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Childcare International Style
Is Au Pair Care Right for Your Family?
By Tracy B. McGinnis
"The biggest benefit other than the obvious flexibility of a live-in [caretaker] is that you are guaranteed at least one full year of childcare – in some cases two if you want to renew," adds Dearing. "Many nannies so often quit at the first sign of trouble within the home or their relationship with the family. The au pairs we work with are sincerely interested in legally spending a year in the U.S., living in an American home and working on their education. They have committed to the year and are very willing to work with families to fit in."
One of the biggest concerns families have when it comes to considering au pair care is sharing their home with another person. "Parents worry about what will happen if something doesn't work out with their au pair," says Kaplan. "Au Pair Care assists families in re-matching with a replacement au pair."
In addition to replacements, sponsor agencies provide families and au pairs national and local support systems to help everyone acclimate to the new environment and resolve problems that arise.
After families have chosen an au pair, the U.S. Department of State regulations require agencies to provide orientation, childcare development training, safety instruction and a minimum of 24 hours of child development instruction. Some agencies also provide CPR and fire safety training.
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Is Au Pair Care Right for Your Family? by kj247 on 11/08/2009 04:02PM
I have been a host mom & Local Childcare Coordinator with Cultural Care Au Pair for 5 years and have hosted au pairs from around the world. We have tried daycare & au pairs and would say that the au pair program is the way to go! As full time working parents, not only is it affordable for us, we truly enjoy live-in childcare and the flexibility of the au pair hours, as we set our own hours which include weekend, nights and several date nights a month. Also the cultural experience that my children receive is wonderful%u2026..my children get a %u201Cnew big sister%u201D to play with and they get to learn a language! I don't believe having an au pair is the answer for every family as each family is unique in their needs and desires for childcare and they need to assess their situation. But for our family having an au pair has been the best & rewarding option.
Is Au Pair Care Right for Your Family? by tmaskew on 11/05/2009 01:08PM
We have been with Cultural Care Au Pair through 4 au pairs and absolutely love the program and the benefits that the cultural exchange brings to our kids and the whole family. We do not plan to go back to outside child care.
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Is Au Pair Care Right for Your Family? by Jenn on 11/09/2009 10:57AM
I love the au pair program. We have been with Cultural Care Au Pair for 4 years. They have always found the right match for our family! We have been so lucky to have had such great childcare. My kids love our au pairs.