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Agencies & Local Counselors

Au Pairs: Beware of Scams

by cv harquail March 26, 2012

Dear Prospective Au Pairs — always always always check out an offer you receive that does not come through an approved, well-known au pair agency. There are too many scammers out there who seem to be offering great positions, but who in fact just want to lure you into sending them money. Last week we [...]

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Can we bring a PreMatch Au Pair to the US without an agency?

by cv harquail March 7, 2012

Dear AuPairMom- We are on a 4 month sabbatical in Cape Town, SA and we have a great local nanny here. We’d like to bring her back with us to our home in Brooklyn, NY in April. Can this be done? Can we avoid the agencies/sponsors? Dear CapeTownHostMom- Yes, you can bring a caregiver from [...]

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Do Host Parents need to buy Workers Compensation Insurance?

by cv harquail February 22, 2012

While we’re on the topic of insurance, MinneMom emiled with a question I’d never considered – Do you have a separate Workers’ Comp Insurance policy for your au pair? In the deep dark recesses of my failing memory, I think I discussed insurance with my DH when we were early into the au pair world. [...]

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Contact Congress to Protest Taxes on Au Pairs!

by cv harquail February 11, 2012

Dear AuPairMom Readers- I never thought that I’d be writing a post asking you all to take political action, but there’s an issue that hits the Au Pairing Community right at the heart. Congress is deciding this week whether to impose a 7.65% FICA tax on au pairs. Yes, that’s right. Congress wants to tax [...]

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Should au pair rules be changed, to allow for “extra vacation without pay”?

by cv harquail January 25, 2012

Within the legal boundaries of the au pair program, both host parents and au pairs like to have a bit of personal discretion. We want to be able to satisfy family demands and any sensible au pair dreams. We want to be flexible when issues come up, and we want to be accommodating and reasonably [...]

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F.A.Q.: Must we use an Au Pair Agency to engage an Au Pair?

by cv harquail January 14, 2012

Must we use an Au Pair Agency to engage an Au Pair? Yes. Sure, you can go it alone, but then you would not be operating within US Law. We emphatically recommend that you use an approved agency to find and retain your au pair. Following the laws and regulations protects both your family and [...]

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Extension Fees: Why so high?

by cv harquail December 15, 2011

Why is it so expensive to extend an Au Pair for an additional year? A reader emailed to raise the concern that it costs almost as much the second year as the first, because there are fewer special discounts. (For one agency, that’s about $5,600). Not only that, but the au pair herself or himself [...]

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Au Pair Counselors (LCCs): Your #1 Defense Against Bad Host Parent Behavior

by cv harquail November 5, 2011

It breaks my heart when we get emails and comments from au pairs who are being taken advantage of by their host parents. We know that the host parents’ behavior is out of line, and we’re happy to tell au pairs what host parent behavior is inappropriate or downright exploitative. We tell au pairs to [...]

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How To Find a Short-Term Au Pair

by cv harquail October 15, 2011

Sometimes, you just don’t need an au pair for a whole year. You may need just 8 months, until your child has a full school day, or until you drop down to part-time work. You may just need an au pair to cover a gap between a departing au pair and some other childcare arrangement.  [...]

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How well do different Au Pair Agencies oversee “the rules”?

by cv harquail September 11, 2011

When it comes to following the rules and regulations of the Au Pair Program, how much oversight do different agencies actually provide? Inquiring minds want to know, since these rules are there to protect all the parties in the Au Pair – Host Family relationship. There are three areas where legal ‘oversight’ is necessary: 1. [...]

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