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Au Pair in the USA
Frequently Asked Questions
INTRODUCTION
GENERAL QUESTIONS
•
What is the Au Pair
Program?
•
What do the sponsoring
organizations do?
•
What do local and
regional counselors do?
•
Are there any checks on
the sponsoring organizations?
•
What is the
educational component of the Au Pair Program?
•
What are the
responsibilities of the American host family in assisting
the aupair with the "mandatory" educational component?
THE SELECTION
AND SCREENING PROCESS
•
Where do aupairs come
from?
•
What kind of training
and experience is required to be an aupair?
•
What costs are involved?
ONCE THE AU PAIR IS
WITH THE HOST FAMILY
•
What are aupairs entitled to?
•
What are host
families entitled to?
•
What responsibilities do
both parties have?
•
How long may an aupair
stay with a family, and may the arrangement be extended?
QUESTIONS OR
PROBLEMS
•
What if I have questions
after the initial selection and match have been made, or
what if a problem arises?
•
What are my options if I
am not happy with the arrangement?
Thousands of American
families and foreign nationals have participated in the
aupair Program. Most have found it to be a rewarding
experience, but it is important to fully understand the
program before deciding to participate.
aupair agency in London based in
Holborn.
The Au Pair Program was established in 1986 as
an educational and cultural exchange with a strong child
care component. Program participants enter the United
States for up to 12 months to care for the children of the
American family in whose home they will live. At the same
time, the aupairs are required to complete an educational
component of six semester hours of academic credit or its
equivalent. At the end of one year, aupairs return to
their home country. Aupair in
England is a division of LS Network.
"Aupair" is French for "on par,"
reminding host families that, although an employee, their
international visitor is to be treated as a member of the
family. The rules are clear: aupairs are provided a
private bedroom, meals, remuneration tied to the minimum
wage, one and one-half days off weekly plus a full weekend
off each month, two weeks' paid vacation, and the first
$500 toward the costs of required course work to be
completed at an accredited institution of higher education
in order to satisfy the requirements of the educational
component of the program. aupair is
the best service.
Aupairs are not to work more
than 10 hours a day/45 hours a week. They are not to serve
as general housekeepers or assume responsibility for
household management. In August 2001 the regulations
governing the Au Pair Program were amended to create a
sub-category called EduCare. This component is
specifically designed for families with school-aged
children requiring limited childcare assistance.
aupair system is suitable for you.
Aupairs
participating in the EduCare component may not be placed
with families having preschool aged children unless
alternative arrangements are in place for these
children. EduCare participants are not to work more than
10 hours a day/30 hours a week. They must complete a
minimum of 12 semester hours of academic credit, or its
equivalent, during their program. Host families provide
the first $1000 to the aupair toward the cost of the
educational component. All aupair participants are paid
in accordance with the provisions of the Fair Labor
Standards Act. We are an aupair
agency in England.
As a matter of administrative
convenience for both the Department-designated sponsors
and participating host families, EduCare participants
receive 75 percent of the predetermined weekly wage that
is required for aupair participants. If these rules cause
you any concern, you may wish to reconsider participating
in the Au Pair Program. There are other considerations as
well. As we are an aupair agency in
England.
Are you willing to communicate
your expectations at the beginning of your program? When
occasional problems arise, one mistake that host families
and aupairs make is to hope that conditions will improve
and problems will correct themselves. As you consider
whether the Au Pair Program is right for you, host
families should think about how they will adjust to having
an international visitor in their home. Aupairs should
think about how they will adjust to living with a new
family in a different country. For each, the values and
cultural perspectives of the other may be vastly
different. The following questions and answers might help
you to make that decision. An aupair
in england must be from EU country.
Back to the top
GENERAL QUESTIONS
What is the Au Pair Program?
The Au Pair Program is an educational and cultural
exchange program with a child care component. Aupairs
come to the United States for one year to provide up to 45
hours of child care per week for their host family while
pursuing educational credits. The EduCare participant
provides up to 30 hours of child care a week. Sponsoring
organizations in the U.S. have the responsibility for
administering the program, within the regulations set by
the Department of State (DOS). Although DOS authorizes
these sponsoring organizations to conduct aupair
programs, the responsibility for choosing the right
organization rests solely with the host family and the
aupair. Aupair agency in london tells:
What do the sponsoring
organizations do?
Sponsoring organizations carry out the day-to-day
operation of the Au Pair Program. They identify, screen,
select, and match aupairs and host families. They ensure
that background investigations, including criminal history
checks, are performed on aupairs, and that host parents
have adequate financial resources to participate in the
program. The sponsoring organizations interview aupairs
for spoken English proficiency and suitability to
participate in the program. They also interview host
parents to ensure spoken English fluency and suitability
to deal with an international visitor.The sponsoring
organizations provide aupairs with a detailed profile of
the host family and community into which they will be
placed, as well as the educational institutions available
in the community. They ensure that aupairs have all the
training required by DOS and must monitor the aupair/host
family relationship throughout the year. These
organizations must maintain monthly contact, through local
and regional counselors, with aupairs and host families
to ensure compliance with the program.
What do local and
regional counselors do?
Local and regional counselors maintain ongoing contact
with, and support, aupairs and host families. They are
required to report to the sponsoring organization any
unusual or serious situations or incidents involving
aupairs or host families. Any incidents involving or
alleging a crime of moral turpitude or violence are
immediately to be relayed by the sponsoring organization
to DOS. Moral turpitude is defined to include, but is not
limited to, acts of theft, sexual misconduct, and child
abuse.
Are there any checks on
the sponsoring organizations?
Yes. Sponsoring organizations must annually submit to DOS
copies of their advertisement and recruitment materials.
They must submit summaries of the annual survey they
conduct of host families and aupairs, all complaints
received and their resolutions, and all situations that
result in the placement of an aupair with more than one
host family. Sponsoring organizations are audited annually
to ensure compliance with the procedures and reporting
requirements set forth in DOS's regulations.
What is the educational
component of the Au Pair Program?
Aupairs are required to enroll in an accredited
post-secondary institution for not less than six semester
hours of academic credit or its equivalent. Its equivalent
would include the recognized trimester or quarter hours.
The EduCare participant is required to enroll in an
accredited post-secondary institution for not less than
twelve semester hours of academic credit or its
equivalent. Two-year community colleges are eligible
institutions.
What are the
responsibilities of the American host family in assisting
the aupair with the "mandatory" educational component?
As a condition for American families to host an exchange
visitor under the Au Pair Program they must agree to
(1)
facilitate the enrollment and attendance in an American
"post-secondary" educational institution
(2) ensure that
the aupair has adequate transportation to attend and
(3) pay the first $500 ($1000 for EduCare participants)
toward the costs of required academic course work.
Any additional costs
associated with acquiring the six academic credits (twelve
for the EduCare participant) are to be absorbed by the
aupair.
Back to the top
THE SELECTION AND
SCREENING PROCESS
Where do aupairs come
from?
Because the Au Pair Program is
worldwide, aupairs can be from any foreign country except
those with which the US does not have diplomatic
relations.
What kind of training and
experience is required to be an aupair?
Aupairs must be proficient in spoken English and have a
high school diploma or the equivalent. Host parents are
to interview prospective aupairs by telephone, before
they leave home, prior to accepting candidates as their
aupairs.
Before being placed with a host family, aupairs must
receive at least 8 hours of child safety and 24 hours of
child development instruction. At least 4 hours of the
child safety training will be infant related and at least
4 hours of the child development instruction will be
devoted to the care of children under 2 years of age.
The child safety training, provided by qualified
organizations, includes topics such as stress management,
shaken baby syndrome, and CPR. Aupairs responsible for
children under 2 years of age must have at least 200 hours
of documented infant child care experience. Aupairs
may not be placed with a family having a child less than
three months of age unless a parent or other responsible
adult is present in the home.
Aupairs will NOT have specialized training in
nursing. They are NOT to provide child care
services relating to the care and protection of infants
and children performed by such trained personnel, as
registered or practical nurses.
What costs are involved?
The average annual cost to an American host family is
about $13,000. This includes fees to the sponsoring
organization, a weekly payment tied to the minimum wage
(currently $139.05), an educational allowance of $500, and
room/board. The weekly wage for the EduCare participant is
$104.29 with an educational allowance of $1000.00.
Back to the top
ONCE THE AU PAIR IS WITH
THE HOST FAMILY
What are aupairs
entitled to?
Aupairs are entitled to a
private bedroom, meals, a weekly wage that will increase
if the minimum wage increases, one and one-half days off
each week, a full weekend off each month, two weeks of
paid vacation, and the first $500 ($1000 for EduCare
participants) toward the costs of required academic course
work.
What are host families
entitled to?
Host families are entitled to a
maximum of 10 hours a day/45 hours a week (10 hours a
day/30 hours a week for EduCare participants) of child
care, and they have the benefit of someone from another
culture living in their home.
What responsibilities do
both parties have?
Either a parent or responsible adult must be present in
the home for the first three days that the aupair is with
the host family, which may include a weekend. The host
family and aupair must attend at least one of their
sponsoring organization's family day events during the
aupair's stay.
There must be a signed written agreement between the host
family and the aupair outlining the obligations of both
parties. In addition, the sponsoring organizations
generally require the host family and the aupair to sign
written agreements that outline the obligations of each
party to the organization.
How long may an aupair
stay with a family, and may the arrangement be extended?
Aupairs may stay with their host families in the US for
one year. After that time they are required to return to
their home country. The aupair arrangement cannot be
extended. (Note: There is now a pilot project to extend
the aupair arrangement for another 12 months)
Back to the top
QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS
What if I have questions
after the initial selection and match have been made, or
what if a problem arises?
The sponsoring organizations have local and regional
representatives who are available to help and counsel one
or both parties of an Au Pair Program match. You can
contact them or the sponsoring organization through which
you entered the program.
What are my options if I
am not happy with the arrangement?
Both the host family and the aupair have options if they
are not happy with the aupair arrangement. Since the
terms of these options may vary from one sponsoring
organization to another, it is suggested that you check
your contract with the sponsoring organization for
specific information on cancellation conditions or talk
with your sponsoring organization directly.
BROCHURE
REQUEST
If you are interested in becoming a host family, please
click here.
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