Valerie (vcjacobs) -- About the au pair
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| Wed, 09-21-2005 - 4:54pm |
We have a lovely au pair (actually, she looks like Penelope Cruz!) who is part of our family and loves my kids and is a pleasure. She's our 2nd au pair and she's completing her 2nd year with us (she goes home to Costa Rica in December.) We've had a really great experience with both of them. I am a SAHM with 3 kids, but I do lots of volunteer work (way too much, but that's for a different day).
Here's how it works:
The Au Pair program is the only federal childcare program. It is run by the US State Dept. as a cultural exchange + childcare program. The au pairs (most all young women who have to be between 18 and 26) receive a 12-month visa to live with a family and provide up to 45 hours of childcare a week. There are 6 agencies which are licensed by the State Dept. to implement the program. You pay the agency a fee and they recruit and screen the the au pairs, match them w/ families, and assist them w/ getting a visa (which has gotten more complicated) bring them over, train them once they are here, and support them (and the host families) if issues come up.
The cost (with fee) works out to about $270 a week. Plus you provide room and board. The agency handles their health insurance. And they have to take some classes while they are here. Their visa is good for an extra month of travel after their 12th month. And now they can extend the au pair visa up to another year (why our au pair is still with us).
There are lots of "au pair" matching sites. But it's not a good thing, IMO. First, there is no screening or reference checking. And are you gonna' get one to come on a 3-month tourist visa? There's really NO WAY to get a working visa for someone like that. And if you read the fine print, some of the sites have "alliances" with the au pair agencies to get the visa. So you end up paying the agency fee but don't get the benefit of the screening and ref. check.
My DH only will have a *legal* childcare provider who has health insurance. So an au pair is the way for us. I had a nanny once (when I was working) and the taxes and paperwork were a nightmare. With an au pair, there are no employment taxes b/c it's a cultural exchange. :)
Anyway, if you wanna' know more, email me or come by the au pair/nanny board on PP!
Cathy

thanks for the info. i have always been curious how that whole situation works.
valerie