Au Pair Agencies

Should Au Pair Agency Contracts Have a “Flame Out — Opt Out” Clause?

by cv harquail November 5, 2012
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Host Families can easily get screwed when the au pair that they match with is so bad s/he can’t or won’t make it through the initial two weeks. When an au pair/ host family relationship breaks, there is an emotional and financial cost to everyone involved. Au Pair Agency procedures are designed to push au […]

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

by cv harquail September 11, 2011
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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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Au Pair Agency Breaks Promise, and Revokes Completion Payment. Why?

by cv harquail May 2, 2011
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Dear Au Pair Mom, Today we received our monthly newsletter from our local area counselor. On the last page, it normally indicates year-end bonuses for the au pairs; however, now we see this: “Bonuses: There has been a change to bonuses. Au pairs who arrived before December 31, 2010 will still be eligible to receive […]

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Au Pair Community Resources: Calling all LCCs, Experts and Artists

by cv harquail January 30, 2011
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Several LCCs have emailed to ask if we could include their blogs in the list of LCC blogs on the sidebar. I’d like to be able to list any counselor, consultant, or expert who has something to offer to the AuPairMom community, and I’d like to upgrade this to a fuller and more organized presentation […]

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How can an Au Pair candidate hasten a match?

by cv harquail January 11, 2011
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Yesterday we got this email from an au pair candidate who is very excited about finding a family. She asks: How could I be selected as an au pair as soon as possible? I offered her a little advice, and I’d love to hear what you all might suggest… Hi I’m Shannon from (Southeast Asia), […]

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A Series of Bad Matches: Is it you, or your au pair Agency?

by cv harquail December 14, 2010

No one is responsible for a great host parent-au pair relationship. Or, rather, no one person or entity is responsible for great host parent-au pair relationship. That responsibility is shared between three parties: 1. The Au Pair her- or himself 2. The Host Parent(s), and 3. The Au Pair Agency. Because we host parents know […]

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Do Au Pairs need a ‘bill of rights’?

by cv harquail April 30, 2010
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A reader sent me a link to an article in Slate, about a proposed ‘Bill of Rights” for domestic workers in New York State. (You can read the article in detail, here.) The proposed legislation would guarantee New York’s 200,000 domestic workers sick days, overtime, a day of rest, protection under discrimination laws, and notice […]

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My Au Pair Won’t Get a Flu Shot … and we have an Infant. Now what?

by cv harquail October 15, 2009
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There are several situations where getting a flu vaccine is a MUST— and one of those is if you care for a child under 6 months old. These littlest ones are uniquely vulnerable to both the regular flu and the H1N1 virus– because they are too young to be vaccinated themselves. Adults who care for […]

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Interviewing Au Pair Candidates: One at a time, or a few at once?

by cv harquail July 20, 2009
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The process for interviewing, selecting, and matching with an au pair candidate differs for each agency. Some send you one candidate at a time, some select a handful of candidates for you to consider simultaneously, and others let you have pretty much free run of their data base. But, if you had a choice, would […]

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