au pair agency

Our Local Counselor is Unhelpful: What’s a good recourse?

by cv harquail February 12, 2019
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Dear AuPairMom — I’ve been googling endlessly to try to find some answers to my scenario but I’m at a loss-hoping you can help. Our au pair joined our family in November. We have. 2.5 year old and welcomed twins in december. She has been watching our 2.5 year old and will start watching the […]

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Managing the Financial Costs of Rematch: Getting an Agency Refund

by cv harquail June 16, 2016
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What’s a fair way to manage the costs to the Host Family of a rematch situation that they did not request themselves? Dear AuPairMom, We are currently in a re-match situation and I’m struggling with the agency’s rematch policy. We are only 2 weeks into a 12 month extension with our Au Pair, and she […]

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Which Au Pair Agencies are the Best to Work For?, asks future LCC

by cv harquail February 8, 2016
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What do Au Pair Agencies feel like from the inside? I know that I was delighted when I got to meet the folks at InterExchange face to face — it was clear that they genuinely care about the experiences of their Au Pairs and Host Families.  It seems like people there enjoyed their jobs and […]

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How to Switch Au Pair Agencies, Gracefully

by cv harquail October 16, 2014
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Host Families choose their particular Au Pair Agency for all sorts of reasons. They might choose the agency their neighbors use, the agency that has the best promotional deal, or even the agency that has a name they can spell correctly when they are googling in the middle of the night having been awakened again by […]

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What Au Pair Agency Selection Process Works Best For You?

by cv harquail April 9, 2014
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A guest post comparing Cultural Care and GoAuPair, by MultiTaskingHost Mom On AuPairMom we spend a lot of time sharing tips for matching with an AuPair. It makes sense that we focus on the interview questions, how to evaluate experience in a certain skill, and how to interpret the vibe given by the potential au […]

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Does Your Extension Au Pair Deserve a Raise?

by cv harquail January 24, 2013
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The experience of a happy au pair year is its own reward. And extending this positive experience is a great way to turn this reward into a bonus. When an au pair and a host family extend their contract with each other for an additional 6, 9, or 12 months, everybody gets a bonus. The […]

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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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What do you look for in an Au Pair applicant’s video?

by cv harquail August 1, 2012
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Technology changes everything. Or not. When au pair applicants started doing their own YouTube application videos, and when au pair agencies started to host au pair applicants’ videos as part of their portfolios, it looked like host families would get a great additional tool for evaluating whether or not an applicant fit what they were looking for. […]

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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
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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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Au Pair Extension Fees: Why so high?

by cv harquail December 15, 2011
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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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