Have you ever compared the EduCare program to the the regular Au Pair program?

If you’ve chosen the EduCare, what swung you over? And, what’s your experience been with EduCare Au Pairs?

What’s the EduCare Program?

From the website of the US Department of State:

The Au Pair program includes the EduCare component.

• The EduCare component is only for families who have school-aged children and require childcare before and after school hours. Accordingly, au pairs participating in the EduCare component may not be placed with families having preschool children, unless alternative, full-time arrangements are in place for their supervision.
• The EduCare au pair may work no more than 10 hours per day, and a maximum of 30 hours per week.
• Au pairs participating in the EduCare component receive 75 percent of the weekly rate paid to au pairs.
• EduCare au pairs must complete a minimum of 12 hours of academic credit or its equivalent during the program year.
• The host family is required to provide (up to) the first $1,000 toward the cost of the au pair’s required academic course work.

EduCare Au Pairs get a weekly stipend of $146.81 (vs. the stipend of $195.75 for regular au pairs). [Why they get 75% of the weekly stipend for working 66% of the regular 45 hour week, I don't know.]

Here’e how the EduCare program is described to prospective au pairs:

The EduCare program is suited to someone who would like to spend more time studying, and less time looking afer the host family’s children. With EduCare you work up to 30 hours a week instead of 45 hours. Naturally, you earn slightly less, but your US$1,000 study allowance allows you to take courses for six hours a week.
EduCare departures take place in July/August or December. As Educare participants start their chosen college courses in either September or January, this gives you time to get to know your family and surroundings before classes start.

I discovered, with my little research for this post, that I never really understood the EduCare program…. I assumed that the program was designed for au pair candidates who wanted to do more studying than au pairs on the regular program. I didn’t realize that the program was also designed for families who simply needed less childcare– precisely because their kids were in full days of school… it’s as much about the kids’ educational status as the au pairs. Duh.

Even though my girls are in school for a full day now, this plan wouldn’t work for us… but not (only) because of the 30 hour on-duty limit. The real reason is that no one could afford to take the entire 22 credit hours of education, with only a $1000 tuition stipend! in our part of the USA, it’s hard enough to get the six credit hours of the regular program, and usually that costs the au pair &/or family more than $500. So for us, the basic expectation of this program is just unrealistic — unless we were happy to pay more for education, or our au pair was willing to put her pocket money (and more?) towards tuition.

But, I hear that the cost of living and going to school is lower outside the NYC area… so maybe it would be more realistic for you.

Are EduCare Candidates different from regular Au pair Candidates?

According to the regulations and the agency websites I scanned, there are no differences in what is required of candidates for these two programs. However, it would be interesting to hear from you if you’ve seen differences. Perhaps the kind of young person who selects EduCare over the regular option is more interested in studying? (Or, maybe s/he wants to work fewer hours, and/or doesn’t’ really need that much pocket money?)

CalifMom recently mentioned:

…We are looking at the educare program for next time. The APs have to take two classes per term, so they are not able to just sit at home–they will have to be more on top of things. I think that program will attract APs who are more driven, more achievement-oriented, and hence better at getting stuff done, as well. Just assumptions here, though.

Parents, what do you think about these two programs? What has your experience been, if you’ve used or considered EduCare? Do tell….

From Flicker: Salihah on the day before school on from bingregory
First Day at School from Danacea
Ist Day of School 2009, No.1 from Jeff Blucher

Hi Au Pair Mom Readers! Love the site and am totally addicted. The advice is so helpful!

I need advice on the subject of college education for my au pair. Our au pair has indicated an interest in attending university here in the U.S. instead of in her home country (Germany). It’s unclear whether she wants to pursue this for only a year or for all four years, but what is clear is that she wants to take credit classes and probably have at least a partial if not full course schedule. In other words, she wants to be an enrolled student at a college and take courses that will further her ultimate goal of attaining a teaching degree.

We love our au pair and would love to extend with her. Is it possible for her to do both, even if realistically she could only attend college part-time ? If she is not permitted to be an au pair or work for us full time while she is enrolled as a student, where can we find information for her about how to apply for a student visa and what she needs to do to apply at a college as a foreign student? We love her to the point that we would help facilitate her college enrollment even if that means she cannot extend with us as an au pair.

I know there are other parents that read this site that have been in this situation and have already done the research and can offer practical solutions. I really don’t want to reinvent the wheel and have to search for and then read piles of INS forms and college websites to figure out what someone else already knows!

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