gather enough courage to start my own company that would provide a test that could help parents to better screen the person they hired to care for their children!

Edina: Who designed your test? What steps did they take to check the validity of NannyTest?

How the Nanny Test is Designed

Pinkas: Psiphas Psychological Applications, a leading vendor of psychological assessment tools, designed NannyTest. Psiphas has been designing tests for nearly 20 years and serves major government and corporate customers such as FedEx and IKEA.

Our personality assessment is based on the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) that has been well researched and validated in numerous studies by various researchers. The CPI is used extensively in the U.S. for individual personality screening and enjoys an excellent and popular reputation for its usefulness among psychologists.

I do wish to emphasize the NannyTest, as any psychological tool, is not and can never be 100% accurate. NannyTest should be used as part of a complete screening process, along with interviews, reference checks, etc., and test results should never be used as the sole factor in making a hiring decision.

Edina: Yes, of course, no psychological test can ever be 100% accurate! Certainly, a host parent would use the NannyTest in conjunction with the phone interview, criminal background checks, all other references, etc. Yossi, I am familiar with CPI, a highly respected and valid test that is recognized worldwide by the American Psychological Association (APA). It is impressive that the NannyTest is based on this worldwide known inventory.

Parents Receive a Written Report Summary

What I like about your test is the fact host parents receive a prospective au pair's summary report in an easy to read format. They now have control over a key part of the au pair's screening! This new technology is revolutionary for the au pair industry and I am not sure if parents understand how fortunate they are to have this kind of screening available to them at this time.

You really have to get the word out about this new and exciting development in the au pair interviewing process.

Pinkas: Yes, of course, we are spreading the word and, as a result, we are enjoying a very good response from childcare agencies worldwide. Thank you Edina for the opportunity to inform and educate host parents about the NannyTest.

Edina: As you know, the 13 legal au pair agencies in the United States are required by the Department of State to conduct personality screening on each prospective au pair. Therefore, by law, each au pair approved by each agency has already undergone a personality “test.”

When should parents conduct a second screening? Under what circumstances should host parents conduct a second screening?

Pinkas: As a matter of fact, the accurate wording of the Department of State requirement is “Personality Profile” rather than “Personality screening.” Not all tests designed to build a Personality Profile can be used to screen job applicants.

Two Critical Weaknesses of Current Au Pair Screening Tests

I have noticed that some agencies are using tests that are designed for job counseling rather than for screening job applicants, and serve the au pairs more than they serve the parents, telling an au pair whether a childcare position matches her inclinations and preferences, rather than assessing whether the au pair has the capabilities or personal traits required to perform the job.

Furthermore, typical personality tests lack the component of risk assessment, which I consider to be the most critical component of the screening process.

Edina: You make an excellent point here and I agree – several of the tests currently used by au pair agencies do not identify traits required to perform childcare duties nor do they assess potential risks.

In addition, not all American au pair agencies use the same personality test and some tests are better than others.

For example, one agency simply uses a series of questions they developed themselves, with “yes” or “no” responses. For example, “Do you see things that are not there? Do you hear voices coming from the TV?” Many au pairs who “see things that are not there” would be inclined to say “no” since they may feel paranoid about answering “yes” or they may be secretive about their visions and want to keep them hidden (for good reason). But, that would not help an agency to identify a risk factor here at all – and this au pair may “pass” such a test and be accepted into the program based on her ability to “hide” her pathology (i.e., hallucinations).

The list of questions this particular agency uses was created by the agency instead of a psychologist or team of psychologists and has no checks for its validity. It appears that the Department of State is okay with au pair agencies using their own “homemade” personality tests.

Why Would You NOT Rely on the Experts?

Do you think host parents should be concerned about this? Why is it important to use tests that are designed by experts/psychologists?

Pinkas: Host parents should definitely be concerned about it. Constructing questionnaires and tests should only be done by professionals with expertise in Psychometrics. Psychometrics is the field of study concerned with the theory and technique of educational and psychological measurement, which includes the measurement of knowledge, abilities, attitudes, and personality traits.

Constructing proper tests requires knowledge and expertise in both Psychology and Statistics. When questionnaires and tests are designed by non-professionals, one can never know how reliable and valid are the tests, and whether the results have any significance at all.

Edina: This is of great concern to me and should be for all host parents. If they are not comfortable with their agency’s au pair personality test, they should consider using your NannyTest for peace of mind!

Yossi, can you tell our readers how your NannyTest was validated?

Pinkas: Our test is based on the CPI (California Psychological Inventory) for personality assessment. Many research studies have validated the CPI and ithas been extensively used in the U.S. for many years. The risk assessment validity results from both construct validity of the test itself and the concurrent validity of the algorithms that were developed using discriminate analysis (and I do apologize if most readers are unfamiliar with those terms but I cannot explain it in a simple way without diving into a rather long lecture).

What Makes the NannyTest Unique?

Edina: Yossi, would you tell us about your test and what it measures?

Pinkas: The NannyTest is unique in combining both personality testing and risk assessment into a single test.

In the personality test part we evaluate personal traits suitability for the role of a caregiver. Those traits include responsibility, obedience and discipline, self-control, emotional stability, coping with pressure, service awareness and positive attitude.

The risk assessment part of the tests identifies risks related to violent behavior, drug abuse, drinking habits, general integrity, truthful reporting, respect for property (theft), commitment to place of work, bribery and gambling habits.

The test is an interactive online test and can be performed anywhere and anytime. It includes some 300 hundred questions, takes some 30 minutes to complete and requires the applicant to be fluent in reading English, Spanish or Portuguese.

Edina: I think both components are equally important, risk assessment and personality traits, and critical when screening au pairs (or nannies). Working with au pairs for many years, I can confirm that not all au pairs are “suited” for childcare. They may be lovely young people, friendly and pleasant, but they do not have the particular traits needed to care for children all day: patience and good judgment are two that come to mind immediately.

Risk assessment is a critical piece of the puzzle when interviewing for a safe childcare giver. Parents need to know if their au pair is truthful, non-violent and certainly, does not struggle with addiction problems (drugs, alcohol or gambling).

Host Parents Need More Information

Although au pair agencies must administer psychometric tests to all of their prospective au pairs, they are not required to share the results with host parents. Agencies could send host parents a report of the au pair’s results, if only just a brief, one page summary, but they don’t.

When parents use your test, they receive a report within minutes after the prospective au pair completes the test online. Would you tell us what the report includes? Would you talk about your report that is sent to parents?

Pinkas: The test report has been designed very carefully to be easily understood by parents and does not require any professional background to understand the results!

The first part of the report is a summary, showing whether it is safe to hire the au pair or if certain risks were identified. Only if no risk is identified, will the summary also show graphically how suitable the au pair is to taking care of children. The bar graph will presenther personal traits suitability scorecompared to the general population (above average, average or below average).

The second part of the report details the score for each risk factor and the third part presents the score for each personality trait assessed, so that parents can identify how well the au pair is scoring on the different personality traits.

Altogether, the report provides parents with a detailed insight into the au pair’s personality traits, and clear indications about possible risks in hiring her.

Edina: I think your report is excellent, easy to read, informative and highly useful for parents who are hiring au pairs over the phone, sight unseen and if they are uncertain about a particular au pair they have in mind. For parents who want to look at a sample report, they can download one here easily. One shows a "postive" report, the other shows red flags:

Download sample positive report

Download sample negative report

Two New Test Improvements

Yossi, there are two new improvements in your test regarding languages. Would you tell us about these new changes and how they can benefit host parents?

Pinkas: Because our NannyTest is timed, it requires the applicant to read the test language fluently. We initially launched the test in English only, but in the past few months, and based on market demand, we have added Spanish and Portuguese. Parents interviewing Spanish-speaking au pairs and au pairs from Brazil (who speak Portuguese) can use NannyTest with confidence. We will support more languages in the near future, to allow as many host parents to benefit from the NannyTest as possible.

Edina: This is great news – the largest au pair population in demand by American host parents includes both Spanish speaking au pairs and Brazilian au pairs.

I have a background in psychology and therefore I am very familiar with psychometric tests – and as an au pair expert, I am quite familiar with the screening process au pair agencies provide. There are many weaknesses in the screening process that could be greatly improved by using your test. Because I believe so strongly in the NannyTest and in the idea of giving parents more options and education in their search for the best au pair, I provide a link to your test from the Clearinghouse home page.

I highly recommend NannyTest for any parent who wants more control over the screening process and professional confirmation that their choice is an educated one.

Aren’t our children worth it?

Yossi: Thank you and yes, of course, our children are worth it!

I really appreciate your help in helping us create awareness for NannyTest. All articles and guides on screening caregivers that I found on the web limit the discussion to interviews, reference checks and background screening, so most parents aren’t aware of the existence of additional screening tools. The reason for that is probably that such tests were not relevant to parents as they were not accessible to them, but now, with NannyTest, any parent can perform such a test on their own, easily and at a very reasonable price.

Edina: Yossi, thank you very much for taking the time to talk to the Clearinghouse and to share your insights and expertise with au pair personality testing.

We hope you will come back again to keep us updated about this critical issue, and as more exciting news develops with your NannyTest.

Yossi: Yes, I will do that! Thank you so much Edina for the opportunity to present and discuss the NannyTest to your readers.

As a father, I know what it is like to find the best person to care for my children. I went through the process and it was daunting! My three children are the most important priorities in my life, next to my wife, and my concern and love for them were the motivating factors that lead me to creating the NannyTest. I want to share the ability to take more control over the screening process with as many parents as possible.

Edina, as you say here on your invaluable and very useful host family resource, the Clearinghouse, parents need more information to make the best choices. NannyTest provides parents with the kind of information that is critical in the choosing of the person who will be responsible for the care, safety and well-being of their children. They are worth it!

What Every Host Parent Needs to Know About Au Pairs & Culture Shock

FAQs from Host Parents:

1. What is Culture Shock?

Culture Shock is a phenomenon that occurs when a foreigner enters a new culture and experiences unpleasant adjustment symptoms that can range from problems sleeping, mental fatigue, a delay or refusal to speak the new culture’s language, a desire to return home and feelings of hopelessness. All au pairs experience some form of Culture Shock when they first arrive in your home.

Your counselor should have explained this phenomenon and what to expect and how to recognize the symptoms. However, many au pair agencies do not address this critical issue!

2. What should I expect when my new au pair arrives?

Au pairs experience culture shock in varying degrees when they arrive.

Most au pairs adjust quickly and are excited to meet the challenges of her new culture and all that is has to offer.

A significant number of au pairs never adjust and they usually return home soon after their arrival due to a number of reasons.

Culture Shock can disrupt the entire family's schedule and can result in a broken match. Protect your family's well-being and secure your match by knowing the facts behind Culture Shock & Au Pairs. Avoid costly rematches and time away from work.

3. How do I know my au pair is suffering from Culture Shock?

Recognizing Cultural Shock in your Au Pair

You will need to recognize the symptoms of cultural shock before you can help reduce the problems that may arise between your au pair and your family. If you understand how difficult it is for these young girls to adjust to a new country and a strange and different culture, you can be proactive in minimizing the disruption it can have on your family and for your au pair.

4. What happens if the problem doesn't get resolved?

Depression Can Set In

If left unchecked, Culture Shock can result in a clinical depression in your au pair. Some of the warning signs of depression are: homesickness that does not go away in 2-3 weeks, lethargy and sadness. If your au pair develops depression, she will be sent home in order to receive the proper medication and psychological intervention.

5. What should I do if I am a new host parent? How can I be prepared?

Educate yourself! Know as much as you can about Culture Shock so you can deal with it before it results in poor communication, childcare mistakes and/or rematch!

Do Not Hire an Au Pair Before you Read Our Comprehensive Report on Culture Shock and how it can affect your au pair and her relationship with your family and, most of all, your children!

My Wish List for Au Pair Agencies

2011-02-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

Most American Families Do NOT Know That Au Pairs Are Very Affordable

It is true that many working families do not know how affordable au pairs are! I think one of the reasons is that the term au pair may scare off many parents who think you have to have money to hire a French babysitter! Most middle income families have little idea what an au pair is, or how affordable they are!

I was talking to a woman in the supermarket the other day and she was stressing out about her babysitter who just quit. This woman runs a dry cleaner and works long, hard hours. She was paying over $700 a week for a babysitter to care for her 2 children from 8 am - 5 pm. Her husband came home at 5 pm to relieve the babysitter.

When I told her she could host an au pair for half that amount she was thrilled, but said, "we don't speak French!"

Au Pair Agencies Do NOT Do a Good Job of Educating the American Public

There are many misconceptions about au pairs in this country - even after 25 years. A quarter of a century is more than enough time to educate the American public about au pairs, who they are, where they come from, and how much they cost, etc., but the au pair agencies have not done a very good job of it.

Many times, the only media attention au pairs get is when they do something wrong - then they are on the 5 o'clock news! These sensational stories do nothing for the au pair industry - if anything this reactive media attention serves to push the cultural exchange program further into the background of American childcare options.

Au Pair Programs Focus on Marketing Instead of Educating Their Customer Base

Why do au pair agencies do such a poor job of educating the American public about au pairs? Well, first, they don't have a long term vision of their business and the future of childcare in this country. They work pretty much day to day, to meet their quota of family enrollment to pay the bills and make a nice profit.

As long as this happens, au pair agencies don't really care about educating the American public, except to market their programs - these two goals are very different. You will never read a newspaper article about au pair programs unless it ends in a marketing sell. You don't read or hear from many VPs or CEOs of these unique businesses, not even in the Wall Street Journal or on the local news, unless again, it ends with a marketing plug. There are exceptions, but they are few and far between.

AuPairClearinghouse Educates and Shares Information with American Families

AuPairClearinghouse is the:

First business to interview experts in the au pair industry and share with the American public how programs are run behind the scenes.
First business to write loads of content on au pairs - who they are, how did the programs start, where they are recruited from, different nationalities, cultural differences, etc., even before the au pair programs did this themselves!
Only third party business to rate and review the au pair agencies, giving parents the information they need to make educated choices when hiring a foreign stranger over the phone.

Au Pair Agencies Play Catch-Up, But Are They Gaining?

Now, little by little, au pair programs are placing blogs and content on their website for their host families. However, this is, in part, in reaction to the Clearinghouse's impact on the industry, but is it too little, too late? They had 25 years to educate the American public and they lost that opportunity. They cannot get that time back.

So, they play the marketing game, struggling to steal other agency customers by offering discounts, host family loyalty programs, etc.

Au Pair Programs Need to Educate the American Public

If they spent more money (and it doesn't cost that much to write about the program and send this information to newspapers in print and online; placing articles on their own website costs very little or next to nothing except to pay for a writer) on educating the American Family about au pairs, they would have more customers than they could handle.

Most agencies are small and cannot handle more than the 200 host families they service, but they also do not have people in charge who have the business acumen and vision to take their program to the top! What business do you know of that says "no" to more customers and more yearly revenue?

First Agency To Recruit Au Pairs Flounders

Once a leading agency, an older au pair agency, who is losing market share every day to their faster, sleeker competitors, actually tell their counselors they cannot give them money to place their au pair program stories in newspapers! They continue to tell their counselors that "word of mouth is the best marketing ad" and to just "keep providing good service". Well, they made the wrong decision years ago and now they are at the bottom of the bigger agencies and may soon call it quits. As their clusters dwindle, experienced counselors are jumping ship, because they need to replace lost revenue, and now the company is run largely by young, inexperienced counselors who are not giving the same good, quality service.

What Is Down the Road for Au Pair Agencies?

Keeping up with the times and current technology is important for any industry - the au pair programs struggle to keep their heads above water and to make themselves seen online to potential customers. But, you hardly hear from them - only occasionally, and most of the time the news story or press release is in the form of an ad or price reductions or a new discount. Older agencies have to freshen their marketing methods, get up to speed, replace old, outdated websites and hire writers to place good, useful content on their host family pages.

What should today's au pair agencies deliver today?

I have a few things on my wish list:

Free Skype access to all host families and au pairs - in today's world, NO family should have to hire an au pair sight unseen over the phone!
Personality Screening Disclosures - what kind of screening do agencies use and what do these tests reveal? Who makes the decision to block a prospective au pair based on this test?
Au Pair Personality Reports that summarize this test and show how well (or poorly) the au pair did on the test. Allow the host parent access to this information so they can make an educated childcare choice!
Full Disclosure On Rematch Au Pair - too many times programs will not share why rematch au pairs failed in their first and sometimes second family. Families have the right to know the facts! Let host families have access to this kind of information so they can make educated decisions for their children's well-being and safety.
Full Disclosure on Weaknesses by Nationality - au pair agencies like to pretend that all au pairs are the same! They don't like to admit most Asian au pairs struggle with both English and driving. They point at the exceptions and say "See, Asian au pairs can drive! It is a myth that Asians cannot drive or speak English!" Well, the truth is MOST Asian au pairs struggle with both driving and English and it is due to their cultural experiences at home. Most of these au pairs, who have infant experience, are matched with new host parents, who don't know about these weaknesses. It is not fair, nor ethical, to hide an au pair's weaknesses when working with a new, inexperienced host family (who also has an infant) and expect that family to make due with a Thai or South Korean au pair who cannot communicate with them nor drive the family car.
Special Needs Au Pairs - the au pair industry had 25 years to figure out how to recruit and train au pairs to care for America's special needs families. This is a lost opportunity for both the au pair business and sadly, for American parents who struggle to find safe, reliable and affordable childcare for their special needs children. I look forward to new au pair agencies who will develop a special needs program for one of most important and cricial issues facing our country today.

That is my short list! Anyone else want to add to this list?

What would be on your Wish List for au pair agencies?

Chinese Au Pairs

2011-02-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

Overview of Chinese Culture and Chinese Au Pairs

The Chinese government opened its doors to foreign business in the 1970s and has not looked back since. Business is booming and statistics show that by 2025, China will be the world's largest economy! China has low unemployment due to their strong economy and au pairs do not have difficulty paying fees to sign up with au pair agencies. China is known as a state of etiquette and ceremonies. Courtesy to others, especially one's elder, is still very important in Chinese culture. The "one child only policy" still exists in China, so remember most, if not all, au pairs are an "only child" and are not used to large families with sisters or brothers (but that is slowly changing).

China's economic miracle impresses all those who travel there. As you stroll through major cities, you will see signs of progress everywhere: tall new office buildings, posh five-star hotels, gleaming, new and high-speed trains and modern and sleek airports, fancy residential towers and beautiful shopping malls that offer all the newest designer "goodies."

However, despite the new, rich and modern China, there is significant poverty for most of the population. Because of a vast disparity of income levels and a developing "class" system, some au pairs will have difficulty finding the money to pay for program fees.

So, we should expect that most of the Chinese au pairs arriving in the U.S.A are from the new and prosperous families who have the financial resources to foot the bill to send their daughter to America.

What are Chinese au pairs' main motivations to become au pairs and spend a year abroad in America? What are their Potential Strengths, their Potential Weaknesses?

Can Chinese au pairs drive well enough for busy American families? What about their English skills - do they pass with flying colors or is this a skill that needs more work?

Matching with a Chinese au pair is a bold move and a leap of faith - there are many cultural differences between Americans and the Chinese beyond the driving and communication. The positive side includes their patience with children and their hard work, the negatives are few, but can raise key questions before a family decides to host an au pair from China.

One of the most critical motivations American parents have in hiring a Chinese au pair is exposing their children to Mandarin - predicted to become the next language spoken in business worldwide, replacing English.

Read more about Chinese au pairs in our comprehensive review of China, Chinese au pairs and why they may be a good fit for your family's childcare needs! We review the strengths and weaknesses around hosting an au pair from China.

Read the entire article on Chinese Au Pairs

For more information about Chinese Au Pairs, read our exclusive interview with Tanna Wilson, an expert in hosting Chinese au pairs. Tanna Wilson is the Managing Director of goAUPAIR, one of several leading agencies recruiting Chinese au pairs for American families.

Use An Agency Designated by the U.S. Government, For Safety's Sake!

2011-02-01T07:05:00.000-08:00

**What does the Department of State designation mean?**

America's current au pair program was established by the U.S. Government in 1986 as an educational and cultural exchange program with a childcare component.

The business idea was to recruit young women to spend a year abroad, learning another culture and travel, while providing 45 hours a week in childcare to their "host family." Host families pay the agency for this service.

The larger au pair agencies are a million dollar business. Au pair "programs" have to meet certain requirements and once they are approved, they receive a "designation" to sponsor or "run" their program.

As designated sponsors, all current au pair agencies must operate their programs in accordance with all of the US-DOS program regulations.

The government has set working hours, admission criteria, establishes the au pair weekly stipend and stipulates other important guidelines to ensure a positive experience for all parties.

The Au Pair Agencies

There are 13 "legal" au pair agencies in the United States. They are considered to be "legal" in the sense they have been approved by the Department of State (DOS) and are regulated by the U.S. government. DOS's goal is to make sure each au pair agency follows strict regulations concerning the overall recruiting, screening, training and agency monitoring of their au pairs.

Many of today's regulations were put into place by DOS after the Louise Woodward trial that involved the death of a host parents' young infant son, Matthew Eappen in 1997. Today, au pair agencies are closely monitored by DOS to protect the safety and well-being of American children cared for by foreign au pairs.

What are the au pair agencies responsible for?

Agencies carry out the day-to-day operation of the au pair program: they recruit, screen, select and match au pairs with host families.

They must ensure all au pairs are given a criminal background check and undergo psychological testing.

They must also ensure the au pairs speak and understand English.

Host families must be interviewed also and they are required to speak and understand English and meet all the requirements of hosting an international visitor.

Au pair agencies are required to train the au pairs according to US-DOS regulations and they must monitor each match by providing monthly contact with both au pair and host family.

NOTE: Although US-DOS authorizes and monitors these 13 au pair agencies, host families must remember that they are ultimately responsible for finding the au pair that is right for their family.

Because au pair agencies are a business first, they market and run their business to make a profit.

Not all agencies are the same and not all agencies have customer service as their benchmark. Most agencies want to make a profit and will always present the positive elements of the program to host families, shunning any mention of the cons.

First, and foremost, parents should become fully informed on the au pair industry and then carefully and thoroughly interview both the agency and any prospective au pair before welcoming a stranger into their homes.

Au Pair Are More Affordable Than Daycare & Nannies

2011-01-29T13:26:00.000-08:00

The concept of au pairs as an affordable childcare choice is increasing because of the depressed economy!

Numbers don't lie - most agencies are experiencing a recent uptick from families who are interested in making the switch to au pairs from both daycare facilities and private nannies.

Why? Affordability! Costs seem to be driving the recent trend. Au pairs are, overall, more affordable compared to daycare and nannnies. Daycare fees have risen to keep pace with inflation and the costs of running a business - salary increases, high rents, heating, etc., keep daycare costs high. With an au pair, there is no "overhead" costs and they care for multiple children - daycare centers will charge a family for each child and charge for "overtime" if you are running late from work, etc.

Private nannnies are expensive, let's face it! Professional nannies are worth the money they command, but most working families cannot afford them. Working and middle class families, who can no longer pay for good daycare because of rising costs, cannot hire a nanny at $500 - $700 a week. Nannies can be live-in, but most are not and they will also charge you for staying late, and they base their weekly salary on the number of children you have.

Au Pair in America conducted a survey that showed prior to joining Au Pair in America, "37 percent of host families had used a nanny and 25 percent had used daycare. These numbers support a trend that families are turning to the most cost effective child care option: au pairs."

In addition to Affordability, Safety is a major concern for parents.

William Gertz, CEO and President of the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS) said "The average cost of the au pair program is $309 per week whether you have one or four children. Families tell us that this form of childcare - a fixed weekly cost - is better than childcare facilities, which often have a spotty record."

We agree with Mr. Gertz and we have reported here before on the state of daycare in America. In researching both daycare and au pair care online, we find 10-20 disturbing stories of abuse, neglect and deaths that occur daily in these facilities, yet we find no similar stories concerning au pairs.

These daycare statistics combined with au pair care's affordability is good news for the au pair agencies which have seen an increase is interest from new host parents:

Cultural Care, the largest of the American au pair agencies, experienced an increase of over 49% in traffic last month and Au Pair Care is seeing a dramatic upswing in vistors, with over 245% increase in visitors! (Demember, 2010, http://siteanalytics.compete.com/culturalcare.com+aupaircare.com/).

In addition to saving dollars allocated for childcare, families enjoy the icing on the cake: cultural exchange introduces new and wordly experience and knowledge into their lives.

“Having an au pair gives our three children the most consistent care at the best price,” said Suzy Cooke, a host mother from Washington, D.C. Cooke and her family have been with Au Pair in America since 2005, and their current au pair, Katherine, is from Germany.

“We have all benefited from the cultural exchange in ways we didn't originally anticipate. Experiencing how people from other countries interact with us and our friends and relatives, makes us more welcoming, sharing, patient, tolerant and loving as a family. Having au pairs care for our children has been a great experience for all of us.”

Read more about au pairs here:

Are Au Pairs a Safe Childcare Choice?

Getting Started with Au Pairs

To read more about au pair costs, visit our Au Pair Agency Discounts page!

2011-01-28T12:31:00.000-08:00

By Bella Gioia, Research & Evaluation Director

In July 2009, host parents rated their Top Three Au Pair Agenices. Host parents from across the nation completed a Customer Satisfaction Survey. Below is a brief summary of the Overall Customer Service ratings for each of the following agencies:

Au Pair Care (http://www.aupaircare.com/)

The majority (70%) of Au Pair Care host parents rate their Customer Service as Excellent.

Written comments are very favorable and reflect strong customer support.

Examples: "My questions are answered in a timely and professional manner. I feel like AuPairCare supports the host family and the au pair," "Amazing service! My area director really cares about the success of our family," "We investigated all 3 in December and found a big difference between Au Pair Care's customer service and the other 2 - and I'm not exaggerating!"

Expert Au Pair (http://www.expertaupair.com)

ExpertAuPair jumped to Number Two despite it small size and main service area in Florida. They continue to provide excellent customer service with the lowest program fees and costs in the country and they have the best medical insurance for au pairs. They are increasing their service areas throughout the country as they continue to improve their website. A big jump for a little company!

Au Pair in America (http://www.aupairinamerica.com/)

Although 46% of Au Pair in America host families rate their Customer Service as Excellent, 27% of families rate the service they received as Poor. Written comments are sparse but favorable. Examples: "very responsive via email," "Our counselor is outstanding and the office in Stamford has always be very responsive," "...a little extra money, but well worth it. My family could not be happier."

Cultural Care (http://www.culturalcare.com/)

Cultural Care has the highest percentage of negative ratings ("Fair - Poor"). They also have the most negative written comments.

The comments reflect host parents' frustrations with the following areas:

1. Poorly Screened Au Pairs: (ex., "They allow by policy, au pairs to use family and friends as references. They rated our au pair as a 7 out of 7 {the best} for written and spoken English but she was unable to understand anything except hand signals")

2. Poor Customer Service Once a Match was Completed: (ex., "Cultural Care is Very aggressive 'selling' an au pair to you, but after you pay the ENTIRE fee up front, their customer support disappears. When you need help or have fairly serious problems with your au pair, the LCC and Home offices of Cultural care are extremely slow to respond. VERY Poor customer service")

3. Difficulty Getting Refunds: (ex., "After having a poor experience with my au pair, the hassle it took to get my refund has made me swear I will never host a cultural care au pair again")

Since the above survey results were posted, we have been collecting host parent ratings for 2010. Our latest survey includes all 12 au pair agencies in the U.S.A. If you have not yet rated your agency, please consider doing that now - it is a very short survey and will take 1-2 minutes!

Please take our newest survey! Your feedback is very important to us and to all parents who are considering the au pair program:

Click here to take survey

Thank you very much for your input!

2011-01-20T14:57:00.001-08:00

Getting Started With Au Pairs - An Educated Parent Makes the Best Childcare Consumer

Working parents are responsible for choosing the best childcare for their children. Today, with 2 paycheck families, we cannot get by with the help of family and friends - parents need reliable, cost-effective and convenient childcare. Most of us today need full-time childcare.

As a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure that your child is safe and happy in a childcare environment that is both safe and nurturing.

Not all childcare options are the same - there are safety issues, regulations to consider and, of course, cost. When you compare the 3 most popular childcare choices, au pair care is the most affordable option.

However, not all au pair agencies are the same. We make your search for the best au pair agency easy - let us do the work for you! Do your homework before you sign on the dotted line!

Three Most Popular Childcare Choices Available Today:

Day Care Centers

Pros: USA Today reported (2010) that over 19% of children are enrolled in center-based childcare centers. Fees are calculated per child and most daycare centers are usually reasonable for the average family's budget, but only if you do not have more than 2 children. Parents like the idea that their child will be supervised and cared for by multiple caregivers and the hours of operation cover the traditional, 8-9 hour work schedule.

Cons: Screening of daycare workers varies greatly from one state to another. Most daycare centers are not required to administer a psychometric test that has to be implemented in all legal au pair agencies. Psychometric tests can flag poor judgment, propensity for drug and alcohol addictions, immaturity and more.

Costs may be high depending on your area and if you have multiple children (daycare charges per child), daycare can be very expensive! The average cost is about $200 per week, per child or $800 a month. You have to deliver and pick up your children and if you are late at pick-up, you may be charged extra.

For parents who do work over the traditional 8 hour a day job, daycare can be very expensive and inconvenient. In addition, if you child is sick, you cannot drop them off and then you stay home with your child. If you need coverage on weekends, you will spend extra $$$ for a babysitter.

Costs for Daycare: Daycare charges per child. The average cost can run from $675 - $800 per month, per child.

Nannies

Pros: The great thing about a nanny is the "in-home" care they provide. Most parents like the idea their child is at home and they don't have to drive to daycare twice a day. In addition, with a nanny at home, if the child is sick, no problem!

Parents also enjoy the flexibility a nanny brings to their family - not only will a nanny care for your child, they can cook, clean and do the child's laundry! A real bonus for busy parents! Nannies tend to be older, more mature and have more experience caring for children compared to many daycare workers and au pairs.

Cons: Unless you hire an nanny through a reputable agency, their experience can vary greatly - and they may not be licensed as a "professional" nanny. Today, in our hard economic times, parents are more willing to hire anyone with some experience who call themselves "nannies." If you do hire through an accredited and licensed daycare center, you will pay top dollar! Nannies also charge per child. The high cost of nannies continue to be prohibitive to most working families.

Many nannies today do not live-in. If you nanny does not live in, you also lose the flexibility of coverage at the end of the work day and on weekends. In addition, most nannies will charge you more if they work "overtime." In addition, most nannies will not work more than 9 hours a day.

Costs for a Nanny: Average costs can range between $300 - $700 a week or $1200 - $2800 a month.

Au Pairs

Pros: Au pairs provide up to 45 hours of childcare a week, and up to 10 hours a day. Having a live-in caregiver, who provides individualized care for their children, is a great feature for working parents! Au pairs are available nights, weekends and are energetic and loving caregivers who get to know your children and you entire family while providing a cultural experience for all to enjoy.

In addition, you pay the same amount no matter how many children you have! Your children have the advantage of experiencing another culture and possibly learning another language. Many upscale American parents hire Chinese au pairs in order to introduce Mandarin to their young children. USA Today's statistics show more than 23,000 American children are learning Chinese (2010).

Au pairs are young, eager and are willing to do things with your child that an older nanny might frown upon and daycare cannot provide: day trips to museums and library events, zoos, hiking, parks and daily walks in the neighborhood.

Cons: Looking for the right agency can be confusing - all their websites and literature pretty much say the same thing. Only recently can parents read reviews and ratings of the 12 legal agencies that operate in this country. Parents also need to make sure they understand the cultural exchange program and the needs of the au pair. She wants to attend college and make friends and do some traveling in her year abroad. She is often young and inexperienced - you as the parent are ultimately responsible for assessing her driving abilities, language skills and childcare experience!

Are you ready for a young person to join your home as an "equal" or as an family member? Are you ready to supervise an 18, 19 or 20 year-old? There are hard questions you must ask yourself before you hire an au pair.

Costs for an Au Pair: Au pair agencies charge program fees, in addition to the yearly stipend you pay the au pair (total: $10, 179.00). Agency fees start at $5,600 and cap at $9000. You have to do your homework online to compare the best prices.

On average, an au pair will cost between $300 - $370 a week. An au pair starts at $300 per week, and that is based on one family, not per child.

Do Your Homework Before You Choose Childcare

What ever kind of childcare you choose, you are ultimately responsible for checking references, childcare experience and interviewing each daycare center, au pair or nanny before you sign on the dotted line. Doing your homework, gathering as much information as you can on each option is easier than ever today with the Internet.

What can be difficult is parents have too many choices! So many daycare centers, nannies and au pair agencies! It is easy to become overwhelmed with so many choices - take the time to do your research and then imagine each option. What feels right? What makes the most sense, financially for your family? What best fits your schedule?

If you do choose to join the cultural exchange program and welcome an au pair into your home, make sure you carefully compare and examine each of the 12 au pair agencies and their different fees; unique features and specialized programs! No two au pair agencies are alike!

Would you like to know which agency is rated the BEST by host parents? Do you want to know what the experts say about interviewing an au pair? Choosing an au pair agency? If yes, read this before you host an au pair!

Hosting Au Pairs - Are You Ready?

2011-01-05T11:25:00.001-08:00

Hosting au pairs is not an easy task by no means. Finding a great agency, interviewing childcare givers over the phone (blind if you don't use Skype) and opening your home to a stranger for a year to care for your child is a huge leap of faith.

Thousands of American families take that leap of faith each year when they welcome a new au pair into their families. Why? Because the au pair program is affordable and it works very well (when all the pieces fall in place, like a puzzle).

Why do some parents get it right while others do not? Parents make bad choices every year and the family and au pair go into "rematch" - the word that strikes fear and consternation in every counselor's heart when she/he hears it!

Families that make good decisions and stay in the program for years are doing something right and one main factor is they make Educated Choices each and every time. Yes, sometimes things fall short and they have a rematch, that is life and we all are thrown curve balls once in a while, and we deal with it and move on.

Successful host families are alike and make decisions in a similar way.

They go about the process in a systematic manner that increases the likelihood of success - we measure success in the cultural program by good, solid matches with great au pairs that stay for their 12 months (and sometimes they extend for another 12 months).

Who are these successful host families?

When you look at the demographics of who uses au pair agencies (who typically picks the agency, interviews au pairs, matches and supervises the au pair in the home) you see there is a majority group with these common characteristics:

Professional Women
Full-Time Careers
College Educated (at least 4 years or more)
Between the ages of 30-52
Who have Two or More Children

What makes these women Unique as a Group?

They are professional women, with at least 4 years of college - they are highly educated as a group. Educated people usually make good, sound choices because they are typically logical, systematic and well-rounded. They know a lot about many things. They may be quite familiar with traveling abroad, speak another language and have taken several history courses and world civilization classes.

Armed with a college degree, travel and exposure to a broader world view, when this group begins their search for an au pair, they approach it the same way they do with everything in their life - research and education. Find out as much as one can about a subject, compare and contrast different agencies, look at costs and focus on quality.

They Experiment! They do their Research! They make choices based on fact, not on marketing ads.

Well-educated parents who start out looking for an au pair will call several agencies at one time - they may sign up and start receiving applications from 2 or 3 different agencies. They are trying out the system and sampling the "goods" of an industry and they will make decisions based on how and what the different programs deliver.

Let me share one experience a host mom had and shared with us when she took our 2010 Host Family Satisfaction Survey:

"I was new to the au pair program and I applied to 2 agencies at the same time (they both waived the application fees). I placed calls and emails to both on the same day. 24 hours later, one agency answered by sending me an form to fill out with a focus on our family needs so they could start sending me au pair applications right away. I completed that, sent it in and started receiving au pair applications the same day! Their counselor then called and made an appointment for a family interview that took place 2 days later. During the interview, the LCC matched us with an au pair from Germany! A week after we matched, the other agency called and we told them we were already matched. We knew they didn't really care one way or another because they didn't apologize for the delay in getting back to us!"

This same agency continues to advertise themselves as the "largest, oldest agency" with "quality service and au pairs."

Educated parents are drawn to quality service and quick response time.

Educated parents know the agency's quick response time tells them positive something about the program, but they also know to check out all features of an agency and not just base their perception of the agency just on a quick "sales call."

Host families that do their homework before they sign up with an agency get the best results when they are finally ready to hire an au pair. It really is true that Educated parents make the best childcare choices - we see and hear about their success everyday at the Clearinghouse.

If you are a new parent thinking about hosting an au pair - do your research first!

Not all au pair agencies are the same. Read our article on Getting Started with Au Pairs first so you get your direction and plant your feet squarely on the success track to finding and hosting a great au pair today!

5 Reasons NOT to Hire An Au Pair

2010-12-07T04:46:00.000-08:00

5 Top Reasons NOT to Hire An Au Pair

Not all parents and families are suitable for the au pair program. Hosting an au pair is very different than hiring a local college student to baby-sit or even hiring a nanny. These childcare choices are dictated by the employee-employer relationship. The childcare giver gets "paid" every week and may or may not live-in. You do not have to give the childcare giver a car, a cell phone or a computer to use! You will not be eating dinner with your babysitter and you certainly will not be sharing holidays with your nanny.

Au pairs are young women (or young men) who are between the ages of 18-26 who expect to become part of the family, audit college courses (that you pay for) and drive your car, live with your family and take care of your children like an older sister - compared to a salaried nanny or babysitter.

If you cannot meet the basic requirements outlined below, your family should reconsider hosting an au pair:

1. You Need More than 45 Hours of Childcare a Week: if you work long hours and need more than 8-10 hours a day from your childcare giver, au pairs are not for you! There are two main reasons for this. One, the majority of au pairs are young, in the 18-20 year-old age group. Young people are not able to care for children, especially younger children, for long, extended periods of time. They become tired, irritable and their judgment can deteriorate quickly. They need a well-deserved break after 8 hours! Secondly, the United States government has made working au pairs over 45 hours a week illegal. They understand au pairs are young and not fully mature to care for children for long periods of time – the Dept. of State makes it their business to ensure no overworked au pair compromises a child's safety and well being.

2. You Need Overnight Childcare: Au pairs are not allowed to work over 10 hours in a given 24 hour period – so if they worked during the day, they cannot cover for you during the evening hours. Many parents assume that since everyone will be sleeping, au pairs can be used to supervise the night hours – not so! If you are a pilot with staggered flights or work a night shift, do not hire an au pair.

"My host mom was a stewardess for Jet Blue and stayed overnight in Florida, etc., 3 or 4 times a week. I cared for her twins, age 3 well over the 10-hour limit. Finally, I complained to the agency and they rematched me with another family and this host mom was dropped from the program. Apparently, the host mom didn't tell the agency what her work was because she knew that au pairs could not watch the kids overnight."

Katie, Swedish au pair in Maryland

3. You Don't Have a Suitable Bedroom: Au pairs must have their own bedroom – they can share a bathroom with the kids, but they must have their own space. Their room should contain a bed, dresser, a closet, a chair and a table where she can write or work on a laptop. The space must not contain family articles or storage. The room also must be "suitable" and your counselor will check the room for: exit in case of fire (think basements), a solid door that locks from the inside and at least one window. If you do not have an extra room that has all of these requirements, you should not hire an au pair.

4. You Don't Like Sharing Your Home with a Stranger: If you or your spouse will feel uncomfortable with another person living under the same roof, reconsider hiring an au pair! Au pairs should feel welcome at all times and they should not have to walk on eggs every time you are home. Hire a nanny or use daycare.

"I lived with a family where the host mom hated having me around – I felt it, she didn't have to say anything. I always felt timid around her and also unwelcome. The host dad wasn't much better and I stayed in my room when they were both home. I was not happy there!"

Ana, German au pair in NJ

5. You Don't Have a Car for the Au Pair: Au pairs need to get around! They will have to attend college classes, attend cluster meetings, and go to the malls, movies, etc., with their friends. They want to visit other au pairs they have met and, more importantly, they need to get out of the house and be independent! An au pair who works all day caring for your children should have the option of getting in a car and driving to a place she chooses. Au pairs need to recharge and they have a hard time doing this if the only way to get personal space is to close the door to their bedroom! If you are not willing to share your car, or buy a second hand car just for the au pair, do not hire an au pair!

"I thought I could share my car with the au pair. My counselor told me this probably wouldn't work, but I am a stubborn person. The au pair arrived and it was very inconvenient for me to lend her my car every other day and sometimes every evening! When my husband traveled, I never let her borrow the car, since I did not want to be home with no transportation. Our au pair, who was wonderful, asked for a rematch and left us – all over the car issue! Second time around, we bought a used, banged up car and all of our new au pairs get to use this car anytime they want."

Sara H., Host Mom, Virginia

If you have questions about hosting an au pair, please visit http://www.aupairclearinghouse.com/ and read our advice, top tips, reviews and ratings on all things au pairs.

Interview with Cultural Care LCC, Deborah Schwartz

2010-11-23T18:23:00.001-08:00

by Edina Stone October, 2010

Deb lives and works in Marin County, California where she services over 60 au pairs since 2003. She has a BA in Psychology from Wake Forest and a Master's in Market Research from the University of Georgia. Deb is well traveled and has lived in England, Scotland, Australia, Boston and NYC. She was among the top 1% in the country to be inducted into Cultural Care's Golden Heart League, which recognizes the best and brightest of their LCCs.

This is part one is a series of interviews with LCCs and counselors. Deb talks with Edina about Matching and how to find the best au pair 'fit' for your family.

Edina: Deb, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to interview with the Clearinghouse. We are delighted to have such an experienced counselor like you to share with our readers your expert tips and advice on how to match with the best au pair.

Top Three Most Important Au Pair Qualities

Edina: In your expert opinion, what are some of the most important qualities parents should look for in a prospective au pair?

Deb: Ah! Now, this is my favorite topic as I think it’s the most important step in having a great au pair experience. I’ve personally had 16 au pairs (about to welcome 17 into our home – as we had two at a time for the first 5 years) – so I’ve come to realize that the most important thing to look for in an au pair is a positive attitude. Several of our au pairs haven’t had the best childcare experience, but their positive attitude made them a real asset and a joy to have in our home.

An au pair with a negative attitude, someone with a sense of entitlement drags the energy in the whole house down.

Start with an au pair who shows a positive attitude and then look for my Top Three Most Important Au Pair Qualities:

1. Competency – ask yourself, can the au pair do what you need them to do? For example, do they have specific experience with the age group of your children?; if they are going to be in sole charge – can they be independent? If your au pair is going to be a mother’s helper – can she take direction and be with in an adult's company all day?

Skills check: Do they have the skills that you need, e.g. driving, swimming, etc? For instance, if the host family has a large family, I always recommend an au pair that is from a large family, as they are much more comfortable with the chaos and noise that a larger family typically generates.

2. Character – this is a key component in a great match and is often overlooked in the screening process. Ask your prospective au pair, "What did your parents teach you about people?" Are these values in line with your own family values? After all, your au pair will be teaching your children values along the way, even in subtle, non-verbal ways. I glean the “character” information from everything from what their family photos and information, to their essay content, to my all time favorite interview question: "What values did your parents teach you?"

3. Chemistry – this is as important as competency and character, but can get ignored, as it’s more difficult to assess. You can get a feel of whether or not you and the au pair have a good "chemistry" from a phone call, but better yet, with a Skype call. I always say, "If the chemistry is not there, move on to another au pair and do it quickly."

Let me give you a good example of how useful Skype can be: Just a month or two ago, I nearly matched with a second year Swedish au pair for my own family. We spoke on the phone and had a great conversation - I loved her! A few days later we were able to chat on Skype, and oh boy! I could easily see she was not the au pair for us! She was sweet, but too reserved for my older, assertive school aged children who would have run circles around her!

The great thing about Skype is you can get the entire family on and you can quickly see if the children and au pair create that bond, that chemistry that will forge a respectful and lasting relationship.

Edina: Thank you Deb for those great insights and I think you are correct about Skype. This is going to be the best new thing in matching with au pairs - host parents will be able to make better decisions on hiring an au pair when they can see the person who they are communicating with.

Deb, can you share with our readers some of your tips for Matching?

Deb: Sure! Here they are, my best matching tips:

Best Matching Tips:

•Don’t Settle – you’ll know it when you see the right application – it will just feel “right”
•Try Not to Live in your Head - go with your gut. Sometimes when I try to over think the match and get out my checklist again, I get into trouble (reminds me of the previews for an upcoming movie...too many reviews may result in not seeing the film at all!).
•Understand what is Right for your Family - what personality style "fits" your family? Reflect on what kind of personality your family has and match with an au pair who fits that style of doing things. For example, is your family active and sporty? Find an au pair who likes to be outdoors and enjoys the same kind of sports you and your family does.

Edina: Thank you for those great tips! I do agree that choosing an au pair based on your family's style or personality is key in finding a great au pair. What is the hardest thing an au pair has to overcome in her attempt to adjust to a new culture? Any tips just for au pairs?

Deb: I think the biggest thing to overcome is the “But that’s not how we do it in our country!” Syndrome. I know this syndrome well - when I lived abroad, I fell into this state myself. I was miserable until I realized that every culture is different and unique – and that’s there no right or wrong way, and the best course is to embrace and enjoy the differences.

For example, child rearing is, without a doubt, different in the U.S. than in most other countries. I tell au pairs, “help – don’t judge."

Edina: This is a very common reaction to a different culture and something I write about here in an article titled, Culture Shock. Knowing the signs of culture shock can help avoid these misunderstandings and falling into despair, or worse, a depression.

Deb, thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule as an LCC for Cultural Care! Our readers will surely reap the benefits of reading your expert advice here on au pairs and your matching tips.

Deb: You are very welcome. Thank you for having me!

What People Are Saying About Us

2010-10-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

AuPairClearinghouse Testimonials

"Edina, I want to thank you for offering an objective source of information for potential host families in the U.S. When my husband and I were looking into hiring our first au pair, it was so difficult to find good information comparing the different agencies. Each sales person from the various placement agencies could easily tell us why they were the superior au pair organization, but no one could really help us choose which agency would best meet our needs. As parents of a disabled child, we had very specific requirements and easily became frustrated and a little hopeless that we would not find the right au pair and agency for our family. What a great help your website would have been to us back then! Thank you for putting together such a fantastic resource for new families!"

Host Mom & Therapist, Kate B.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The Au Pair Clearinghouse site was critical in my choice of au pair agencies. When you go online and look at all the different agencies out there - they all look alike, they all say the same thing and all their websites look the same. I was able to find the right agency with the information provided by this consumer website - it is an invaluable resource and nothing else is around like this!" They should write a book for new families because there is consumer information you should have that the au pair agencies will not tell you - for obvious reasons!"

Stella from Augusta, Georgia

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I told my LCC about this site and she told me that she told a few other LCCs as well. I have found great info on this site and I want others to benefit as well"

PA Host Mom

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Whenever a friend or relative ask me about au pairs, since I have had them for a few years now, I give them my little speech, about what to do, and what NOT to do, and refer them to my agency. Now, I always include this website, and tell them to read as much as they can. It is very helpful, thank you!"

Arlene, VA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"We love your website! All the information we needed as “newbie” host parents was at our fingertips. We especially like your customer reviews and testimonials. Hearing what other parents had to say about their experiences with different au pair agencies was very helpful. Thank you!"
Kelly Family, VA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The Au Pair Clearinghouse site was critical in my choice of au pair agencies. When you go online and look at all the different agencies out there - they all look alike, they all say the same thing and all their websites pretty much look the same. I was able to find the right agency with the information provided by this consumer website - it is an invaluable resource and nothing else is around like this!" They should write a book for new families because there is consumer information you should have that the au pair agencies will not tell you - for obvious reasons!"

Stella, host mom from Georgia

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AuPairClearinghouse Endorsements

"Your website is wonderful! There is so much useful information and it's very helpful for parents looking for an au pair. You will find well-written and well-researched articles on different cultures and countries, including Western Europe, South America and Asia. You should know about the cultural backgrounds of your au pair before you host one!"

Tamaki Bowman, Owner of AuPair International Japan

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The au pair agency websites have great information on them, but you must realize that they are selling a product at the same time they are sharing information with you. Aupairclearinghouse.com is a great resource for impartial, unbiased advice and I would send prospective host families there first."

Nancy Felix, Author, Oh My, Au Pair, A Complete Guide to Hiring and Hosting an Au Pair

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"AuPairClearinghouse.com is a great place to find out which agencies are considered the best in the au pair industry. It gives up-to-date information concerning United States government policies on hosting an au pair, useful tips, professional advice and much more! This consumer resource also offers all the latest news on and about au pairs. I highly recommend this website!"

Tayla Shoup, Author, The Girl's Guide to Being an Au Pair, www.bestaupairguide.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Au Pair Clearinghouse is a wonderful and informative resource on the au pair industry, featuring au pair reviews and ratings! We recommend this website to our host families on Euraupair's Family Resource Page."

EurAuPair Agency, www.EurAuPair.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Aupairclearinghouse is an excellent source of information for parents, au pairs and anyone involved in the field of childcare in general. I find the information provided on the site extremely useful, and the level of involvement and feedback by other readers proves that it is valued by many.”

Yossi Pinkas, CEO, www.take-care.me

Au Pairs & Safe Childcare

2010-09-21T05:41:00.000-07:00

Au Pairs and Safe, Quality Childcare Choices

Hiring a childcare giver is one of the most important things you can spend time on - as a parent you want to ensure your choice is a safe one.

Why? Because your child’s well-being is your utmost concern!

You can choose from daycare, nanny services, private babysitters, and of course, from the au pair programs.

No matter what childcare arrangement you choose, you need to make sure that anyone who cares for your child has experience, certification and training.

Research on Parent's Priorities when Seeking Childcare

Reports show that American parents consult a range of different information sources when seeking childcare options for their children. Over 80% of parents go online for information to about childcare. According to the National Child Care Information Center (childcare.gov), parents' first priority when seeking childcare is safety.

Parents in the United Kingdom consider the quality of services the most when making a decision about childcare - a poll of 1,700 parents was conducted by Netmums (UK online forum and on behalf of the Department for Children, School and Families) found that over 90% of parents consider safety and quality of services first when considering childcare options.

Au Pair Agencies - Safe, Quality Childcare?

Au pair agencies requires all of their applicants to undergo a rigorous screening process before they are allowed into the cultural exchange program as au pairs.

Once the au pair is matched with a family but before they arrive to the home where they will spend the next 12 months, each agency conducts a child health and safety program that includes:

•General Child Development Education
•Child Health & Wellness Class
•First Aid & CPR Training
•Driving in the U.S.A
•Roles and Responsibilities as an Au Pair
In addition, any au pair who will be caring for a child under the age of 22 months must have at least 200 hours of documented experience caring for a child of that age.

The au pair agency training and documentation of childcare experience is required by Department of State, the government program that supervises the cultural exchange (i.e., au pair) agencies. However, not all au pair agencies are the same - some screen their au pairs better than others, some have better au pair training schools where the required training orientation takes place.

Would you like to know how other parents rate their au pair agencies' training & screening methods? Host parents share their experience by completing our surveys and we have the results for 2010.

•Read our Top Agency List for 2010 now.
•Find out which agency has the Best Drivers.?
•Do you want to know which agency has the best Matching Services? If an agency cannot match you with the right au pair to meet your family's needs you may be wasting your time and money. Agencies will give you a replacement au pair, but they are reluctant to give you a refund!
Don't Hire an Au Pair before you Read our Reviews at http://www.aupairclearinghouse.com

An Educated Parent Makes the Best Childcare Choices!

Au Pair Arrested - No Driver's License??

2010-09-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

Hi, Happy Labor Day to all our readers! We hope most of you are out doing something fun and enjoying the last rays of summer!

We received this email from a concerned host mom last night:

"I read your article on the poor au pair who was arrested for not having a state license! Even though she had the International Driver's License, she was not only arrested, but handcuffed in front of the family's children, who started crying and were left in the hot car for almost an hour while police questioned and arrested their au pair. Now, my au pair does not have a NJ license. My agency, Au Pair in America, told me she does not have to get one since she has the International License. Then I read this! What should I do? My au pair is now afraid to drive....."
NJ Host Mom

We ran the story this week when Julia Gottschalk, an au pair from Brazil, spent 6 hours in a Georgia jail after police arrested her because she only produced an International Driver's License. Her host mom, Kimberly Euston,. said her three children were left sitting in their car on a busy highway, and in the heat, while the police questioned and arrested their au pair. Mrs. Euston is demanding an apology from police.

Au Pair from Brazil Arrested in Georgia

Police say that any visitor who is planning to live in any state longer than 3 months must have a valid driver's license from that state. The Dept. of State, who runs the au pair program, says the au pair may use her International Driver's License for the entire 12 months she is here, working as an au pair.

Which law, state vs. government, takes precedent? Who is correct, and more importantly, what are you supposed to do with your au pair's driving status?

For the host mom in NJ, many agencies will tell you the same as Au Pair in America did, use the International Driver's License. But, then when the au pair gets pulled over for some traffic infraction, the local police, unaware of the government provision that allows au pairs to drive on an international license, tickets them for "driving without a state license."

Now, most of these tickets are dropped once the au pairs go to court, as the sitting judges understand the government law does take precedent over the state law, and the au pairs do not have to pay the ticket. However, many of the judges are then instructing the au pairs "get the state license because next time I am going to fine you!."

It makes sense for your au pair to study and take your state's driving test and pass. Why? The experience will make her a better, safer driver and you will not be bothered by the ticketing and going to court whenever the au pair is pulled over for speeding (and she gets ticketed also for no state license).

However, in the Georgia case, this is the first time I know of that an au pair was actually arrested for this! Now, the police officer may have been moved to take such drastic action because the au pair was pulled over for running a red light. This is no minor infraction!

I suspect he may have wanted to get her off the road temporarily until she received more training and time behind the wheel, and the deciding factor could have been the fact three children were in the car - if she was hit while running that red light, they all could have been killed or seriously hurt.

Most of the au pair agencies try and stay out of this, but they should have a policy for their au pairs and host families, and not leave them hanging. Either they instruct their counselors to make sure each new au pair pass the state driving test, or they work with local officials to ensure they understand the international license is a legal document for foreign students/au pairs who live in the U.S.A. for up to 12 months.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with their au pair?

How many of you insist your au pairs study and pass your state's driving test?

Does having an state license make your au pair a better, safer driver?

How active is your au pair agency in this regard - do they ignore the issue or do they give you good, sound advice and or have a policy that is easy to work with?

AuPairClearinghouse Is a Tremendous Boon to All New Host Parents

2010-08-28T22:39:00.000-07:00

Au Pair Clearinghouse Offers New Membership Program for Parents Looking for Safe, Reliable and Cost-Effective Childcare

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) August 27, 2010

America’s only consumer clearinghouse on au pair childcare has developed a unique, third party rating system of evaluating U.S.A. au pair agencies and will now offer exclusive reports and reviews to paid members.

AuPairClearingHouse.com, launched in 2008, provides parents with information on the au pair industry and offers updated news, articles, tips and advice on hiring and hosting an au pair and compares agency costs and services. Additionally, AuPairClearinghouse.com reviews au pair guides, books, blogs and websites and offers feature articles from au pair experts.

Despite the weak economy, the number of au pairs coming to the USA continues to soar and increasing childcare costs are driving this trend. Au pair agencies charge significantly less than daycare or nanny services for the same number of childcare hours. There is a downside - au pairs are young, may not drive or speak English well and generally do not have much childcare experience. Parents need to identify reliable agencies that adequately screen their au pairs and provide consistent, on-going support throughout the year’s contract. Au pair agency websites may all look alike but not all agencies provide the same level of screening and customer service.

AuPairClearinghouse.com provides the critical information parents need that most agencies don’t share with their customers – they also provide a Family Forum and blog where parents can share advice, tips and information about au pairs. Au Pair Clearinghouse’s mission is to help parents make educated decisions when hiring an au pair.

A special feature is their yearly “Top Au Pair Agencies” list that identifies the best and worst au pair agencies. The new membership service has three plans to meet every parent’s needs and costs are inexpensive – a yearly plan costs $7.50 a month.

An Educated Parent Makes the Best Childcare Consumer.

# # #

AuPairCare Survey

2010-07-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

Would you like to share your experience as a host parent?

If you were, or are presently, an Au Pair Care host family who would like to share your experience with their Infant Specialized Program, please take our new questionnaire.

We promise, it is very short (only 6 questions)!

Click here to take survey

Thank you in advance for your time!

We value and appreciate your feedback.

Edina Stone
Founder & CEO
http://www.aupairclearinghouse.com/
Visit us today to read our reviews and ratings
of all 12 au pair agencies in the U.S.A.

Interview With Tamaki Bowman, Owner of AuPair International Japan

2010-06-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

Interview with Tamaki Bowman, Owner of AuPair International Japan
By Edina Stone, June 2010

I had the privilege of interviewing Tamaki Bowman, owner of AuPair International Japan (AIJ). AIJ is a “sending agency” from Japan that recruits au pairs from Japan and sends them to the USA through two of the 12 Department of State approved au pair agencies: Au Pair International and Au Pair Foundation.

Edina: Tamaki, as you know, the International Au Pair Association voted the first Asian au pair, Mayumi Yano, of InterExchange Au Pair USA, as 2010 Au Pair of the Year! We posted the story on our website, including InterExchange’s reaction to the award:

“We are so very proud of Mayumi!” says Michael McHugh, Director of InterExchange’s Au Pair USA program. She’s an outstanding au pair and such a warm and caring person. Mayumi is actually the first au pair from Japan, and even the first from Asia, to win the award. Having such a great winner bodes well for everyone because we are seeing a lot more interest in the program in that part of the world.”

Tamaki, we would love to hear your response to this award. It must be exciting for the owner of a Japanese Au Pair Agency to know that a Japanese au pair won the 2010 Au Pair of the Year Award!

Tamaki: Yes, I feel very happy and honored to have learned that a Japanese Au Pair has won the Au Pair of the Year Award and would like to send warm congratulations to this year’s the winner, Ms. Mayumi Yano!

Edina: Americans are very curious about Japanese au pairs now that an au pair from Japan has won this year's Au Pair of the Year Award. Would you please tell our readers about the typical Japanese youth that chooses to become an au pair and travel abroad?

Tamaki: Sure! Japanese au pair applicants come from many different cities in the country, and they have different backgrounds. Most of the prospective au pairs have good work histories and work experience: many have worked in childcare facilities such as kindergarten and preschool while others have had very demanding positions in large corporations.

Working as an au pair is a big responsibility and we always encourage the young candidates who just got out of school to go find a job (preferably in childcare) and work professionally at least 6 months before making a decision to become an au pair.

All our applicants have a strong interest in working in the U.S. as an au pair with a main goal of learning English and developing a wonderful relationship with their host family. We give them a very detailed orientation about the program during the screening process, so all of our au pairs have the right expectations and understanding of the program by the time they arrive in the U.S. As a result, our applicants fully understand that living and working in the U.S. is a one-of-a-kind experience and is at the same time, a very serious commitment.

Edina: Your au pairs' qualifications are very impressive! Many host families do prefer older au pairs. Are Japanese au pairs college educated?

Tamaki: We have never recruited someone who just graduated from high school. Age-wise that’s possible but we just never met anyone who is 18 who can fulfill all of the strict requirements of the program. Most of our applicants have been between 21 and 26. And most of them have a degree from a junior college level or higher.

Edina: American host families are cautious about hosting au pairs from Asia, due to their fears the au pairs will not be able to drive well. What would you say to American parents about Japanese au pairs and their driving skills?

Tamaki: You drive in Japan once and then ask me the same question! If you can drive in Japan, then you can drive anywhere else in the world!

I don’t know about the rest of Asia, but specifically in Japan, the streets are very narrow and full of curves in most of the areas and in big cities there are terrible traffic jams and commuting people speed all the time. You have to have very, very good driving skills in order to drive in Japan!

So, for the au pairs who have driven “frequently” in Japan and have good driving records, the host families shouldn’t worry about their driving skills. Some of my au pairs worry about driving in the U.S. and I always tell them to “Be as careful driving as you are here in Japan, and you will be just fine!”

Edina: Thank you, this background on driving in Japan is very useful information that host parents want to know! Another concern American families have is the level of English the au pairs have. How fluent are Japanese au pairs in English? When do they begin to study English in school? Do they have strong oral communication skills?

Tamaki: I understand the concern Americans have regarding English skills. The English language is the only weakness that the Japanese au pairs are known to have! All of the people in Japan start to study English in middle school (7thgrade) through the end of high school (12thgrade) so at least for 6 years in total, so I would say they are all well-educated in the language, only, the study at school is mainly for reading, writing and grammar, and they never get the oral training they need to speak English really well.

So, while Japanese au pairs have good knowledge in written English, and they can understand what is being said to them in English quite well, they are very weak when it comes to speaking it. Of course, there are some who have studied abroad and have very good oral English communication skills, but the number is limited.

What I would like to emphasize is, though, and this has been so true in the many successful relationships our au pairs and their host families have had, that it’s not just the language skills that help build a trusting relationship between the au pairs and the host families. It’s the loving care that Japanese au pairs provide to the children, and the politeness and good manners they demonstrate with their host family as responsible working adults.

If both au pair and the host family have respect for each other, and make efforts to understand each other better, then the language should not be a serious barrier between them. I think the reason why Japanese make wonderful au pairs is that they take their responsibilities extremely seriously and they are very willing to work hard to build a great relationship with their host family. We are always very grateful for the hard work our au pairs put into their daily life during the program.

Oh, and one thing I cannot forget to mention about the Japanese au pairs is that they are extremely patient. They don’t lose their temper easily (this is a cultural difference as we are taught to be patient by our parents in Japan). Wouldn’t that be one of the more important qualities that a host family wants their au pair to have than English proficiency?

Edina: Yes, I think host families would certainly treasure these qualities! American families will appreciate the Japanese au pair's willingness to work hard as well as the patience she will bring to her childcare responsibilities. Tamaki, please talk about some of the defining characteristics of a typical Japanese au pair: culture, family, lifestyle, food, etc.. What can American families expect when they host a Japanese au pair?

Tamaki: Yes, certainly, I would love to talk about Japanese culture! I have lived in California for 8 years now but I was born and raised in Japan. I can say the things below are some of the typical characteristics of the Japanese au pair:

1. Personality: Japanese are shy, modest, polite, well mannered, quiet and reserved. The people in Japan are trained since childhood to be modest and polite in public, and not to speak out or to be confrontational. Being modest is a cultural virtue and is always highly appreciated.

Host Family TIP: This doesn’t mean Japanese au pairs don’t like to talk to people. They do love to chat as any young girl in any country, only they are brought up to behave nicely with other people, and they may seem quiet or even reserved at first. Once they open up, they are all very curious and fun-loving young girls.

2. Rules & Harmony: We value harmony and follow rules – most Japanese hate to break harmony, or are even afraid of doing so. People work carefully with each other not to break peace or harmony at work, that’s why the Japanese people are not confrontational or assertive with each other in a professional environment. They diligently follow rules for that reason, too.

Host Family TIP: As the Japanese au pairs are typically not very opinionated for this reason, some American families get confused and think their au pairs do not understand the situation or do not want to be involved. It is usually the au pair understands the situation but she is being respectful for the family and refraining from expressing her own opinions. Do not expect them to be spontaneous in telling you what they think, but if you ask them for their opinions, they will most definitely try to respond to your request sincerely.

3. Food – As known here in the U.S., the Japanese people’s diet consists of rice, pasta, meat (normally no restrictions by religions), fish and veggies. There is not a significant difference between what the Japanese people eat in Japan and what American people eat in the U.S., however, the portions are much smaller in Japan, and they don't eat pizzas and cheeseburgers as frequently as Americans do.

4. Lifestyle: I don’t think there is a big difference in their lifestyles, either. In Japan, people get up in the morning and go to work, worry about the bills and kids’ grades, love movies and music, just like the people here in America. This is another reason why the Japanese au pairs are such a nice fit for the American host families because they understand the lifestyle of the busy host parents (just like their own parents were when they were kids), and people’s values in life.

5. Family: In Japan, families and relatives live together or close to each other, and have strong ties for generations. I see the same tradition here in the U.S. A sense of family is very strong in Japan, and people normally value their family and take care of their family members very well.

Edina: Thank you for sharing so much information about your country and people! Japanese culture is unique and beautiful. Can you tell our readers how you prepare the au pairs for their year abroad? Are there any common difficulties a Japanese au pair may struggle with when she first arrives in the United States?

Tamaki: You are so welcome Edina! Our culture and traditions used to be quite different than they are now in Japan. Things have gotten very “westernized” over the years and as I said before, there aren’t significant differences in everyday life between America and Japan, except for, of course, the language. So normally if a Japanese au pair has to struggle with something during the program, it’s the language, and hardly ever food, traditions or cultural differences. In fact our au pairs seem to enjoy those differences tremendously. Of course they could have difficulties getting along with their host families or their children but I believe that’s more of a chemistry issue, and not because of the traditions or culture.

As far as getting our au pairs prepared for the program, we always tell them to try to ‘talk to’ their host family as much as they can. As I explained before, the Japanese au pairs are not outspoken and that can work negatively in relationship building with the host family. Being modest is a virtue in Japan, but that will not work when caring for the busy host family’s children. They need to ask questions, ask for instructions, make things clear, report what happened, etc.

Communication between the au pair and the parents is crucial in taking care of children as a team. The Japanese au pairs tend to keep their feelings to themselves and are not good at expressing them. This very often raises their stress level and that’s the worst thing any au pair can do to herself. They have to always communicate their honest feelings to their host families and get any question answered at an early stage. I’m sure the host families appreciate an au pair’s communication because it’s all about caring for their children, and misunderstanding is the last thing anybody wants to keep a good working relationship.

Edina: I agree with you that open communication as a key factor in nurturing a great match, and you are so right about the children - it is all about them in the end, isn't it? Finally, would you tell us about your company? When did you begin the company, what does it do, how many au pairs do you recruit each year?

Tamaki: I started recruiting Japanese au pairs for the U.S. AuPair program at the end of 2006 immediately after having a fabulous Japanese au pair for my own family. When my husband and I had our second son, we both had full time jobs and with all our relatives living away from us (all of mine in Japan) we had to find childcare help.

So I got on the Internet and found the Au Pair program. AuPair International was the only agency at that time that could assist me in hosting a Japanese au pair for my family, so we signed up with them, and we welcomed Kayo, then 23, into our home as our au pair. What a wonderful experience it was! Kayo and we still chat via e-mail and Skype. This summer I am taking the kids to Japan for vacation, and we are all looking forward to seeing Kayo again for the first time in 4 years since she left us!

Because of the great experience our family had with Kayo, I knew the au pair program was such a wonderful childcare option for busy working families, and I thought there would be so many young people in Japan who would love to work as au pairs in the U.S., so I asked AuPair International to have me as their sending agent for Japanese au pairs, and they were very nice to offer a contract to me as their agent.

Today we work with AuPair International and AuPair Foundation, both U.S. agencies for the Au Pair Cultural Exchange Program. So far we have recruited a little over 100 au pairs. As we work exclusively with the U.S. au pair agencies, we don’t send our au pairs to other countries.

We have worked with AuPair International for over 3 years now, and we have had a great relationship with them. The AuPair International staff are very nice to work with (host families should definitely check them out!), and they are happy the job we do and the au pairs we recruit for them. In fact, they s now have so many host families requesting Japanese au pairs, we don’t have nearly enough au pairs to keep up with the demand! I think it’s a great thing and we are hoping to see more and more Japanese au pairs working in America!

Edina: Thank you for sharing your personal journey that lead you to Kayo and the au pair program! Kayo sounds wonderful! If host parents are interested in finding someone like Kayo, how do they find your company on the internet?

Tamaki: You are welcome! If parents are interested in hosting an au pair from Japan, they can visit our our site - we have a webpage just for host families:

http://www.aupairinternationaljapan.com/japanese_aupairs.html

Please let your readers know that they will have to sign up with one of our contracted agencies for the Au Pair Cultural Exchange Program in order to host an au pair from our list. Again, the two agencies we work with is Au Pair International and Au Pair Foundation.

Oh, lastly, can I give the host families who are reading this article one great tip?

Edina: Yes, of course, please do!

Tamaki: This is very important, no matter what nationality you choose for your au pair:

Stick to the max 45 hours/week rule! I can say, with confidence - this is the key to your successful match. As long as the family sticks to the “max 45 hours/week rule”and the au pair can have her own private time to pursue her other interests and have fun outside work, nothing can go terribly wrong. I have heard too many times about au pairs having to work overtime and getting stressed out. Many things can start going wrong if your au pair is exhausted from overwork. So let go of your au pair after her shift is over. Then your au pair is happy all the time, and she is ready for work every morning, and your program will be successful!

Edina: I cannot agree more! So many host parents stretch that basic rule and many au pairs become very unhappy and often ask for a rematch. We know the good au pairs will not tolerate this and they know they can get another family, easily and quickly! So if you don't want to lose a great au pair, stick to that "45 hour max" rule!

Tamaki: Thank you Edina, for giving me the opportunity to talk about Japanese au pairs and my company. I hope that our interview will be helpful to your readers! Your website is wonderful! There is so much useful information and it's very helpful.

Edina: Thank you for those kind words! We do try to give parents the necessary tools they need to make good decisions regarding childcare choices! I thank you very much sharing your wonderful insights into Japan and the Japanese au pair. We hope that more host parents will consider hosting a young woman from your homeland.

Do You Ask Your Au Pair to Walk the Dog?

2010-06-09T22:17:00.000-07:00

Periodically a host parent will send me this question: "Can I ask my au pair to walk the family dog?" I just received the same question last night! This is my generic answer to this frequent question and how it spills over into other "non-approved" tasks a host family may want the au pair to take on!

Au pairs walking the family dog is one of these tricky, sticky situations where host parents are asking the au pair to take care of jobs, errands, tasks that are not in the au pair "handbook" given to them by their au pair agency. Most of these requests are not major demands and actually seem pretty innocuous. If the family dog really has to go and out, and the only person in the house is the au pair, is it really unreasonable to expect the au pair to open the door for the family pet? Of course, if you don't have a fenced in yard, well, then, she will have to put the animal on a leash and take it out that way. But still, can't you bend the rules, just a little, so we can all just get along?

Many au pairs are reasonable people, and of course they will jump in and take care of the obvious, like a whining dog who just has to go! But, should you ever write this as part of her job responsibilities? What about picking up the dry cleaning? Many parents like having the au pair run errands during the day when they cannot! Food shopping is another task a busy, professional host mom would love to leave to the au pair, particularly when the children are in school all day and the au pair could work off some of her 45 hours a week running errands.

I had a host dad who had his au pairs drop off and pick up his dry cleaning; she also dragged out the weekly recycling and skimmed the pool daily in the summer. And walked his German Shepherd every day, even in the rain, sleet and snow! His au pairs happily performed these chores that were not part of the official au pair work list found in the agency handbook! How did he get the au pairs to comply? Did he exploit them? Where his requests unfair?

We can understand parents who stretch the line between "approved" work related chores and "non-approved" work, but when do they cross that line? And is it ever justified?

Host parents can ask their au pairs to perform any task or chore or errand if it is related to the children and their childcare responsibilities. For example, an au pair can pick up a room if the child messes it (au pairs are not to do housework). Au pairs can help out at meal times, setting the table, loading and unloading the dishwasher, etc., because these chores are related to the children and the au pair is part of the family, like an older daughter, so you are not crossing the line when you ask her to "help" out during meals!

But, don't you ask your older daughter, who drives, to pick up milk at the grocery store for breakfast and yes, run by and pick up that suit you need for that big meeting at work tomorrow? So, why can't you do the same with your au pair? Seems fair to me.

Why do some au pairs balk and say "no" to added on chores? Why do many au pairs jump at the chance of helping out and do it with a smile? Is it the relationship between au pair and host parent?

Is it money? Do you pay your au pair extra to run errands you hate to do, or just don't have the time?

What are the factors that lend to having an au pair who is truly a family member who will pitch in when needed (and without being asked)?

Any thoughts?

2010-06-09T22:11:00.000-07:00

Hello readers - I wanted to let you all know that we have a new survey online.

Au Pair Care's unique infant program consists of specially trained au pairs in the area of baby care. The training includes CPR as well as baby massage and sign language.

We think it is a good time to check in with their host parents and take a look at how satisfied customers are about this new program.

If you are an Au Pair Care host family who would like to share your experience with their Infant Specialized Program, please take our new questionnaire: http://aupairclearinghouse.com/node/886

We promise, it is very short (only 6 questions)!

Thank you in advance for your time! We value and appreciate your feedback.

Thai Au Pairs Deal with Political Unrest From Afar

2010-05-24T12:26:00.001-07:00

You probably have been reading about the political unrest in Thailand. Protesters, called the Red Shirts, supporters of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, say the government is illegitimate because it came to power through a parliamentary deal rather than an election.

The Red Shirts began a protest on March 14, demanding a new election. On April 10, 2010, 25 people - including five soldiers - were killed in a failed attempt to disperse protesters. The Red Shirts are getting larger and uniting throughout Thailand.

How is the unrest affecting your Thai au pair? Read the latest news here from the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8676630.stm

What can you do for your Thai au pair during this difficult time? It will be important to talk to her about it. Ask her how she feels about it and how her family is doing at home. Show concern and also try to calm her by telling her that she is safe with your family and that you will do what you can to make sure that she can continue to communicate back home with loved ones.

Does she have a cell phone that makes international calls? If not, you may want to add one to your family plan so she can touch base with her family at least once a week. If her family lives in Bangkok, the seat of most of the unrest and demonstrations, she may want to check in more frequently.

Keeping communication open between you and your Thai au pair during this difficult time may not only calm her nerves but keep her with you for the duration of your present contract. Au pairs have been known to skip out on the cultural exchange program during times of terrorism, natural disasters and unrest in the world.

At the time of 9/11, many au pairs placed here in the States immediately asked to return home. Their parents called the agencies and requested their daughters return on the next available flight! There was a lot of confusion and worry during those first few days and weeks, but most agencies rose to the challenge by taking proactive steps: setting up emergency cluster meetings to address concerns and questions and sending emails and making phone calls to host parents and parents of au pairs to keep them updated and informed of the situation here in America.

I don't know what steps the agencies are taking in reaction to the political unrest in Thailand, but if you have a Thai, it may be a good idea to call your counselor and see if there is anything she can do or should be doing at this point. If there are several Thais in your cluster, perhaps she could arrange a cluster meeting to talk about the situation and address questions and concerns that you or your Thai au pair may have. It would be a nice way to come together and provide group support for the Thai au pairs in your area and make them feel better about their stay away from their homeland at this time.

If anyone has information about what agencies are doing, or not doing, please send it in to the clearinghouse.

Is Louise Woodward Innocent?

2010-04-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a medical theory that explains a form of child abuse when an infant is shaken violently by their caretaker, creating a whip-lash motion that results in severe brain injury, lifelong disability or death. The concept of SBS was described in the early 1970's by a neurosurgeon, Dr. Guthkelch. His medical theory has sent dozens of women to jail and was used in the trial of the now infamous au pair, Louise Woodward. She was prosecuted and found guilty of manslaughter for shaking an infant in her care while she was an au pair for Cultural Care.

Breaking scientific research published in the Paediatric Development Pathology Journal (United Kingdom, 2009) sheds new light on SBS. Recent scientific findings may lend evidence to exonerate jailed "abusers" (who continue to protest their innocence) and could have a dramatic effect on future SBS and child abuse trials.

Two British pathologists have found that a combination of injuries used to diagnose SBS abuse, known as the "triad" (swelling, bleeding and oxygen deprivation to the brain), can happen naturally.

Dr Irene Scheimberg (London's Bart's Hospital) and Dr Marta Cohen (Sheffield Children's Hospital) found that bleeding, swelling and oxygen deprivation to the brain can occur without violent shaking. The study found that the symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome can happen in babies even before they are taken home from hospital.

Dr. Scheimberg warns that when there "is no evidence of physical abuse (apart from the triad of SBS sypmtoms) we may be sending to jail parents who lost their children through no fault of their own." The doctor went on to state, "As scientists it is our duty to be cautious when we see the triad and to take each case on its merits. We owe it to children and their families."

The doctors looked at 25 babies who had died shortly before delivery and 30 newborns who had brain hemorrhages and found similar damage to the brains of all the babies. The study concluded that the symptoms are common in infants and could be caused by a traumatic birth or other conditions.

There were two groups of children who presented with symptoms similar to SBS - one group had bleeding in the brain caused by normal vaginal delivery and went on to lead normal lives and the other group who also presented with sign of SBS at birth, but did not get well, and whose bleeding continued and actually got worse. Dr. Scheimberg said, "These are the children who the courts suspect have been harmed by their parents (or caregivers)."

The evidence of their study could now be used in a number of appeals in cases where caregivers or parents were prosecuted and jailed for killing infants by shaking them and could finally exonerate Louise Woodward, who many believe she did shake baby Matthew until his brain started to bleed.

The "triad" of symptoms known as Shaken Baby Syndrome was used by the prosecution in the 1998 U.S. trial of British au pair Louise Woodward, who was found guilty of the second-degree murder of eight-month-old Matthew Eappen in October 1997. She was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years to life in prison but the judge overruled that decision and reduced her conviction to involuntary manslaughter. Her sentence was then reduced to time served (279 days) and she was released as a free woman.

In 2007, Dr Patrick Barnes, the prosecution's star medical witness, reversed his medical opinion that convicted Woodward: he concluded that death (of Matthew Eappen) could have been caused by an old injury, as argued by the defense. In a scientific paper he states: "The science we have today could, in fact, have exonerated Louise. There is certainly, in retrospect, reasonable doubt."

There are about 200 cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome diagnosed in Britain every year and an estimated 1,200 to 1,400 cases diagnosed every year in the United States (data from the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome). Many of the childcare givers and mothers who are accused in these cases protest their innocence and deny they did anything harmful to the babies left in their care.

A U.S. physician, Harold E Buttram, notes that many cases of brain hemorrhages are dependent on the strength of the smallest blood vessels at birth, which can be affected by different conditions. He also warns, "Among the many adversities and difficulties facing the American family today, there is a relatively new and growing hazard in which a parent or caretaker may be falsely accused of murdering or injuring an infant by the shaken baby syndrome, when the true cause of death or injury arises from other sources. Very tragically, child abuse does occur and deserves appropriate punishment. However, it is equally tragic when a family, already grieving from the death of their infant, finds a father or mother unjustly accused, convicted, and imprisoned for murder of the infant, a murder of which he or she is innocent."

He explains, "In fact, an infant can die with extensive retinal hemorrhages, a blood clot under the capsule of the brain, extensive bruises, broken bones and sores that will not heal, due to Barlow's disease, without having been subjected to anything but the tenderest of loving care."

Cite: Shaken Baby Syndrome - A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References, Icon Health Publications

Au Pair Industry Changes You Need to Know About!

2010-04-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

The au pair industry is making changes in the way they market their businesses and how they allow consumers to access information online. Due to the deepening recession and the fierce competition for market share, au pair agencies are now forced into sharing more information with you, the consumer!

For example, we are seeing au pair agencies, like goAUPAIR, roll out innovative features, like their new Au Pair Review, that allows the consumer to view their au pair data base. Parents can view hundreds of available au pairs, waiting to match, without paying an application fee, signing a contract or completing a long, ardous host family application.

For the first time, au pair agencies are allowing unregistered parents access to information that was previously considered "confidential" and only privy to paying customers (host parents who applied and were accepted into their program).

goAUPAIR is not the only agency offering increased access to their au pairs data base - Au Pair in America and USA Au Pair both have user friendly and easy accessible pages of au pairs to view!

As the economy forces parents to spend less on childcare, au pair agencies are getting hit hard - this has forced the industry to "rethink" their marketing strategy and how they operate overall. As a result, innovative programming and marketing plans have been rolled out - allowing any parent to view their au pair data base is a major change for au pair agencies! This is good news for the consumer - you can view what kinds of young women are attracted to each agency and you get a "feel" for the quality and level of screening the agency is doing.

For example, Au Pair in America now allows any parent to view their available au pairs waiting to match (in the past, you not only had to complete a lengthy application, pay a hefty application fee, and send in multiple letters of references, but you had to pass muster during a face-to-face, hour long interview where a counselor screened you). Now, you only have to provide your name, address and email address to view hundreds of au pairs!

When viewing Au Pair in America's data base of Chinese au pairs (they are the largest recruiter from China), we noticed that the majority of Chinese au pairs are not going to be good drivers - most of them received their license in the past 6-12 months, even when the ages were over 23. This means the girls were not driving until they decided to apply to the cultural program and travel to America to become an au pair.

So, as you view the data base, you can also make an informed and intelligent summations of the quality of their recruits based on driving experience, English skills and childcare experience. However, you are not getting access to the entire application - only a "snapshot" of the au pair's most basic demographics. Compared to 12 months ago, you had to sign up, pay an application fee, get interviewed by their local counselor, and get approved before you could see anything about any au pair!

Understanding how busy parents are today, Au Pair USA recently introduced the 10-Minute Online Application! Now, that is customer oriented - in the recent past, applying online was very time consuming and you also had to send in a host letter, photos and 3 references. For busy parents with hectic schedules, this was always a hassle! Now, you get right on and into their system, dramatically decreasing your waiting time for your au pair's arrival.

Things are quietly and dramatically changing in the au pair industry, and as a result of our struggling economy, au pair agencies have been forced to "reinvent" themselves. They are sharing more information with the consumer and this is great news for any parent who is thinking of using an au pair for their childcare needs! Information is still the leading factor in the consumer's decision to purchase any goods or services. This means more services and benefits for you, the consumer.

New & Exciting Agency Marketing Benefits Parents

2010-04-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

Hello readers!

What an exciting spring this is for host parents and au pairs! Competition between the au pair agencies is strong and healthy and this means benefits and perks for everyone signing up in 2010.

We can hardly keep up with all the new, innovative programs and features popping up every day at Au Pair USA (we just posted their new press release on their new 10-Minute Online Application)!

This week, Cultural Care announced their new and creative video contest, with lots of great prizes. Cultural Care is on the cutting edge using video applications on their website and online (youtube has quite a few, really good Cultural Care video infommercials from Susan Robinson, former host mom and current agency VP), so it seems natural to create a video contest for both host families and au pairs.

Cultural Care is looking for funny, inspiring and memorable videos of about 3 minutes duration. The best part about this contest is the Grand Prize - a full year of childcare free! That is a value of about $7300! A fantastic and very generous prize!

Get your video cameras out America and start taping! For prize details, see http://contest.culturalcare.com/prizes.

Japanese Wins 2010 Au Pair of the Year Award!

2010-04-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

Mayumi Yano of InterExchange Au Pair USA Wins IAPA “Au Pair of the Year” Award

A New Jersey family's au pair has been named the 2010 International Au Pair of the Year.

(PRWEB) March 27, 2010 -- Mayumi Yano, a 24-year old au pair from Musashi Murayamashi, Japan was honored as the 2010 International Au Pair of the Year at a waterfront ceremony in Miami, Florida. Each year the International Au Pair Association (IAPA) honors the one au pair whom they feel embodies the true spirit of being an au pair at their annual conference. Mayumi, an au pair with InterExchange’s Au Pair USA program, was nominated for the award by her Host Family, the Yadao-Cahill family of New Jersey who wrote a beautiful essay explaining why Mayumi deserves the award.

Host Mom Bevin Cahill wrote, “Being with Mayumi is like being with the meaning of love, kindness, and fun. Mayumi is so genuine, so full of enthusiasm for every day and every moment that she has made a lifelong impression upon our family.” Bevin continues in her winning essay, “She is not only our children’s best friend, and a trusted member of our family, but is an exceptional person, a rare gem in the world.”

The entire family, including the two little girls for whom Mayumi cares, made the trip from New Jersey to Miami to watch Mayumi accept the prestigious award. Mayumi’s sister also made the trip from Japan to represent the Yano family.

“I want to accept this award not just from myself but really for all the au pairs in the world. It is such an important job full of responsibility, but also full of love and happiness”, Mayumi said while the two little girls hugged her legs. True to being the Au Pair of Year, her focus was more on the children than the crowd gathered to watch her accept the award.

“We are so very proud of Mayumi!” says Michael McHugh, Director of InterExchange’s Au Pair USA program, “She’s an outstanding au pair and such a warm and caring person. Mayumi is actually the first au pair from Japan, and even the first from Asia, to win the award. Having such a great winner bodes well for everyone because we are seeing a lot more interest in the program in that part of the world.”

IAPA was founded in 1994 as an oversight agency to protect the rights of au pairs and host families. The organization establishes internationally approved guidelines for all au pair exchange programs.

InterExchange Au Pair USA is a non-profit cultural exchange organization that has been connecting families in the USA with qualified, experienced au pairs from all over the world for more than 20 years. Au Pair USA specializes in creating authentic cross-cultural connections between host families and au pairs, and makes live-in childcare affordable for many families.

# # #

Au Pair Agencies Re-Invent Marketing Strategies - Good News for Consumers!

2010-03-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

The au pair industry is making changes in the way they market their businesses and how they allow consumers to access information online. For example, we are seeing au pair agencies, like goAUPAIR, roll out innovative features, like their new Au Pair Review, that allows the consumer to view their au pair data base. Parents can view hundreds of available au pairs, waiting to match, without paying an application fee, signing a contract or completing a long, ardous host family application.

For the first time, au pair agencies are allowing unregistered parents access to information that was previously considered "confidential" and only privy to paying customers (host parents who applied and were accepted into their program).

goAUPAIR is not the only agency offering increased access to their au pairs data base - Au Pair in America and USA Au Pair both have user friendly and easy accessible pages of au pairs to view!

As the economy forces parents to spend less on childcare, au pair agencies are getting hit hard - this has forced the industry to "rethink" their marketing strategy and how they operate overall. As a result, innovative programming and marketing plans have been rolled out - allowing any parent to view their au pair data base is a major change for au pair agencies! This is good news for the consumer - you can view what kinds of young women are attracted to each agency and you get a "feel" for the quality and level of screening the agency is doing.

For example, Au Pair in America now allows any parent to view their available au pairs waiting to match (in the past, you not only had to complete a lengthy application, pay a hefty application fee, and send in multiple letters of references, but you had to pass muster during a face-to-face, hour long interview where a counselor screened you). Now, you only have to provide your name, address and email address to view hundreds of au pairs!

When viewing Au Pair in American's data base of Chinese au pairs (they are the largest recruiter from China), we noticed that the majority of Chinese au pairs are not going to be good drivers - most of them received their license in the past 6-12 months, even when the ages were over 23. This means the girls were not driving until they decided to apply to the cultural program and travel to America to become an au pair.

So, as you view the data base, you can also make an informed and intelligent summations of the quality of their recruits based on driving experience, English skills and childcare experience.

You are not going to get the entire application for each au pair - you are only receiving a "snapshot" of each girl.

However, things are quietly and dramatically changing in the au pair industry, and as a result of our struggling economy, au pair agencies have been forced to "re-invent" themselves.

Au pair agencies are sharing more information with the consumer and this is great news for any parent who is thinking of using an au pair for their childcare needs! Information is still the leading factor in the consumer's decision to purchase any goods or services.

Should You Break the Law By Working your Au Pair over the Alloted Hours?

2010-02-21T20:47:00.000-08:00

Hi there! One of our readers sent us an email about an article she read on AuPairMom.com's blog (we really love this blog and the author, CV, provides tons of insighful advice to her faithful readers). The blog has to do with au pairs working overtime. Yes, we do know that host parents break the law, and ask their au pairs to work over the 45 hours a week (10 hours a day) limit. However, we were surprised at the response AuPairMom.com received at how many host parents actually "indulge" in this practice!

Check it out for yourself: http://aupairmom.com/extra-hours-whats-fair-pay-when-you-break-this-taboo/2010/02/13/celiaharquail/ and let us know if you agree or disagree with allowing au pairs to work over the U.S. Dept. of State restrictions (put into place to protect children from overworked and exhausted young au pairs).

To read more comments and responses to this post, please visit us at www.aupairclearinghouse.com!

2009-12-30T13:26:00.000-08:00

EXPERT AU PAIR AGENCY RATINGS AND REVIEWS

We review and compare au pair agencies in the United States by conducting customer reviews and staff research. Find out which agencies are the best and the worst performers.

Our Mission Statement:

AuPairClearingHouse's goal is to provide the best au pair consumer resource for you, the parent. We give you the factual, unbiased, up-to-date information you need so you can make the right decision for your family's childcare needs.

WANT PEACE OF MIND? WANT TO SAVE TIME AND MONEY?

GET ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED QUICKLY, EASILY, TODAY!

AuPairClearingHouse is Your One-Stop Consumer Resource:

Ratings and Reviews on customer service, costs, hidden fees, special programs, and more!

Daily Updates on au pair agency discounts, new and innovative services, current news stories and press releases

Program Reviews Expert Advice and Tips

Cultural Differences - Explore The Countries and Cultures Au Pairs Come From!

Up-to-date U. S. Department of State Regulations

Consumer User Reviews

What is an Au Pair?

Au Pair means "on par" or equal. Young women ranging in age from 18-26 are international visitors who arrive in the United States on a J-1 Visitor Exchange Visa. Au pairs hope to acquire a better understanding of the cultural aspects of our American life, improve their English, take college courses and travel, while living with an American family and caring for their children.

Cost Effective Childcare

As Childcare costs soar, au pair agencies are capitalizing on the international young woman's dream of coming to America for a cultural experience and the chance to improve her English, and the hope of dramatically improving her life and career opportunities.

Au pair agencies are highly affordable - significantly less expensive than both daycare and nannies. Au pair agencies promise to provide quality, well-screened au pairs who will care for children up to 10 hours a day and not more than 45 hours a week.

We help you to determine which agencies deliver what they promise; which agencies have great customer service; which agency has the best screened au pairs; the best drivers, and which agencies to avoid.

Broaden your international savvy with our inside scoop on different "cultural personalities" - and we tell you what to really expect when your au pair arrives at your doorstep.

Visit our website today: www.aupairclearinghouse.com

Is Your Au Pair Suffering from Culture Shock or Depression?

2009-11-29T16:44:00.000-08:00

Article:
Is Your Au Pair Suffering From Culture Shock or Depression?
by Edina Stone

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Culture Shock is a phenomenon that occurs when a foreigner enters a new culture and experiences unpleasant adjustment symptoms that can range from problems sleeping, mental fatigue, a delay or refusal to speak the new culture's language, a desire to return home and feelings of hopelessness. Au pairs experience culture shock in varying degrees when they arrive. Most of them adjust quickly and are excited to meet the challenges of her new culture and all that is has to offer. A significant number of au pairs never adjust and they usually return home soon after their arrival due to a number of reasons.

Recognizing cultural shock and the symptoms will help reduce the problems that may arise between your au pair and your family. If you understand how difficult it is for these young girls to adjust to a new country and a strange and different culture, you can be proactive in minimizing the disruption it can have on your family and for your au pair.

Be patient and give her the time to adjust. Talk to her about culture shock – bring it out in the open for discussion. Ask your counselor what she plans to do for your au pair in getting her connected to other au pairs in the area, thus creating a social network and support group that greatly assists with difficulty assimilating to American culture. In a few weeks, your au pair should be adjusting well within normal parameters.

However, many au pairs have significant difficulties adjusting to their new surroundings and may react with frustration, confusion and intense homesickness. These difficulties may present as minor physical complaints: stomach aches, headaches, minor colds and eating problems (either overeating as a way to comfort themselves or a lack of appetite and refusal to eat new and different foods). Other symptoms include anxiety and feelings of disorientation, uncertainty and intense loneliness, which can often lead to depression. These symptoms can often be combined with an intense dislike with certain aspects of the new culture. Your au pair may complain to others about your family, her room, the food, your the children and about the United States in general. She may call her parents multiple times a day to complain and feel them out about coming home. Culture shock normally occurs several weeks after the au pair arrives, but it may develop in the first week, when the initial excitement wears off and she realizes she will have to deal with a new environment for a long time.

Difficulties in assimilating can be disruptive and troubling for both you and your au pair. You may feel surprised that your bubbly and gregarious au pair is now hostile, silent and refuses to come to the dinner table. You may find she is hoarding food in her room and she is experiencing sudden weight changes or becomes lethargic. If your au pair continues to show signs of extreme cultural shock, you need to call your agency and the local counselor. Many times inexperienced counselors or managers will tell you to wait, that these symptoms are normal and that in a month or two everything should be just fine. Waiting for 2-3 months for your unhappy, and possibly depressed, au pair to recover may be a recipe for disaster.

How do you know when the culture shock your au pair is experiencing is serious enough for a professional intervention? First, look for signs of depression accompanied by feelings of hopelessness – when these two elements are presented together your au pair may need professional help. Studies have shown that when feelings of depression are accompanied by feelings of hopelessness the incidence of suicidal thinking increases. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/130/4/455.

If her biological parents are telling her she has to stay and finish out the program, and you and the counselor are telling her the same thing, and there is no relief of her symptoms, she very well may develop a depressive disorder. Some of the symptoms of depression are: a lack of interest in things that once were pleasurable; sleep problems; unusual eating patterns; sadness, crying, physical and mental fatigue and the inability to concentrate and function normally at work or in social situations. Please visit this link for more information on depression: http://www.webmd.com/learning-manage-depression/symptoms-causes. If you recognize these symptoms in your au pair you should call your agency at once for assistance.

Tip Alert: If your au pair agency takes a "wait and see" attitude but you feel your au pair's ability to function is undermined by the symptoms of culture shock that may have worsened into a depression, do not hesitate to call and discuss your au pair's adjustment difficulties with your physician. If the agency and/or counselor will not do anything, bring your au pair to the doctor yourself. Au pairs have medical insurance and this visit should be covered. It is important to get your au pair help if you think she is suffering from depression and not just cultural shock but the only person who can make an accurate diagnosis is a medical doctor or a psychiatrist. Don't try to play therapist, instead, have her evaluated for your peace of mind and for the safety of your children and for the au pair herself. She may be unable to express her feelings and she may need help and not be able to ask for it. She is in your care, so make sure you treat her the way you would your own

Au Pair Program Discounts!

2009-10-30T21:18:00.001-07:00

We find and post all current program discounts for you, the host parent!
Fall & Winter Program Discounts by leading Au Pair Agencies
Don't Break the Family Budget - Check out these Discounts Instead!

goAUPAIR - During the month of November, families can view available Au Pairs with no commitment and no contracts. goAUPAIR is also waiving all airfare surcharges up to $500, plus no application fee means a total savings of up to $750. Families must apply by November 30, 2009 and match by December 31, 2009. Click here now to read the details: http://www.goaupair.com/

Au Pair in America - Special Promotion! Save $350 and lock in 2009 program fees when you sign up before Novemeber 30, 2009. Check out the details at: http://www.aupairinamerica.com/fees/discounts.asp

Au Pair International - They welcome repeat host families, who are switching from another program, with the same loyalty reward as their own. With this, you can save up to $2,000 depending on which agency you switched from. Click: http://www.aupairint.com/index.php option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=

Eur Au Pair – This agency is offering repeat host families, as well as new host families, savings of $900. Contact them now for details: http://www.euraupair.com/

Chi Au Pair USA – You can lock in their 2009 program fees for 2010 if you sign up before the new year: http://www.chiaupairusa.org/news.asp

goAUPAIR responds to Swine Flu Concerns

2009-10-30T21:16:00.001-07:00

Au Pairs Help Fight Against Seasonal & H1N1 Flu Strains
by goAUPAIR.com October 2009

As the flu season settles upon us, many daycare and child care centers across the country are bracing for possibly one of the worst flu seasons in history. With the seasonal and the H1N1 flu viruses (Swine Flu) children are at a particularly high risk for getting infected.

"Since the virus has emerged, we've seen a number of groups that are at higher risk for complications from H1N1, and these include children under five and, especially, children younger than two," says Bill Hall, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services. Daycare centers, school and other child care providers are expected to be hit especially hard this flu season.

As parents look for ways to help their children avoid contracting either strain of the flu, the area of child care is getting a lot of attention. Of the many choices for child care, having live in child care from an Au Pair is one of the safest ways to help your children avoid getting the flu.

One of the great advantages of having an Au Pair is that your children are cared for in your home, minimizing the exposure to germs and sicknesses. In daycare or childcare centers, your children are constantly exposed to other children who may be sick and even if they are not sick, they may be carriers of the germs and flu viruses.

In addition to children who are ill, toys, food and the daycare centers themselves are not always sanitary. Many young children love to bit and suck on everything they play with, leaving countless germs on each toy. The with flu season, daycare centers quickly turn to flu virus incubators.

To avoid sending your children to germ invested center, hoping that by some miracle they won't get sick, consider and Au Pair. Hosting an Au Pair gives families the peace of mind that their children will be cared for in a clean and sanitary environment, free of other children's germs. Because your Au Pair only takes care of your children, they can help keep them clean by helping wash their hands, by disinfecting toys, play surfaces and preparing germ free food.

Time Magazine recently posted a great article about how daycare centers are bracing for the flu season.

Read goAUPAIR’s blog post about how to avoid getting the flu or H1N1 virus and for more information to help keep your kids safe during this flu season.

SOURCE: http://www.goaupair.com/blog/default.aspx

What Is Your Au Pair Agency Doing About the Swine Flu

2009-10-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

We have been posting warnings about the swine flu and how it will affect your au pair. Today, Reuters published an article (from the Center of Disease Control, CDC) with new statistics that indicate half of those hospitalized with the new H1N1 virus are under 25, a clear illustration that the pandemic is affecting the young disproportionately. Au pairs range in age from 18 - 25, the same group that the CDC is concerned about.

They said "reports from 27 U.S. states show 53 percent of people sick enough to be hospitalized with H1N1 flu are under the age of 25, with only 7 percent of hospitalizations among people 65 and older."

"This is really, really different from what we see with seasonal flu," the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat told reporters. "With seasonal flu, about 60 percent of hospitalizations occur in people 65 and over.

She stressed the report was incomplete but said if anything, it was underestimating the extent of the pandemic. An analysis of 292 deaths from 28 states showed that younger people than usual are also dying, she said."

About 24% of deaths from the Swine Flu are among this age group, young people under the age of 25.

If your au pair contracts the swine flu, will she pass it on to the family, and your young children? Should au pair agencies share their concern as well by informing host parents on their swine flu policies during this flu season? We don't see anything posted on the au pair agency websites that is current and that deals with the present flu season.

We would like to hear from au pair agencies about how they are handling this health crisis. Please call you agency today to find out what they are doing (or not) and please post your information here, on the www.aupairclearinghouse.com au pair consumer website.

Cultural Care Gets Sued - Again - 2009!

2009-10-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

Hello readers,

Well, it seems that Cultural Care is back making headlines with another law suit involving sexual abuse and pornographic activity. This is a very troubling news story and one that can not be easily swept under the rug. This is not the first time Cultural Care has been sued by host parents!

If you recall, in 2008, Cultural Care was sued by a host family for 5 million dollars in a civil suit when their au pair took pornographic photos of their 5 year old daughter, and soon after that, one of their au pairs from Slovakia came forward and accused her host father of sexual assualt (criminal trial against Mr. Bhatti is still pending).

Regarding this latest story, a Lockport mother is suing Cultural Care after their au pair allegedly sexually abused her young boy. To read the entire story, see Cultural Care Gets Sued Again.

According to the complaint, the mother hired Cultural Care, in October of 2007, to find her an au pair and she was told an au pair named Julian from Columbia was available. The complaint states that defendant Dorte Strobel, an executive from Cultural Care, told plaintiff that if she did not pay the fee that evening and pick up Julian from his host family, "he would be returned to Columbia and the search process for another au pair could take several months."

The complaint further states that Strobel told the plaintiff that Julian's "previous placement did not work out" and that his prior host family's telephone number would be provided, but was not.

Shortly after his arrival in the home, the host mother complained about the au pair, telling the defendant, Ms. Strobel, Julian was having parties and drinking and smoking against the host mom's wishes.

In November, when the host mom asked her LCC and the agency's Program Director, Maureen McDonnell, to remove Julian, Ms. McDonnell refused.

The host mom, probably concerned that she would not receive a refund (Cultural Care takes a large deposit, and when things go wrong, are often reluctant to pay the refund) relented.

Host parents complain about the difficulty of getting a refund from this agency, here on this website, on our host parents' customer satisfaction surveys and on other websites on the internet.

Tragically, between November and December of 2007, the au pair hit the young son, sexually abused him and took nude photos of him (all of this is stated in the formal complaint).

Perhaps I was right the first time, maybe Cultural Care is getting too big for their britches, and they are growing too fast and, in their aggressive bid to be number one and take market share from the other au pair agencies in the USA, they have bitten off too much to chew.

Children are getting hurt and that is not okay.

Abused children suffer all their lives with the scars of abuse: the breach of trust in adults, the betrayal, the physical pain and the shame.

We are sorry for the mother and her child. We can only hope that Cultural Care begins to really screen their au pairs, stop their sales war with other agencies, and listen to their families - if a mother wants an au pair removed, remove him!

Mothers do know best!

Cultural Care Sued last Year

2009-10-03T17:42:00.001-07:00

Guilford CT Family Sues Cultural Care For 5 Million Dollars Charging Breach of Contract, Fraud and Negligence - 2008

Host Family Sues Agency - Au Pair Took Pornographic Pictures of Young Daughter
A host family from Guilford is suing Cultural Care for $5 million dollars and the civil lawsuit charges the agency with breach of contract, negligence and fraud. They allege that their Swedish au pair took inappropriate photographs of their 5-year-old daughter. The suit claims that the daughter and her family are suffering from "irreversible emotional injury and distress" and seeks damages that include financial cost to the parents associated with finding another au pair, providing medical care for their minor child as well as the costs of litigation.

The civil lawsuit, filed in Federal court, claims that the agency failed to adequately screen, train, supervise and monitor the au pair. When the host mom found the alleged photographs, police took the au pair in for questioning. The photographs showed their child wearing red silk pajamas and her face was covered in heavy make-up. In some of the photos, the girl's top was open, in others, the top was off altogether. In one picture, the girl had her hand down her pajama bottoms. This was the only photo that was later interpreted by the police to be pornographic.

Because the law stipulates that there must be at least three pornographic pictures for an arrest - the au pair was released and the agency sent her home to Sweden. No charges were ever filed against the au pair.

According to Ms. Jordan, Cultural Care VP, this case was dismissed.

View a video on this story on
YouTube

Looking For A German Au Pair?

2009-08-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

DO you want a German au pair? If yes, you may be in luck!

Germans remain one of the most sought after au pairs in the USA because host parents demand good driving and solid English skills. German au pairs deliver what you want most in an au pair!

As the recession in Europe deepens, more German au pairs are becoming available! When we interviewed Mark Gaulter, CEO of Expert Au Pair, he said that because of the recession in Europe, more au pairs from the following countries are now available: England, Ireland and Germany!

Ask your agency what their German au pair pool is like - how many do they have? Compare agency numbers and their online search applications for Germans. You decide which agency meets your German au pair needs!

Current economic shifts are affecting trends in the au pair industry. Making the most of these trends can make your search for the perfect au pair easier!

Commenting on Au Pair ClearingHouse

2009-07-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

Hello readers!

I wanted to take a few moments here to address some of the multiple emails and comments we continue to receive, almost daily, on Cultural Care.

Since we dropped this agency from the Top Three Agencies for 2009, based on our new report (by Bella Gioia), it seems an editorial dam has been broken and readers now feel free to post pages of negative commentary on this au pair agency.

Creating our Top Agency List each year is only one of the many services we provide here at AuPairClearingHouse.

Our goal is to publish engaging human interest stories, helpful articles and useful information overall to assist the host parent in their search for the best childcare they can find!

At times, we find that we are sometimes distracted from this work when we need to address multiple complaints directed at us about other readers' complaints! We do feel responsible for addressing each and everyone of you - but today's blog, for better or worse, is our attempt to respond to multiple readers who share the following issues with our website:

Our Family Forum at our website, www.aupairclearinghouse.com was created to allow host families to share advice, tips and experiences with the cultural exchange program. This includes sharing negative and postive experiences with different au pair agencies. We always assume that the reader has a positive intent in writing their comment, in helping other host families, and in helping the subject au pair agency mentioned provide a better product or service.

Some readers are critical that I allow such a "forum or platform" where readers are allowed to post negative comments about Cultural Care. The tide has certainly turned when Cultural Care was Number One on our list, where I was also criticized for supporting them! Readers even suggested that my website was owned and operated by Cultural Care and I was actually a Cultural Care employee.

We do understand emotions can run high around certain topics. However, our company does assume that a complaint or comment is a description of a situation experienced by an individual consumer and is only a personal opinion by that consumer, and only an individual perception of that consumer.

This personal perception of a situation and based on their own experience can be powerful, emotionally charged, helpful, useful, or meaningless, depending upon the context and content of what is written and how that information is interpreted by whomever reads it.

By posting these comments, we do not mean to imply we are in agreement with any comment. Readers' personal opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect our professional opinion on any one topic or issue.

Readers, please be reminded that our IT staff are only the moderators of the comments we receive. No conclusions are drawn by our staff as to content validity. We do not validate information posted online unless we say we did.

Comments describe a personal, firsthand experience. If a reader experienced something personally, that person owns that information about their perception of, and opinion about, that personal experience, and is free to discuss their opinion about that experience, as a host parent, counselor, LCC, au pair, and professional entity.

We do not guarantee the accuracy of any reader comments or the information they provide - it stands on its own as a personal description of what they experienced.

We do not endorse any one comment or au pair agency. We have made decisions not to post certain comments based on ones that contain profance language and inappropriate attacks, statements that we feel do not add to the flow and content of our website.

Please feel free to continue to share your experiences on the Family Forum, or here on this Blog, but please note that:

This website does recommend individual au pair agencies - that is the nature of our business! However, any reader comments that are posted by our site does not reflect our professional stance on anyone company. Our own opinions and reviews stand on their own merit and are clearly posted and signed by me or other au pair clearinghouse staff.

Thank you all for your continued support and interest in our website!

Have a terrific day.

Best,

Edina

Press Release

2009-07-28T20:55:00.001-07:00

Press Release: AuPairClearingHouse Publishes New Top Three Au Pair Agency Picks for 2009

Newly Revised Top Three Au Pair Agency Picks for 2009

2009-07-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

July 7, 2009

Top Three Au Pair Agency Picks for 2009

The new and updated list of our Top Three Picks reflect changes in the au pair industry including economic developments in the au pair industry, emerging and innovative programming and current results of our customer satisfication surveys.

What's New?

AuPairCare moves to the Number One position as they continue to grow in market share while still providing great customer service and well-screened au pairs. In addition, they continue to improve their award winning website and IT with the release of their new EasyMatch system that provides even faster and better matching!

ExpertAuPair jumped to Number Two despite it small size and main service area in Florida. They continue to provide excellent customer service with the lowest program fees and costs in the country and they have the best medical insurance for au pairs. They are increasing their service areas throughout the country as they continue to improve their website. A big jump for a little company!

Au Pair in America held on to its spot at Number Three. They continue to have a loyal following, but their customer base continues to shrink, as younger host families are attracted to lower program costs and better website technology - all the bells and whistles the techie generation thrives on and expects is offered by AuPairCare. Au Pair in America's costs and program fees, the highest in the nation, is a major drawback for this struggling company, particularly in these hard economic times.

Cultural Care has slipped from our Top Three List, but we feel confident they will get their act together and come back even stronger. They remain one of the leading au pair agencies in the industry but they will need to refocus their marketing energies back into customer service areas. If they can successfully improve service to both host families and the au pairs, they should bounce back very nicely.

To read the entire report, go to www.aupairclearinghouse.com

2009-07-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

We just completed our newly revised list of our Top Three Au Pair Agency Picks for 2009.

Our updated list of the Top Three Picks reflect the ongoing economic situation, new innovative au pair programs and services and the current results of our customer satisfaction surveys. We ran the surveys over several months and we are now in the process of writing reports that we will post on our website in the near future.

What does the newly revised list reflect? What are the major changes? To see the entire article, read Newly Revised Top Three Au Pair Agency Picks for 2009 on our website, www.aupairclearinghouse.com.

For a brief synopsis, read on:

AuPairCare moves to the Number One position as they continue to grow in market share while still providing great customer service and well-screened au pairs. In addition, they continue to improve their award winning website and IT with the release of their new EasyMatch system that provides even faster and better matching!

ExpertAuPair jumped to Number Two despite it small size and main service area in Florida. They continue to provide excellent customer service with the lowest program fees and costs in the country and they have the best medical insurance for au pairs. They are increasing their service areas throughout the country as they continue to improve their website. A big jump for a little company!

Au Pair in America held on to its spot at Number Three. They continue to have a loyal following, but their customer base continues to shrink, as younger host families are attracted to lower program costs and better website technology - all the bells and whistles the techie generation thrives on and expects is offered by AuPairCare. Au Pair in America's costs and program fees, the highest in the nation, is a major drawback for this struggling company, particularly in these hard economic times.

Cultural Care has slipped from our Top Three List, but we feel confident they will get their act together and come back even stronger. They remain one of the leading au pair agencies in the industry but they will need to refocus their marketing energies back into customer service areas. If they can successfully improve service to both host families and the au pairs, they should bounce back very nicely.

Edina

Do's and Don'ts When Considering an Au Pair

2009-07-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

Summer is a busy month for host parents, as the majority of them are looking for replacement au pairs and new host families sign up during this time.

It is important for all prospective host parents to carefully consider the decision to host an au pair who will be taking care of their children. If you have very young children, it becomes even more important to choose an agency that has an excellent track record of screening their au pairs and completing background checks, including criminal checks.

A review of the Do's and Don'ts:

DO choose an agency from one of the 12 Department of State regulated au pair agencies

DO interview the agency, their office and the local LCC or counselor before you sign the contract

DO interview any prospective au pair thoroughly! Call and speak to her at least 4 times by phone

DO review the au pair's application carefully and call each reference. Check and make sure the references include other people besides her family!

DON'T choose an agency without reading all you can about them. Go online and check the insiderpages.com and complaintboard.com and read all commentary from parents who have used any agency in the past.

DON'T allow the agency to pressure you into considering applications where the au pairs cannot drive and have poor English skills! Get tough with the agency and you tell them what YOUR needs are. If they cannot or will not meet your family's needs, move on!

If you are in the process of finding an au pair this summer, please read our Top Ten Mistakes to Avoid When Hosting an Au Pair at www.aupairclearinghouse.com!

Counselors allowed to work at other jobs?

2009-06-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

This morning we received a great question on our Family Forum (at www.aupairclearinghouse.com) about counselors and LCCs working full-time outside the au pair agency they contract with.

The question is "Can Counselors Work Full-time while Working for their Au Pair Agency?"

We have not dealt with this issue before, and we just added the question and our answer to our list of FAQs at our website, www.aupairclearinghouse.com.

Au pair agencies that are designated by the Dept. of State are required to monitor their counselors' working hours outside of their au pair/host family duties. The Dept. of State clearly states that no counselor can work full-time if their cluster numbers are over 15 host families.

The Dept. of State regulation reads:

"(8) (au pair agencies must) Require that local organizational representatives not devoting their fulltime and attention to their program obligations are responsible for no more than fifteen au pairs and host families;"

Why does the Dept. of State mandate that au pair agencies require the limit of hours a counselor works outside of her contract hours with the agency? To ensure the safety of host families, children and the au pairs they are responsible for!

If the counselor is not available because she is working outside of the home (or in it) full-time, she can not properly service her customers, who include not just families, but the young au pairs in her charge.

When the Louise Woodward hit the media, public outcry against the au pair agencies demanded the USA government to either abolish the cultural exchange progam altogether or drastically change it to protect children. As a result, the Dept. of State issued many changes and increased their supervision of all au pair agencies in the country.

The limitation of work hours counselors can work is an important one - if a counselor is working 40 hours or more a week at another job, it is impossible to adequately service host families and the au pairs they are in charge of! Not only is the question of time an important factor, it is the quality of work the counselor gives.

A counselor would have to be super-human to come home from an 8 hour day and then be mentally and physically alert and prepared to deal with mutiple phone calls and emergencies that host families and au pairs may have. Also, what do these counselors do if their families or au pairs have an emergency during the working day? Can they leave their jobs? Probably not! So, the emergency has to wait for the counselor to end her job at 5 (or later) and get on to the au pair situation.

Does this delay in service help to explain the many complaints that host families register against au pair agencies online? Most of the complaints do have a common theme: the time and quality of a counselor's response to an emergency or urgent situation a host family or au pair is experiencing.

For example, here is an actual complaint registered by a host family at insiderpages.com:

"The two au pairs that were sent to help us with our children were not appropriate in any manner and we did not let either one of them supervise our two children alone. One was aggressive toward our 3 and 5 year olds and had a habit of yelling, grabbing and shaking our kids if they spilled their milk or made any typical kid mistakes. Our next replacement au pair partied all night each night and slept on the couch when she was supposed to be watching our kids. She also was too fond of getting drunk during the day.

We tried endlessly to communicate with our au pairs, LCCs and the main office of Cultural Care au pair, but no one cared. They did not return numerous calls and emails. We had 3 LCCs during our 5 month relationship with Cultural Care."

We are not using this example to target Cultural Care, one of the leading au pair agencies in the country and our number one pick for 2009, but the comment is used to illustrate that the LCCs did not return numerous calls and emails. If the LCC is working full-time (she may be or not, we do not know), it would be difficult to get back to this host family in a timely manner.

There are other complaints out there on the web, about other agencies, and one theme that keeps emerging is the timely manner in which LCCs or counselors respond to their au pairs and host families.

Does this theme represent the reality that counselors/LCCs are working more hours than they should? In these economic times, these staff may have to resort to other jobs, to keep their families fed and housed.

Yet, at the same time, host families pay good money and expect good, if not great customer service.

If their counselors are not in the field during the day, taking phone calls, customer service is going to take a back seat. More importantly, are these counselors up to the psychological demands of the job? Many times, the urgent phone calls have to do with personality conflicts, au pairs gone AWOL, child safety issues, etc. If you are not fresh and rested, with time to deal with these issues, how can one perform to their best ability?

The answer is, not very well, or not at all in some cases, as supported by the complaints registered here and online at other websites.

We would love to have counselors chime in here and let our readers know what kinds of restrictions they are under regarding hours they work for au pair agencies and other jobs.

We would welcome au pair agencies to respond and to post their comments regarding the kind of monitoring they have in place to ensure they are meeting the 15 host family limit set by the Dept. of State - and how do they check on their counselors' working hours during the day.

2009-06-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

Seems like you really have to be careful these days if you are a young girl applying to become an au pair. These have been a few news stories over the last few days about men exploiting au pairs (both here in the states and abroad) for sex. One of the stories quoted about 20,000 young women are brought here to America each year for prostitution and some form of sex exploitation.

Who is screening the host families? Are agencies doing enough to ensure that au pairs are safe and will be protected from harm and exploitation while they are so far from home?

Ideally, a counselor/LCC makes a home visit to the prospective host family, makes sure ALL family members are present, interviews the entire family and walks around the home, making sure it is clean, safe and has an appropriate bedroom and bath for the au pair.

While they are doing these tasks, they should be sizing up the couple - is there marital discord that can cause problems within the family and for the au pair? Is both wife and husband on board with the idea of hosting an au pair? Are the children polite and demonstrates they will not pose a safety threat to the young woman who will be in charge of them?

Unruly children have been known to strike au pairs - I had a family once where the children bit, scratched and threw bricks at the au pair. And they were not young - they were 9 and 12 and old enough to inflict damage on a person. I pulled the au pair from that home and the family was dropped. They were lucky the au pair didn't sue them for the scar on her forehead from the brick that the boy slammed into her head!

As summer begins, the bulk of all au pairs who arrive in the country for the year are arriving daily!

With that in mind, we posted an article on welcoming your au pair at our National Clearinghouse on the Au Pair Industry (www.aupaiclearinghouse.com) and today we want you to think about the basic requirements of a host family. Do you meet these requirements? Are you unsure you can provide the basics listed below? If so, you may want to reconsider hosting an au pair.

Read the following and make sure you can provide for the young woman who will be left in your charge:

1. Be willing to accept an au pair into your home as an extended family member (and not just as an employee).

2. Be willing to include the au pair in family meals, outings, holidays, birthdays, weddings and other events.

3. Speak English in your home and with the au pair daily. In addition, you must be a U.S. citizens or a legal permanent resident.

4. Be able to provide good, wholesome meals and a private room for your au pair.

5. Reside in an area covered by one of the agency's counselors or LCCs (you cannot be more than an hour away from that counselor's home).

6. Agree to the terms set by the U.S. Department of State (U.S. Department of State au pair exchange programs URL: www.exchanges.state.gov./jexchanges/programs/aupair.html)

By Edina Stone, at 06/03/2009

Male Au Pairs on the Rise? Maybe.

2009-04-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I think male au pairs may be on the rise in the USA very soon! The Au Pair of the Year Award for 2009 went to a Brazilian young man, Ricardo, who takes care of a special needs teen. Visit our website, http://www.aupairclearinghouse.com/ to read his story and view his video. The runner up was also a male au pair!

This kind of publicity may turn America families on to the idea of hosting a male au pair for their families. Americans typically do not hire males to care for their children - hosting a male au pair is much more common in Europe than it is here in the States.

Why? Probably because we are wary of sexual predators - pedophiles that pose as people interested in children for all the wrong reasons!

However, male au pairs are on the rise in Europe and have been used for many years with no or little trouble and families often report happy, secure and outgoing guys who sign up to become an au pair.

Male au pairs are characterized as having better driving skills and are stronger, lifting children all day will not tire out a male au pair in the same way as female au pairs often complain about.

Parents also report they look for male au pairs when they have multiple boys in the family - where a "big" brother is needed, particulary in the area of sports. Soccer, baseball, rugby, football, hockey, etc., are all active sports that male au pairs are often good and and are willing to play with the children they care for.

Maybe we will see a rise in the hiring of male au pairs here in the States, or maybe not. The worry American families have around sexual abuse is high and they might pass on this option when they start to look at agencies.

Has anyone had a great experience with a male au pair in the States?

We would love to hear from you and if you would recommend a male au pair.

Au Pair of the Year Award Announced in Vienna, Austria

2009-03-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

Here is the announcement made by IAPA, written by Ozgur Tore, on the official release of the winner of the Au Pair of the Year Award:

Au Pair of the Year awarded at City Hall in Vienna

Published by Ozgur Tore
Monday, 30 March 2009

IAPA - the International Au Pair Association has announced the winner of the Au Pair of the Year, 24-year old, Ricardo Silva de Araujo of Brazil. He was placed with a family in the United States.

Now in its sixth year, the annual award presented by IAPA goes to an Au Pair that embodies the spirit of cultural exchange. Families from around the world that have received an Au Pair from one of IAPA’s 140 plus member agencies can nominate candidates for the award. A panel of IAPA representatives then selects three finalists from the hundreds of entries, with a winner chosen from these.

“As is the case every year, we had a very difficult time selecting just one winner from the many, many deserving entries we received. Ricardo was so special for his openness, sharing and commitment to his host family and their son Taylor,” said Jack Hompes, IAPA chairman.

Cultural Care Au Pair, an organisation based in the USA placed Ricardo with the Boyer family. The family’s now 17-year son, Taylor is multi-handicapped, having suffered an allergic reaction to an immunization as a six month old. He is unable to speak, has difficulty walking and experiences seizures. In Ricardo’s words however, “he may not able to talk, but he is able to feel. His feelings are pure as an angel and his smile when happy, is the best way to say thank you.”
Upon Ricardo’s arrival with the Boyer family that was in the midst of preparing for their daughter’s upcoming wedding, Ricardo was amazed by the incredible patience and support the family showed him during this stressful time. There was much Ricardo had to learn in order to help properly care for Taylor and the family’s support made the enormous transition to a new culture, new language and learning new skills much easier.

Talking about his time with the family, Ricardo says, “I learned the real meaning of love, patience and respect. Real love does not come in phrases like: “I love you,” this is easy to say but difficult to feel.

Taylor’s disability is not an obstacle for his happiness, this has made me feel good. I love Taylor and know he loves me back. I can feel it.”

Ricardo concludes, ”I came to America as an au pair, I will leave a better human being.”

For his achievement, Ricardo Silva de Araujo received a commemorative plaque and prize from IAPA, in addition to an all expense paid trip to Vienna to receive the award.

The award is presented as part of the IAPA Annual Conference and in conjunction with the Work Experience Travel Market.

About the International Au Pair Association (IAPA) The International Au Pair Association (IAPA) was established in 1994 by cultural exchange organisations seeking to improve and protect the rights of au pairs and host families around the world. The association has been responsible for the creation of internationally recognised guidelines for au pairs and exchange programmes with its 140 plus member organisations agreeing to abide by the IAPA Code of Conduct: signifying competence, fair dealing and high integrity.

Rate our Top Three Agency Picks!

2009-03-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

Please take a few moments to take our short survey on our Top Au Pair Agency Picks!

We want to continue to ensure that our ratings of these au pair agencies are accurate and up-to-date!

Thank you for taking the time to complete the short survey - click below to start:

http://www.polldaddy.com/s/06EC37D1D9E06A6B/

Economic Downturn Linked to an Increase in Child Abuse

2009-03-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

Economic Downturn Linked to Increase in Child Abuse?

March 2009: In Boston, safety advocates warn cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome are rising and pleaded with lawmakers not to cut funding for the education and prevention of this deadly form of child abuse.

Dr. Deborah Eappen, whose son, Matthew, was killed by the British au pair Louise Woodward 10 years ago, said she was concerned the current economic downturn will burden families and cause stress between parents and children, leading to domestic violence. “Preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome is the way to go,” said Eappen. “It's like an immunization against child abuse.”

Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone, who prosecuted the high-profile Louise Woodward train, said, “It’s a decade after Matty Eappen was killed -- shaken and slammed to death -- and we’re still here talking about shaken baby syndrome and shaken impact syndrome as being a prominent and prevalent form of child abuse.”

Apparently, cases of the brain injury known as Shaken Baby Syndrome have increased in the past few months, a spike that Massachusett's child abuse specialists say may be linked to families' depressed economic situation.

Research has shown a relationship between increased family stress and domestic abuse where the more stress a family experiences, the more vulnerable the children are to incidents of abuse.

Shaken Baby Syndrome occurs when a baby is violently shaken, causing the brain to hit against the sides of their skull, causing neurological injury that can lead to life-long mental and physical disabilities or death.

You can view Dr. Eappen and District Attorney, Gerry Leone, plead with Massachusett's lawmakers not to cut the state's $350,000 budget alloted for Shaken Child Syndrome: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/18969408/index.html.

Caution: If your infant is cared by an au pair, who is typically young, often
inexperienced, make certain you educate her about Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Tell her,"Never Shake the Baby!" under any circumstances. Tell her what can happen - she may not know she can cause neurological damage to the baby or even death.

Child Chokes to Death on Carrot - Does your Au Pair know CPR?

2009-03-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

Tragedy struck a Long Island day school Wednesday, March 16, 2009, when police say a two-year-old girl died after choking on a piece of raw carrot.

According to the Carousel Day School in Hicksville, New York, the girl began to choke after eating a piece of carrot. Daycare employees tried to perform CPR on her, before rushing the toddler to Nassau University Medical Center where she was pronounced dead at 4:25 p.m.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics one child in the U.S. dies from choking on food every 5 days!

Is your au pair certified in CPR? Did your agency train your au pair to adequately handle such an emergency if your child started to choke on food?

If your au pair does not have the CPR Certification or the necessary skills required to dislodge food from a child's throat, it may mean the difference of life or death for your child.

We took a look at the 12 au pair agencies and we found health and safety information on all their sites that confirm all au pairs do receive some training in first aid and CPR. The U.S. Department of State requires that some form of basic training must be provided during the 4-5 day au pair orientation.

We found that only one of the agencies provides the full CPR Core training that results in a CPR Certification! We also found one agency that will reimburse you or your au pair if she completes the training after she arrives at your home.

To find out who these au pair agencies are, (and the basic training the other agencies do provide), read the entire article at www.aupairclearinghouse.com under Current News.

Johnson's No Tear's Baby Shampoo Carcinogenic?

2009-03-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

A new report just released confirms the presence of carcinogenic chemicals in popular baby bath products. These chemicals have caused cancer in animals and in humans!

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 48 top-selling children's products for 1,4-dioxane and 28 of them for formaldehyde.

Formaledehyde is used for embalming corpses and as glue in chipboard.

The 1,4-dioxane chemical is used as a foaming agent in bath products.

According to the US National Cancer Institute, studies of workers exposed to formaldehyde have linked the chemical to cancers of the nasal sinuses, nasopharynx, brain and possibly leukemia.

Among the products that had one or more of these chemicals in their ingredients were:

Johnson's Baby Shampoo
L'Oreal Kids Extra Gentle 2-in-1 shampoo
Pampers Kandoo foaming hand soap.

According to the US National Cancer Institute, studies of workers exposed to formaldehyde have linked the chemical to cancers of the nasal sinuses, nasopharynx, brain and possibly leukemia.

Read the entire post and get the link to the study by visiting http://www.aupairclearinghouse.com/.

Is there a possible link between shampooing infants' heads with these products and the dramatic, unexplained spike in the numbers of children diagnosed with autism?

We know autism is a disorder of the brain, but experts have not been able to fully explain how this happens and why so many children have been diagnosed with this disorder in the past 30 years.

This new study may start to raise questions about this possible link between the use of these products on infants' heads (where the fontanel only forms a thick skin over the top of an infant's head, leaving them vulnerable to environmental hazards) and the staggering rise in the number of children diagnosed with autism and other brain-related disorders.

What is your opinion?

Let us know!

Nanny Cams - Right or Wrong?

2009-03-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

We have all heard stories of childcare workers abusing young children they were hired to care for. Perhaps you have given some thought to this and considered a "nanny cam" yourself. Working parents worry about their children and particulary their babies, who cannot tell them they are mistreated by their au pair. After all, your new au pair is a stranger, from a foreign country, young and perhaps inexperienced!

Do you have the right to install a nanny cam and record her during the day? What are your rights, as parents? What privacy rights does your au pair have not to be recorded without her knowledge and approval?

It is legal, in all fifty states, to use a hidden camera in your home. However, it is illegal to record someone's conversation via the camera without their consent in the following fifteen states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennyslvania, and Washington.

If the prospect of video taping your au pair conflicts with your sense of ethics, be upfront and during the interview, ask her if she would mind being monitored while taking care of your infant. You can tell your au pair that you would like to be able to see your baby while you are at work, and discuss the camera as a way to connect with your child(ren) during the day. This explanation presents the nanny cam as a positive experience for the family, rather than a looming doubt on your part about her ability to care for your children.

Keep in mind, most au pairs would bristle at the thought of being taped without their knowledge! It is a matter of trust vs a feeling of deception.

Caregiver surveillance is more common nowadays and is an integral part of any good daycare. Some daycare centers now provide parents with the ability to check in and watch their child from their office - so it is not much of a stretch to consider installing a nanny cam in your own home. The public in general are becoming more comfortable with camera surveillance and we know we might be on video shopping, going to the bank, entering apartment and office buildings, etc. So, why not use nanny cams to protect children?

If you are considering installing such a device (and have the okay from your au pair), make sure you are not violating her rights by placing the camera in inappropriate areas of your home (her room, the bathrooms, etc.) where she does expect privacy. Nanny cams are usually placed in rooms where the baby spends most of her day: kitchen, her bedroom, the family room.

There are many type of nanny cams available on the market and most are small and wireless so they can be tucked away without being noticed. Just place the camera in a discreet location within the recommended transmission signal range. Plug the receiver into your computer and it will lock onto the camera’s transmission signal. Video is then recorded onto the hard drive of your computer. You can also set it up with software programs that enable you to watch the video live on the internet while you’re at work.

After a while, the au pair will not even think about the camera and just get on with her busy day taking care of the baby and you get the peace of mind that you can monitor your child's safety as well as checking in to see what your little one is up to, right from the comforts of your office!

Has anyone used a nanny cam? What was your experience? Did you feel okay about it, and more importantly, was your au pair aware that you were videotaping her?

Please send in your comments so readers can benefit from your experience - Nanny Cams, Right or Wrong??

AuPairUSA offers Deep Discount to Host Families

2009-03-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

If you are looking to host an au pair and you want to save money, check out the AuPairUSA agency at www.aupairusa.org.

When you apply before March 16, 2009, they will waive the $300 application fee and take another $500 off your fees when you match! That is a really deep discount!

AuPairUSA has been placing au pairs in American families for over 20 years and they are supervised by the U.S. Department of State.

They also have a Summer Program!

Summer Programs - Time to Register!

2009-03-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

It is time to start thinking about hosting an au pair for the summer! If you don't have an au pair now, but you need help with the children during the long summer months, you can host an au pair for up to 4 months.

If you are busy working or have several children who will be home for the summer, you can save money by hosting an au pair who can handle multiple children and arrange activities with all of them in place of expensive camps or different summer programs for each child.

The summer programs offer full-time, live-in childcare through the months for those months you need it most. The program is perfect for families with children over the age of 2, who are ready to accept a young international visitor into their home for up to 4 months. The Summer program is only open to families with children over the age of two.

Summer au pairs undergo the same screening as year-long au pairs and attend the same au pair orientation and training program. The au pairs receive the same weekly stipend as full-year au pairs, plus pro-rated vacation days and pro-rated educational allowance (they are required to take one, 3 credit course during the time they are in the U.S.).

From the list of the 12 designated au pair agencies (supervised by the U.S. Department of State) only two au pair agencies have summer programs and they both have deadlines that you must meet in order to receive an au pair in the summer - the time is getting closer to the cut-off dates and if you want that au pair by June or July, you should check out one of these two agencies and register soon!

1. Au Pair USA (www.aupairusa.org) Phone number: 1-800-AU-PAIRS

Summer Au Pair Program Deadlines and Fees* for 2009

Choose your au pair by the following date and they will arrive in NYC on the second date shown:

Match by April 20: Receive an au pair by: June 1 or June 5

Match by April 27: Receive an au pair by: June 8 or June 12

Match by May 4: Receive an au pair by: June 15 or June 19

Summer au pairs must leave their host family by September 15th.

Program Fees: $2960

Application Fee: $300 (No discounts at this time)

2. goAupair (www.goAupair.com) Phone: 1-888-AUPAIR1

Summer Au Pair Program Deadlines and Fees* for 2009

Match by April 10: Receive an au pair starting May 15.
Program runs through September 15 2009.

Summer au pairs must leave their host family by September 15th.

Program Fees: $2795

Special Discount: They are waiving the $250 application fee

Summer Au Pair Program Deadlines for 2009

Choose your au pair by: April 20, April 27, May 4

They will arrive in New York City: June 1, June 8, June 15

Summer au pairs must leave their host family by September 15th and must leave the United States by October 15th if they chose to travel before returning home.

*Fees do not include weekly stipend or educational allowance ($250)

Cultural Care Agency Recipient of 2009 Au Pair of the Year Award

2009-03-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

For the second year in a row, an au pair from Cultural Care Au Pair Agency has received the International Au Pair Association (IAPA) Au Pair of the Year Award.

Out of nearly 50,000 au pairs worldwide, Ricardo, a male au pair from Brazil, has been awarded the prestigious award as a result of his dedication to the care of the special needs son of a Richmond, VA host family. He will be traveling to Vienna, Austria to receive this very special honor.

We will report more details of this breaking news story after the award is presented at the IAPA conference that takes place at the end of March.

Last year, Linda Falter, a German au pair (also from Cultural Care), received the award for the special and dedicated service she gave to her California host family.
Read about her at www.aupairclearinghouse.com

IAPA is the global trade association for qualified au pair agencies and companies, and since 2004, their Au Pair of the Year award has highlighted the positive impact au pairs have had on their host families. Each year, IAPA receives thousands of nominations, from host families worldwide, who believe their au pair to be deserving of this honor.

We are very excited to get the news before the actual press release and awards ceremony and we send our congratulations to Cultural Care, Ricardo and his very lucky family!

Cultural Care & Au Pair in America Price Wars

2009-03-08T16:42:00.000-07:00

Looks like the "Coke and Pepsi" rivals of the au pair industry are slugging it out again in their never-ending battle to gain market share.

Cultural Care rose to their number one spot with an aggressive marketing campaign and expansion of services into Au Pair in America's territories and left Au Pair in America in the dust 6 years ago.

Au Pair in America, the nation's first au pair agency, has been struggling ever since to regain their #1 one position in the industry. Despite the competition, Au Pair in America raised fees in 2009 (they are now the most expensive program) and they continue to struggle with the negative effects of a weak and poorly funded marketing strategy.

Au Pair in America's launch of their new family protection insurance was a clever marketing come-back to Cultural Care's announcement they were not raising fees for 2009.

Au Pair in America unrolled their new program at the heels of Cultural Care's announcement they would not raise fees in order to provide host families financial relief during the economic crisis.

In response to Au Pair in America's new family protection plan, Cultural Care just announced their family protection program - the "Peace of Mind Guarantee" ensures host families if they are forced to withdraw from the program, due to a job loss, the company will refund any unused portion of their program fees and place the current au pair with a new family so she can complete her program.

In terms of lower fees and overall costs, The "Coke and Pepsi" wars between au pair agencies continue to be a win-win for host families.

To read the full details of these programs, read the press releases at www.aupairinamerica.com and go to Current News (Press Releases).

By Edina Stone, at 03/07/2009 - 13:44 Edina

5 Top Tips for Stay-at-Home Moms Returning to Work

2009-03-06T20:49:00.000-08:00

In these tough economic times, more stay-at-home moms are returning to the work place. What’s the best way for them to get ready? Career counselors say the first thing to focus on is attitude. Many stay-at-home parents need to get over the negative thinking, “Who will hire me now, I have been out of work for so long!”

Don’t be discouraged but be determined and focus on doing what you can to get back into the game. Here are top tips that can jump-start your decision to go back to work:

Tip #1: Get Ready and Invest in your Career. The better your education and training, the more options you will have re-entering the workforce. Many stay-at-home moms make the mistake of volunteering at school or on local town groups. Instead, take a class or register for a seminar in your field or volunteer in your area of expertise – keeping current is critical to your job search and it looks great on your resume!

Tip #2: Stay in Touch with Your Professional Network: Keep up with your peers from your prior workplace. Give them a call and stay in touch. Maintaining professional connections help peers remember you and they can often suggest an opening or other employment possibilities when they become available.

Tip #3: Polish that Resume: Take out that old resume and polish it up! You will need to customize a resume for each job you apply for, highlighting your skills and experience to the specific job requirements. Also, a three-five year absence is easy to explain, but 10 years is harder. Most human resource managers say age-related bias becomes real for both men and women over 45 and increases as we move into our 50s!

Tip #4: Do Go Back Full-Time: In these hard economic times, part-time positions or flex-time positions are harder to find, for you or anyone at any stage in their career. Make a commitment to return to work full-time and your employment options increase.

Tip#5: Find Affordable Childcare: When you do get hired, your pay may be at the low end, due to your lack of experience or the many years you have been out of the workplace. You don’t want to spend more than 40% or 50% of your income on childcare! You also have other expenses to consider: a new work wardrobe and commuting costs.

Consider hosting an au pair for very affordable childcare and the built-in flexibility it offers your family. If you are running late getting home, and your husband is away on a business trip, your live-in au pair is there to cover for you. Au pair care is cheaper than other childcare options: daycare, private babysitters or nannies. After school programs can be very expensive, and are cancelled in bad weather.

Thailand, Land of Smiles

2009-03-03T20:57:00.000-08:00

We just posted our feature country for the month of March 2009, on our website, www.aupairclearinghouse.com. To read the entire article click on the address and go to Cultural Differences.

Thailand is a wonderful country to visit - the beaches are great and the weather is tropical bliss. Au pairs from Thailand offer an exciting cultural exchange for your family - they are kind, intelligent and gentle with children. Most Thais are Buddhists and are respectful and honest.

If you are thinking about a Thai au pair, read the article, there are pros and cons when hosting a girl from Thailand - driving and English skills can be problematic!

We would love to hear from host families who had, or have, a Thai au pair! What are your experiences and did she acclimate well into American culture?

How was her driving? Her English skills?

We would love to hear from Thai au pairs too! How did you find your stay in America? Was is all that you hoped for? What were some of the big 'changes' that you didn't expect? What was your favorite thing about America and your least favorite thing?

Do's and Don'ts When Hosting an Au Pair

2009-02-20T15:48:00.000-08:00

You spent a lot of money and time interviewing and matching with the "perfect" au pair for your family. She is arriving in a few weeks and you think you are now "off the hook" and can relax! Not so fast! Before you retire your vigilance, read the following list of Do's and Don'ts when hiring an au pair and take that extra time to make sure your au pair is off to a good start. Even if you consider yourself a seasoned host parent, you may find a thing or two of value in our list that you may not have considered before!

DO make her feel welcome when she arrives. She will be nervous and will naturally looking for signs that she is indeed special. Make certain her room is warm and inviting, with a fresh coat of paint and her bed has been made with new and "youth oriented" sheets and quilt. Let your children know she is to be treated with kindness and respect right from the start. At home, have a special dinner waiting for her and the family. Place a Welcome Basket (see FAQs #10) in her room and let her go to bed early and let her sleep in the first day. Do make certain you have arranged for the day off so you can take her around town and show her where the post office is, the childrens' school, the park and the shopping center. Spending quality time with your au pair after she arrives is the best compliment you can give her.

DO set limits and rules from the start and in writing. Make up a notebook for her that includes all the necessary information she will need to do her job. Numbers of doctors, your office and cell phone numbers, emergency contacts, relatives and neighbors' numbers, school number and the list of all the other au pairs in the area, including the counselor's business card. List all of her duties and responsibilities and how and when you want them done. Show her how you want the children's rooms kept and how often you want her to wash their clothes and linens. Tell her how you would prefer her room to be kept, but don't push it - it is her private space and other than not allowing food in the room, let her keep it as she wants. This notebook will become her "au pair bible" and will be especially critical for her success in the beginning of her year. Include your curfew during the week - many parents do not want to do this, but it is important that she understand you need her to be fresh and rested each work day. Include rules about visitors coming into the house (no males allowed) and rules about eating in the living room, etc. and rules regarding the use of the car.

DO explain how to use the appliances and computers in your home. Don't assume she will know how to run American dishwashers, washing machines, etc. Placing typed directions near them or in her book is highly advisable. Tell her not to use bleach in the wash! Your au pair may confuse bleach with laundry detergent and ruin your childrens' clothes. She will feel terrible and so will you! Make sure you show her how to set the air conditioning in the summer and where you want to keep the heat set at in the winter. Many au pairs will turn these up during the day and you may wonder why your heating and electricty bills have suddenly spiked since her arrival!

DO make sure you assist her in selecting college courses. You are responsible for paying for course work (up to $500 a year) and you need to take charge and guide her through the available options. If you are not sure, call your counselor and get the information on the local universities and colleges that your program accepts credit from. Au pair agencies require registration at accredited schools, so make the college you and the au pair choose is on the list your counselor provides, otherwise you may end up wasting your money, the au pair will not receive any "credit" and she will have to start another course all over again.

DO set rules and guidelines for the computer, house phone and the cell phone. We recommend a cell phone for the au pair since you will be able to reach her and the children, otherwise you will have to wait to call her when she is at home. Adding another cell phone to your existing account is often very inexpensive and worth every penny! Let her know what your server's prices are for long distance calls and make sure you put a limit on her minutes. Explain that if she goes over the "limit" she will have to pay for the extra charges. Also, let her know she should be on the phone or using the computer during the time she is caring for your children. If she does not have her own laptop or you didn't provide a computer just for her, and she is allowed to use the family computer, make certain you tell her the rules. Tell her to use good judgment when visiting sites since your children can access these sites. Also, have a conversation with her about blogging on the internet. You don't want her using your familys' name and address on the internet and you don't want to see any negative or embarrassing stories about you and your family on any blog. Blogging is very popular among young people today, and au pairs are no exception.

DO explain your family's rules about TV viewing. If you do not allow your children to view TV during the day, make sure she understands this and also make certain she is not inviting the kids to watch R or PG rated movies with her - this happens more often than you may think. Providing a TV with cable in her bedroom will allow you and your au pair alone time and privacy. Do explain what TV programs and child videos are allowed in your home.

DO set a specific time aside each week to pay her and to review her childcare responsibilities. Try and compliment her even if she had a rough week. After the compliment, let her know what you are not happy with and make helpful suggestions. Ask her if she wants to discuss anything she may be unhappy or unsure about. Always support her when she is right and your children are in the wrong - it is important for your au pair to know she has an advocate in your home. One of the top reasons good au pairs leave a family is unruly and misbehaved children and parents who allow these children to run roughshod over the au pair. If you don't support your au pair's attempt to get your kids in line, she will find another family who will!

DO help your au pair plan activities for the children. You know what they like best and what is available in your town. Provide art supplies and appropriate games to play when they are housebound due to snow or rain. Plan and set up projects for family birthdays and holidays (making cards, cut-out turkeys for Thanksgiving, decorating for Halloween, etc.). Keeping her and the children occupied is a smart, proactive way to prevent boredom that often leads to bad behavior. Busy children and busy au pairs don't have time to get into trouble.

DON'T "sweat the small stuff" and give your au pair credit that she will learn from her mistakes. She came halfway around the world for you, so give her the opportunity to settle in and get it right. Encourage her when ever you can. Reward her when she does a great job (2 Broadway tickets will be received with great pride and delight) and she will keep trying to please you!

DON'T tell her that you think her personal hygiene needs improvement! If she is not bathing every day or washing her clothes once a week and your children are reluctant to cuddle with her because she "smells funny" call your counselor. Let her have a talk with your au pair and she will most likely explain American's obsession with cleanliness. Your au pair may not wash her jeans every week, because in her country, hot water is expensive. In addition, she may only have one pair of jeans and she and doesn't want to wear them out by washing them too much! Europeans often do not bath or shower everyday, but she must understand she is in America now and she has to fit in with our customs and ways of doing things. The counselor should have this discussion rather than you since she may be mortified to know that her family thinks she "smells bad." The counselor can approach this problem by explaining she always has this talk with new au pairs and that way she can "save face" and get on with becoming "Americanized" by showering everyday and washing her clothes weekly.

DON'T assume she can drive well even though she told you she can during the phone interview and the application states she has been driving "well" for years. Hire a local driving agency to take her out and test her driving skills. They will not only rate her present driving but can assist her in getting your state's driving license. If the car agency tells you she is not a good driver (and should not be driving your children) call your agency at once. If you are planning to keep the au pair, tell the agency they need to pay for driving lessons. Demand they do this since they advertised her as a driver and you have an official car agency telling you she is not - that is a breach of contract and they should either replace her with a competent driver or pay for driving lessons! Agencies know this, but will balk at first. Don't give in until they either replace the au pair or reimburse you for the lessons.

DON'T assume your au pair understands American customs regarding childcare! Europeans often have a more relaxed and laid back attitude about minding the children. It is not uncommon to see a dozen or more children in strollers left unattended outside a store or cafe while the moms or au pairs are inside having coffee. Let your au pair know she should NEVER leave any child unattended for any length of time, no matter what. A few years ago, an au pair was arrested and sent home for going into a store while the children were left in the car. A mother had walked by the parked car and saw the children inside (it was summer and it was hot). She called the police and when they arrived, the au pair explained she had only gone in for a minute and could see the car from the store. Her explanation didn't cut it and she was arrested for endangering the welfare of a child.

Au Pair Saves 5-Year-Old from Choking

2009-02-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

Today, February 20, 2009, Au Pair USA (au pair agency) sent out a press release about one of their au pairs from Ecuador, Nena Mayorga, who saved her host family's 5-year-old daughter from choking!

Nena is now a finalist for the International Au Pair Association (IAPA) "Au Pair of the Year Award" to be presented in Vienna, Austria this March.

The au pair is with the Thompson family of Irvington, NY, where she takes care of Ryan, 5, and Jessica, 4. The family was so grateful to Nena, that they nominated her for this prestigous award. I am sure the family is so proud and very grateful!

The host mom, Janine, was at the dinner table when the girl, Jessica, started to choke.
The host mom tried to dislodge the food from her daughter's throat by using the Heimlich Maneuver, but she couldn't remember the method. Nena acted swiftly and grabbed the child from her mother and perfomed the method as she was taught at Au Pair USA's orientation program. The food was dislodged and the child began to breath again.

Great job Nena!

We may question how much or how well au pairs actually learn or retain in the au pair agencys' orientation sessions, which take place once the girls arrive in the United States. Suffering from jet lag, cultural shock and problems with English comprehension, many au pairs have stated they do not remember much of the training. The orientation sessions are crammed into 3-4 days, and does include basic CPR and basic training in the use of the Heimlich Manuever.

Well, obviously, some of these au pairs do remember and we hope Nena wins the award - what more can an au pair do to deserve the "Au Pair of the Year Award" than saving a child's life!

Wonderful story! You can see the full press release and details under Current News at http://www.aupairclearinghouse.com/ - the national's only clearinghouse on information on the au pair industry.

You heard it first, here, at Aupairclearinghouse!

Not sure how to perform the method? Check it out and review it with your au pair: http://www.heimlichinstitute.org/.

Louise Woodward Innocent? New Research Raises Reasonable Doubt

2009-02-19T21:40:00.000-08:00

Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a medical theory that explains a form of child abuse when an infant is shaken violently by their caretaker, creating a whip-lash motion that results in severe brain injury, lifelong disability or death.

The concept of SBS was described in the early 1970's by a neurosurgeon, Dr. Guthkelch. His medical theory has sent dozens of women to jail and was used in the trial of the now infamous au pair, Louise Woodward. She was prosecuted and found guilty of manslaughter for shaking an infant in her care while she was an au pair for Cultural Care.

New scientific research published in the Paediatric Development Pathology Journal (United Kingdom, 2009) sheds new light on SBS. Recent scientific findings may lend evidence to exonerate jailed "abusers" (who continue to protest their innocence) and could have a dramatic effect on future SBS and child abuse trials.

Two British pathologists have found that a combination of injuries used to diagnose SBS abuse, known as the "triad" (swelling, bleeding and oxygen deprivation to the brain), can happen naturally.

Dr Irene Scheimberg (London's Bart's Hospital) and Dr Marta Cohen (Sheffield Children's Hospital) found that bleeding, swelling and oxygen deprivation to the brain can occur without violent shaking. The study found that the symptoms of Shaken Baby Syndrome can happen in babies even before they are taken home from hospital.

Dr. Scheimberg warns that when there "is no evidence of physical abuse (apart from the triad of SBS sypmtoms) we may be sending to jail parents who lost their children through no fault of their own." The doctor went on to state, "As scientists it is our duty to be cautious when we see the triad and to take each case on its merits. We owe it to children and their families."

The doctors looked at 25 babies who had died shortly before delivery and 30 newborns who had brain hemorrhages and found similar damage to the brains of all the babies. The study concluded that the symptoms are common in infants and could be caused by a traumatic birth or other conditions.

There were two groups of children who presented with symptoms similar to SBS - one group had bleeding in the brain caused by normal vaginal delivery and went on to lead normal lives and the other group who also presented with sign of SBS at birth, but did not get well, and whose bleeding continued and actually got worse.

Dr. Scheimberg said, "These are the children who the courts suspect have been harmed by their parents (or caregivers)."

The evidence of their study could now be used in a number of appeals in cases where caregivers or parents were prosecuted and jailed for killing infants by shaking them (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews).

The "triad" of symptoms known as Shaken Baby Syndrome was used by the prosecution in the 1998 U.S. trial of British au pair Louise Woodward, who was found guilty of the second-degree murder of eight-month-old Matthew Eappen in October 1997. She was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years to life in prison but the judge overruled that decision and reduced her conviction to involuntary manslaughter. Her sentence was then reduced to time served (279 days) and she was released as a free woman.

In 2007, Dr Patrick Barnes, the prosecution's star medical witness, reversed his medical opinion that convicted Woodward: he concluded that death (of Matthew Eappen) could have been caused by an old injury, as argued by the defense. In a scientific paper he states: "The science we have today could, in fact, have exonerated Louise. There is certainly, in retrospect, reasonable doubt."

There are about 200 cases of Shaken Baby Syndrome diagnosed in Britain every year and an estimated 1,200 to 1,400 cases diagnosed every year in the United States (data from the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome). Many of the childcare givers and mothers who are accused in these cases protest their innocence and deny they did anything harmful to the babies left in their care.

A U.S. physician, Harold E Buttram, notes that many cases of brain hemorrhages are dependent on the strength of the smallest blood vessels at birth, which can be affected by different conditions. He also warns, "Among the many adversities and difficulties facing the American family today, there is a relatively new and growing hazard in which a parent or caretaker may be falsely accused of murdering or injuring an infant by the shaken baby syndrome, when the true cause of death or injury arises from other sources. Very tragically, child abuse does occur and deserves appropriate punishment. However, it is equally tragic when a family, already grieving from the death of their infant, finds a father or mother unjustly accused, convicted, and imprisoned for murder of the infant, a murder of which he or she is innocent."

He explains, "In fact, an infant can die with extensive retinal hemorrhages, a blood clot under the capsule of the brain, extensive bruises, broken bones and sores that will not heal, due to Barlow's disease, without having been subjected to anything but the tenderest of loving care." (Shaken Baby Syndrome - A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References, Icon Health Publications).

Is it possible that Louise Woodward was innocent of the charges that she abused the baby left in her care that led to his death?

This new study confirms what Dr. Buttram and the medical expert in Woodward's case observed a few years ago - that there can be other explanations for bleeding, swelling and loss of oxygen to a baby's brain other than shaking it!

What do you think? Do you feel Woodward did abuse the baby? The autopsy showed old bruises on his arm. Was there evidence then of physical abuse? If so, by whom?

Let us know what you think about this issue!

Celebrities and Au Pairs

2009-02-15T10:44:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods and his wife Elin welcomed son Charlie Axel Woods on Sunday, Feb. 8. Woods and his wife Elin, a former Swedish model, met in 2001. They were introduced during The Open Championship in 2001 by Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik, who had employed her as an au pair. Woods is currently the world’s #1 golfer and is considered the best in golf history. Charlie joins big sister Sam Alexis, who is 19-months old.

A select few au pair programs service celebrities and their families but are very hush-hush about their rich and famous host parents. However, according to an inside source from one of the better known au pair agencies in the industry, a very famous (or should we say, infamous) couple have used their services for the past 9 years. Want to know who the couple is and what agency they use – and about the couple’s sexy French au pair who kisses and tells?

Au Pair in America has been the agency of choice for Woody Allen and his wife of 11 years, Soon-Yi. For the past 9 years Mr. and Mrs. Allen has hired au pairs to help care for their two adopted daughters, Bechet and Manzie. The Allens demand French au pairs only and they require the au pairs to speak French with their children.

Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Farrow Previn were in the headlines in 1992 for their unseemly relationship when Mia Farrow, mother of Soon-Yi and Woody Allen’s girlfriend of 12 years, found nude pictures of Soon-Yi taken by Woody Allen in his NYC apartment. Even though Woody Allen was not related to Soon-Yi, many felt he served as a stepfather to Soon-Yi, and there was a public outcry and media scrutiny around their romance and sexual relationship. There was a 35-year age difference between Woody Allen and Soon-Yi at the time of the incident.

Despite the controversy, Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn were married in 1997 and they later adopted two girls, whom they named after famous jazz musicians, Sidney Bechet and Manzie Johnson. Mr. and Mrs. Allen contracted with Au Pair in Americafor French au pairs exclusively to take care of their children and to travel with them when the family went abroad on their numerous vacations, including the south of France.

In 2006, one of Woody Allen’s French au pairs made headlines after a sexual encounter with Colin Farrell where she recounted the lovemaking skills of the famous actor. According to Hollywood.com news, the beautiful French au pair, 24-year-old Angelique Jerome met and slept with Farrell and then kissed and told! She claimed Farrell was no “bad boy” and slammed his lovemaking as “overrated.” See her full story at:
"http://www.hollywood.com/news/Allens_Au_Pair_Slams_Farrells_Lovemaking/3540413"

Ms. Jordan's Rebuttal to Agency Cover Up at Cultural Care

2009-02-09T04:46:00.000-08:00

We just posted our interview with Natalie Jordan, senior vice president of Cultural Care, the leading au pair agency in the industry on our website: http://www.aupairclearinghouse.com/.
Ms. Jordan was nice enough to take time from her busy schedule to speak to me and you can read the her entire rebuttal interview at our site under Current News.

One news item that Ms. Jordan did share with me is that Cultural Care has decided, due to the economy, they will not be raising host family fees for the year 2009.

This is great news for host families who are struggling to find quality and cost-effective childcare during these challenging economic times.

Please feel free to send in your comments to this blog - we would love to hear from you.

Do Au Pairs Drive Better than Host Families Think They Do?

2009-01-29T10:57:00.000-08:00

I know what you are thinking! This headline cannot be true. If you have an au pair who
drives your car, you may already be shaking your head in disbelief. I was!

Research based on 10 million user quotes from the UK's leading price comparison site, moneysupermarket.com, indicates that bus drivers are the most likely to be at fault in a car crash with general practioners, psychologists, speech therapists, barristers (lawyers) and surgeons in the top 7 categories to be involved in a "car crash that was their fault"(and in that order).

Those most LEAST likely to have to have a "car crash that was their fault" were engravers, horse dealers, zoologists, butlers and au pairs! Au pairs came in with 1.41% least likely to be in a car crash compared to bus drivers who were listed most likely with 16.30% of the people in the UK reporting these crashes to their auto insurers.

Peter Gerrard, head of insurance research at moneysupermarket.com, stated he worrys that "it is the healthcare professionals who seem to be releasing work-related stress when behind the wheel" noting that doctors, speech therapists, surgeons and psychologists are all among the professions most prone to crash.

How can one explain these statistics as they relate to au pairs? These are surprising numbers given the stereotype of the au pair who has trouble driving or gets into accidents more frequently than older nannies do.

Perhaps it is a cultural difference, since the study took place in the UK and au pairs are used to driving on the left hand side of the road. Many au pairs, particulary from South Africa and the UK, are not used to driving on the right hand side and this adds to their confusion and increases their chance of crashing while in America.

Or maybe au pairs as a group drive better than American host families give them credit?

It certainly is something to consider.

What do you think and what has your experience been with your au pairs driving here in the U.S.? Send us your comments!

Au Pair in America Expands its Programs to Ten New Markets

2009-01-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

Au Pair in America (http://www.aupairinamerica.com/), the nation’s first au pair program, just expanded its program to 10 new markets across the country.

Press Release, January 26, 2009, from IBT PR Center:

Au Pair in America has expanded its services to Albuquerque/Santa Fe, N.M.; Aspen/Vail/Glenwood Springs, Colo.; Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Pittsburgh, Penn.; Reno, Nev.; Sacramento/Stockton, Calif.; and Santa Barbara/Santa Maria, Calif.

“We are thrilled to now offer many more families the superior child care and global connections that have come to characterize the Au Pair in America program for the past 22 years,” said Ruth Ferry, senior vice president and director of Au Pair in America, adding, “We secure our au pairs from more than 60 countries and have placed over 80,000 with American host families in 40 states.

“As a result of the current economy, we are hearing from more and more families who are now dual-earning households that suddenly need child care which is both flexible and affordable,” said Ferry. “Our program meets those needs and offers host families a variety of programs to suit their specific requirements.”

Au Pair in America offers flexible live-in child care, an enriching cultural exchange for the entire family, reliable, trustworthy professionals providing support throughout the exchange and the chance to extend the au pair’s stay to two years. The nation’s first au pair program, provides several program options to meet the varied needs of American families and a Web community with a vast array of helpful information. Since 1986, Au Pair in America has placed more than 80,000 au pairs in 40 states. Headquartered in Stamford, Conn., Au Pair in America maintains offices in five countries and has a network of more than 600 employees worldwide.

Families who would like to learn more about Au Pair in America should call (800) 928-7247 or visit http://www.aupairinamerica.com/.

AuPairCare Teams up with Build-A-Bear Stores for Charity

2009-01-27T19:13:00.000-08:00

Syracuse, NY, January 26, 2009 AuPairCare agency is teaming up with Build-A-Bear Workshops stores across the nation to hold their Share-A-Bear campaign for au pairs. The Share-A-Bear campaign invites au pairs to give back to their local communities by making a bear and donating it to a local charity.

In the ithacajournal.com article, AuPairCare vice president Heidi Woehl says this is the first time the agency has launched a nationwide charity campaign. "AuPairCare is present in many of the same areas as Build-A-Bear Workshop stores and their mission of creating a place where 'best friends meet' is very much in-line with the role an au pair can play in the life of a child and host family. We are very excited about this partnership and the opportunity for our au pairs who make a different in the lives of the children they care for and to extend the spirit of international friendship through these bears to other children in their area."

Syracuse area au pairs will hold their charity event on Feb. 7 at Carousel Center's Build-A-Bear Workshop. The au pairs are also creating individual cards, in their own language, wishing the children who will receive the bears good wishes.

These "international bears" will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House in Pittsburgh, PA.

We applaud AuPairCare's charity campaign and what a fun way to donate something special to needy children! AuPairCare has successfully placed over 30,000 au pairs across the U.S. from over 40 countries.

We rated them as our #2 au pair industry leader for 2009 - see full article under Let's Talk Au Pair Agencies "Top Ten Au Pair Industry Leaders" at wwwaupairclearinghouse.com.

Nice job AuPairCare!

Breaking News - Cultural Care Host Father Secretly Videotaped Au Pairs Using the Bathroom

2009-01-26T12:37:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, the Republican America news reported additional information regarding the sexual assault of a 20 year old au pair by her host father, Muhammad Bhatti (see entire story at my site: aupairclearinghouse.com under Current News: "Cultural Care Au Pair Sexually Assaulted by Host Father") and my blog posted Saturday.

One of the host family's previous au pair, who worked for Bhatti family in 2007, claimed she was using the bathroom when she noticed a black mark on the clock that hung on the bathroom wall. She told police she removed the clock to examine it and found a camera inside. Police went to Bhatti's home and found evidence the clock was used with a camera.

Other au pairs, that were placed in the Bhatti home from 2005-2007 by the Cultural Care Au Pair Agency, told police there was "inappropriate touching, attempted kissing and offers by Bhatti to paint or photograph them in the nude."

Bhatti is free on bond and was ordered to surrender his passport. He is a native of Pakistan and his case was moved to Litchfield County (where the more serious crimes are prosecuted). His case will be continued to February 3, 2009. Charges are rape and using a camera to spy on the familys' au pairs.

Cultural Care Au Pair Sexually Assaulted by Host Father - Agency Cover Up Revealed

2009-01-24T08:04:00.001-08:00

Cultural Care Au Pair (Cambridge, Mass.), one of the leading au pair agencies in the country, seems to be having a bad time of it this year! First, a host family sues them for 5 million dollars in a civil suit when their au pair took pornographic photos of their 5 year old daughter (see full story at http://www.aupairclearinghouse.com/), and now one of their au pairs has come forward accusing her host father of sexual assault.

To make matters worse, it appears that Cultural Care tried to cover up prior au pairs' histories and complaints against the father accused of sexual assault and who has been a customer with Cultural Care for over three years.

According to a CT newspaper, The Register Citizen (see full story by Tracy Kennedy at registercitizen.com), Muhammed Bhatti, 38, married with one child, was charged with first, second and third degree sexual assault charges in Bantam, CT Superior Court on Friday, January 23, 2009.

His arrest and subsequent charges were based on his au pair's accusation to police that Bhatti said to her he had to "inspect" her before she could swim at a New Milford pool on November 5, 2009. He told his au pair two tests were needed for herpes before she could enter the pool and he allegedly told her to undress and then, by force, administered the "tests" using Vagisil and Q-tips.

After the sexual assault, the au pair left the house and reported the incident to police. The au pair, whose name was not released, never returned to the host family's home. She has since returned to Slovakia but told police she would return to testify, if necessary.

When police interviewed Natalie Jordan, senior vice president of Cultural Care, she told police that the agency was not aware of any complaints against Bhatti and the Slovakian au pair was only the second au pair placed in that home. The police may have been sceptical since they issued a court ordered search that forced Cultural Care to turn over all records on the Bhatti family. Police then discovered information contrary to Ms. Jordan's initial statements: there were seven Cultural Care au pairs placed with the Bhatti host family since 2005.

Police were able to contact 4 of the previous au pairs and each one of them reported feeling uncomfortable with Bhatti and reported "specific incidents" that had occurred between them and Bhatti. No information was released regarding what years these incidents took place or if any of these au pair left the home or the program due to these incidents.

Wasn't 7 au pairs in less than 4 years enough of a red flag for this agency to take a harder look at the Bhatti family? In addition, au pairs leaving host family homes (at least 4-5 left the home during the 3 and a half years the family was in the program) are interviewed and asked 'why" and this information is documented and used to evaluate the appropriateness of the home environment. Or, it is supposed to work that way.

Has Cultural Care gotten too big for its own britches?

They have aggressively marketed their services in the past few years, taking large numbers of customers away from the once top industry leader, Au Pair in America, located in Stamford, CT. Perhaps Cultural Care has lost sight of their goals? Besides making money, that is. Au pair agencies have the responsibility to provide a safe and secure environment for the girls they recruit and place in American homes and host families are also subjected to criminal background checks, as au pairs are. What happened in this case with the background check? According to the US Department of State, all host families must be American citizens and Bhatti is a native citizen of Pakistan.

More importantly, why did the agency continue to place au pairs in this home after four of the previous au pairs reported incidents with Bhatti that made them feel "uncomfortable?" Obviously the agency knew about these incidents since they tried to hide their files and the history of placements in the Bhatti home from police. Police were only able to contact the previous au pairs (to establish credibility of the reported sexual abuse by the Slovakian au pair) through a court-ordered search.

This disturbing story raises many questions regarding Cultural Care. We understand that these incidents can happen - there is only so much any au pair agency can do besides the family background check and to continue to monitor the home, but to hide key evidence in a sexual assault case? This action can cause many host parents to question the trust they place in the program and it may also affect the thousands of prospective au pairs' decision to sign up with Cultural Care going forward.

We will continue to report on this story as it unfolds in the news and the court. Please send us your comments to this blog or to our website: www.aupairclearinghouse.com

You heard it first at the AuPairClearinghouse Blog National News Center!

German Au Pairs and Infant Care

2009-01-23T05:36:00.000-08:00

Where are all the German au pairs who are infant qualified?

"Infant qualified" au pairs are candidates that have 200 hours or more of experience taking care of infants (under the age of 24 months). When girls apply to an au pair agency with the desire to take care of infants, they must show proof, usually through references from daycare centers or private families, that they cared for infants for at least 200 hours in order to meet the requirements of the Department of State. To meet this qualification, they must provide documentation of having cared for an infant under the age of 24 months and only then can they be "identified" as "Infant Qualified" and placed in a family who has a baby.

German au pairs are in high demand due to their competent driving skills and good English. However, their is a paucity of German "Infant Qualified" au pairs available across all agencies.

Why?

The German government has an excellent maternity leave for German mothers. Women can stay at home with their babies until they are two years old! Because of the progressive German maternity leave, au pairs have very little opportunities to gain infant care experience, either in private homes or in daycare centers.

So, if you are looking for a German au pair to take care of your new baby, look elsewhere.

Thai au pairs typically arrive with "Infant Qualified" status and there is a large number of Thai au pairs available for families with infants. However, Thai au pairs generally have both weak verbal English and driving skills, so there is a trade-off regarding these two areas areas that most parents identify as high on their wish list for an au pair.

If you don't need a driver and you can find a Thai who speaks relatively good English, you will find plenty of candidates for your infant care needs.

Psychological Screening of Au Pairs

2009-01-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, one of our blogger followers posted a great question: "What kind of psychological screening do au pair agencies use?" Kate writes that her niece is looking for an au pair and she read our blog about the Swiss au pair who took inappropriate photos of the family's 5 year old daughter. One photo was determined to be pornographic, yet no charges were made and the au pair was free to return home. However, the family, who hosted the au pair from Cultural Care, claims their daughter is now psychologically damaged and they are suing the agency for over 5 million dollars. See the entire post "Host Family Sues Au Pair Agency..."

I can understand Kate's concern - parents worry "Will my au pair be of sound mind?" "Does she have mental health issues, like depression, anxiety or an eating disorder?" Parents should know how effective these tests are in pinpointing mental health problems.

First, let's take a look at the issue of psychological screening. If the agency has been designated by the Department of State, then yes, the agency is required to do both a criminal background check and a psychological screening.

The tests the agencies use vary - there is no one test required by the Department of State. All the tests vary along types (some are personality tests, some are cultural adaptabililty inventories) and validity. There are no statistics available to the consumer regarding the results of the psychological scores, for example, how many au pairs pass; how many fail; how many are accepted if they have marginal results and what are the criteria by which the agency accepts or rejects an au pair using these methods? Therein lies the problem - where is the reliability of a U.S. government sanctioned test that has passed muster?

Secondly, not all tests can rule out all mental health issues. Can these psychological profiles flag a potential child abuser? In the case of the Swiss au pair, who took at least one pornographic photo of the child touching her genitals and posted it on a website in Sweden, did the test she apparently "passed" screen for Pedophilia? Who is looking at these tests? Who reads the results and consults with the agencies regarding potential red flags? What are the person's qualifications interpreting test results?

Pedophilia is defined as a psychological disorder in which an adult has a sexual desire only for children. A feature of this disorder is recurrent sexual urges and fantasies about children that leads to child sexual abuse, including child pornography. Most pedophiles take excessive photographs of children and they can be of a sexual nature, or show nudity.

We typically think of males as pedophiles but research indicates that female pedophiles preying on children in their care is much higher than previously thought. Over 6% of pedophiles are women (Natalie O'Brien, NEWS.com.au, & The Australian, March 7, 2006). The study also indicated that female predators were less likely to be charged and prosecuted for crimes against children compared to male predators.

The study noted that female pedophiles typically abuse girls, at twice the rate they abused boys. Male childcare workers and male au pairs face much more discrimination and scrutiny compared to their female counterparts. Au pair agencies and childcare workers clearly should be screening both sexes for potential child abuse!

The good news is that the majority of au pairs coming into the government regulated agencies are not child abusers and the incidence of reported cases are low.

We will continue to discuss this disturbing and timely topic and report related incidents in the news as they unfold. Please send us your comments and thoughts regarding this topic.

We will be posting an article on aupairclearinghouse.com on childcare workers/au pairs and child abuse and how to recognize a pedophile.

Bird Flu kills 19 year old Chinese Woman in Bejiing

2009-01-15T14:53:00.001-08:00

We have been writing about Chinese Au Pairs and the growing trend of American families hosting au pairs from China. We wanted to alert parents that health officials in China confimed last week that a deadly strain of the bird flu has killed a 19 year old Chinese woman. This is China's first reported death from the disease in a year. Go to our website aupairclearinghouse.com to read the entire article.

Chinese Au Pairs on the Rise

2009-01-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

Host families are contacting the Aupairclearinghouse.com for information about au pairs from China. Recruiting from China is a new trend in the au pair industry and the first Chinese au pair was hosted by the Au Pair in America agency in 2004. Since then, over 2000 au pairs from China have been welcomed into American families. Their services are in demand from parents who seek to expose their children to Mandarin and by parents who have an adopted child from China.

Most au pairs are recruited from Beijing, the capital of China. Not all Chinese parents approve of their daughter signing up to become an au pair - there is a bias against "domestic" work and many parents want their Chinese daughters to seek a professional career or attend University instead of caring for children, doing laundry and running errands for host families.

Despite the cultural bias and the weak economy, the number of Chinese au pairs continue to rise. It is exciting to learn about Chinese culture and I look forward to reporting on this trend as it unfolds.

Please visit our website aupairclearinghouse.com to read more about Chinese au pairs.

If anyone has a Chinese au pair, please leave your comments here or at the Clearinghouse.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Edina Stone

Host Family Sues Au Pair Agency in Federal Court for Negligence and Fraud

2009-01-07T17:22:00.000-08:00

A host family from Guilford is suing Cultural Care for $5 million dollars and the civil lawsuit charges the agency with breach of contract, negligence and fraud. They allege that their Swedish au pair took inappropriate photographs of their 5-year-old daughter. The suit claims that the daughter and her family are suffering from "irreversible emotional injury and distress” and seeks damages that include financial cost to the parents associated with finding another au pair, providing medical care for their minor child as well as the costs of litigation.

The civil lawsuit, filed in Federal court, claims that the agency failed to adequately screen, train, supervise and monitor the au pair. When the host mom found the alleged photographs, police took the au pair in for questioning. The photographs showed their child wearing red silk pajamas and her face was covered in heavy make-up. In some of the photos, the girl's top was open, in other photos, the top was off altogether. In one picture, the girl had her hand down her pajama bottoms. This was the only photo that was later interpreted by the police to be pornographic.

Because the law stipulates that there must be at least three pornographic pictures for an arrest - the au pair was released and the agency sent her home to Sweden. No charges were ever filed against the au pair.

We will continue to report on this story as it moves through the courts. Please send your comment to me at this blog.

2009-01-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

Are We Really All One World? Au Pairs and Cultural Differences

Germany

The idea of traveling to the United States to become an au pair is a very familiar concept in Germany. These young women are motivated by several factors including a desire to become more independent, to improve their English skills, and to experience American culture. German youth are fascinated with American music, TV programs, Hollywood stars and movies. In addition, young German women know that a year abroad that improves her English is a significant plus on her resume, greatly increasing her job potential once she returns home. Therefore, the au pair program continues to be a highly popular gap year for young women who usually return to Germany to continue at University. Approximately 37% of all au pairs who arrive in the United States are from Western Europe and 23% of that number are from Germany (although in recent years, that trend seems to be declining).

German Culture

Young people in Germany have much more freedom from their families to socialize and date compared to their American peers. Socializing with friends is very important and German youth go out to pubs from the early age of 16.

Curfews are not common and there is generally a relaxed and accepting attitude between parents and their adolescent children. You may want to remember that if you have a German au pair.

German youth are generally open-minded, well mannered and tend to be ambitious regarding their careers.

Germans take family life very seriously and most German families eat together for all meals, including lunch. Government rules allow all shops and businesses to close each day for from 12 noon to 2 o’clock so the family can come together for lunch.
Germans are very private people and greatly value their time alone. It would not be unusual for your German au pair to keep her door shut while she is in her room on her time “off” and during these times you should make sure the children are not barging in and bothering her. She may feel this is very rude behavior.

Childcare

Discipline includes talking to the child, taking candy or snacks away or not allowing the child to have television or video privileges.

German au pairs tend to be highly organized and responsible and catch on quickly to the family’s routine.

Corporal punishment is forbidden in Germany.

Applicants obtain their childcare experience through formal training (in kindergartens, etc.) and babysitting for friends and family.
German parents (either mother or father) typically stay home with their young children at least until they are old enough to attend kindergarten.
Your German au pair will expect the children to treat her with respect and to listen to her and follow the house rules. Unruly or bad behavior is a sign of disrespect and a child who is overly indulged by parents (with toys, sweets, privileges not earned) is considered spoiled behavior and a result of poor or failed parenting.

Driving Skills

Most German au pairs are excellent drivers. They receive their license at age 18 and the test is much more demanding and time consuming compared to their American peers. Most driving pupils need 20-30 lessons in order to pass the test and there is an hour practical driving test! If any German fails the test more than 3 times, a psychological test is then required by the state.

Most parents have a car for the teen to practice on and they support their teenagers in getting the license and becoming good, safe drivers. German au pairs are exclusively sought out by host parents for their excellent driving skills

English Skills

English is a compulsory subject at the age of 10, but many children start as early as kindergarten. As a result, German youth have competent English skills with many having no or a very slight German accent.

German au pairs are popular with host parents for their English skills. Host parents typically expect them to help the children with homework and German au pairs are generally very competent in this area.

Health

Germans are typically very healthy. They have good medical and dental insurance.

Eating disorders are not very common in Germany.

Most young people in Germany eat meat and lots of vegetables and fresh foods are preferred to fast foods/processed foods.

Religion

The two most common religions in Germany are Catholic and Protestant
Most young people in Germany do not practice their religion on a regular basis but will attend weekly church services if the family does.

Other Useful Information

Most German families have at least one computer with access to the internet and most young Germans have their own cell phones; contacting prospective au pairs is relatively easy during the interviewing process. Family members usually speak English and can take messages from you if the au pair is not home. This is good news for you since you will not keep playing phone or internent tag!

Keep in mind German students end their academic year in June and most of the young women apply to arrive in the USA during the summer months but before our school term starts here in the USA (plan to have your German au pair arrive in early or mid August). German au pairs are typically serious students and will expect to sign up for courses immediately upon arrival. German au pairs will expect flexibly from her host parents so she can attend her classes without interruption so please attend to this if you want a happy, well-adjusted au pair.

West Germans are generally more educated, are more experienced drivers and possess better English skills compared to East Germans. Generally, West Germans have less trouble assimilating into American culture and do not generally suffer from culture shock. They genuinely like American culture and look forward to their year abroad. Most importantly: the majority of German au pairs will not extend beyond the 12 months – they will return home to continue their education, start a business or look for a professional job. If you hire German au pairs, be prepared to start looking for a new au pair at the end of the 12 month contract.

Top Ten Mistakes Host Parents Make When Choosing an Au Pair

2009-01-04T09:03:00.001-08:00

Host families contact us all the time about their frustration with au pair agencies that basically say all the same things: "our au pairs are carefully screened, responsible and mature young women who can drive, speak English and have experience working with children." The frustration comes later when host parents find that many au pairs arrive in their homes and cannot speak good English, cannot drive and have had little or no experience with children!

It is a disturbing fact that a large percent (approximately 15% - 25%) of au pairs do slip through the screening process and arrive in the USA without the basics: English, driving skills and childcare experience. How does this happen?

Foreign agents who work out of travel agencies abroad are hired by the au pair agencies to recruit and screen au pairs. The agents work on a commission basis and the more au pairs they sign up, the more money they make. Therefore, built right into the screening process, there is a conflict of interest that ultimately affects the quality of the au pairs arriving in the USA. As a host parent, what can you do about this?

Get informed. Be aware of the mistakes host families commonly make during the matching process. You can and should do your own screening in addition to the oft times slapdash screening agents do in order to increase their commission checks.

We review the Top Ten Mistakes Host Families should avoid at our website: aupairclearinghouse.com/aupairclearinghouse.com/ and here are the first three out of the ten:

Mistake #10: Not Reviewing An Agency's Qualifications: if you choose a program only because it is cheap, you are placing your child at risk. Make certain the program you sign up with is registered with the Department of State who monitors and regulates these agencies. Visit our site for a list of the 12 designated au pair agencies.

Mistake #9: Not Taking the Time to Check the Application: Make the most of the applicant's information sent to you by the agency! Make sure the applications from the same agent/country is varied - if each application you receive from the same country/agent reads the same across experience, English skills, impression during interview, etc. this may tell you the agent is not discriminating or reporting factual information - they are plugging each girl who applies to appear "excellent" across all dimensions. This is a red flag that the information you are getting may not be factual!

Mistake #8: Not Reading Between the Lines of the Au Pair's Host Family Letter: Each au pair writes a letter to prospective host parents. The information contained in this letter can be very revealing. Does she express herself well in English; does she express a happy and upbeat personality; does she discuss difficulties at home that may indicate she is running away from family conflict, etc. She should make positive comments about herself, her family and in children in general.

Go to our site to read the entire list of the Top Ten Mistakes and to read more about the above regarding our tips and suggestions, etc.

Good luck to all host parents who are signing up for an au pair in the new year - it can be a great experience or it can be a disaster - it is your choice. Do your homework and get informed.

Happy New Year

Top Three Au Pair Industry Leaders for 2009

2009-01-01T23:17:00.000-08:00

At Aupairclearinghouse.com we posted our Top Three Agency Picks for 2009. We compared agencies across several factors: costs; customer service; matching process; phone service; speed of matching; award winning agencies; Au Pair of the Year Award for 2008; general strengths and weaknesses across all three agencies and special programs (ex., male au pairs; Special Infant Programs; summer programs) and much more.

You will be surprised at the rising costs at one of our agency picks - with total fees for 12 months reaching 20,000 a year starting in January 2009! This may be your agency so you should take a look before you sign a new contract.

We would like to hear from host parents on any of these industry leaders or any other agencies that you think should have made our Top Three - this list could change in the next coming months according to changes in service, costs, etc.

We compare and report on the au pair agencies and give host parents unbiased information so they can make the best choice for their childcare needs.

Happy New Year and best wishes for a safe and rewarding year with your au pair!

Edina Stone

Is your Au Pair Suffering from Culture Shock or Depression

2008-12-30T20:43:00.000-08:00

Culture Shock is a phenomenon that can occur when a new au pair arrives at your home. The difficulty adjusting to a new environment can cause a multitude of symptoms: problems sleeping; eating disturbances; mental fatigue; a delay or refusal to speak English and a desire to return home. Au pairs experience culture shock in varying degrees when they arrive. Most au pairs adjust quickly and are excited to meet the challenges of their new culture and all that is has to offer. A significant number never adjust and they usually return home soon after their arrival due to a number of reasons.

Au pairs who are experiencing culture shock after a month or so may react with frustration, confusion and intense homesickness. These difficulties may present themselves as minor physical complaints: headaches, stomach aches, colds, sudden weight loss or weight gain. Other symptoms can include anxiety and feeling disoriented and intense homesickness - all elements that can lead to a depression.

If your au pair continues to complain about little things that upset her, about the family or the USA in general, calls her parents back home multiple times a day and is generally unhappy and sad, she may be suffering from extreme culture shock. This can result in your au pair's inability to do her job well and she may not be able to concentrate or have enough energy to fulfill even the most simple of tasks.

Signs of depression are sadness, crying, isolation from others and feeling "blue" all the time. Call your agency and ask them for advice and possibly arrange for your au pair to be evaluated by a doctor. Don't ignore the signs of an severe reaction to culture shock. Don't try to play therapist, instead have her seen by a professional for your peace of mind and for her well-being. She is in your care so make sure you treat her the way you would want someone to treat your daughter if she was in the same situation.

See the entire article posted at our website: Aupairclearinghouse.com under Let's Talk Au Pairs titled "Is Your Au Pair Experiencing Culture Shock or Depression?"

Edina Stone

Consumer Information on Au Pair Agencies

2008-12-24T21:06:00.000-08:00

Hi. This is my first blog about my new website, Aupairclearinghouse.com. I have worked in the au pair industry for over 10 years. When I retired, I left with many years of experience working with au pairs from over 40 countries and with over 200 host families.

I decided to start a website to help host families find the best agency and the best au pair for their families. I know all the mistakes host families can make and these mistakes can be costly, time consuming and most importantly, harmful to their children.

Our mission at AuPairClearinghouse is to help families avoid these mistakes so they can have the best au pair experience. I worked with so many wonderful au pairs from all over the world and their host families loved them, and treated the girls as if they were part of their family.

I also worked with au pairs who came to the USA for all the wrong reasons or they were running away from problems at home or they had mental health issues.

It is so important to do your homework when finding an au pair agency and so many things to keep in mind: how to find an agency who screens the girls properly with both criminal background checks and psychological testing; making sure the au pair can drive well; if she has good English skills; if she is truly interested in working with children; and much more.

We are the only national consumer based information site that reports unbiased and factual information about and on the au pair industry.

Please check out our site and send us comments about your experience with the different agencies out there and your experience with au pairs. Share tips and advice with other host parents on our new Family Forum.

We would love to hear from you!

Aupairclearinghouse.com