LCC

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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Things Your LCC Wish Host Families Knew (guest post)

by Julie Dye June 23, 2015
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Many thanks to Julie Dye, an LCC with Cultural Care, for putting together this comprehensive overview from the Counselor’s point of view. We’re all in this together. When we understand the perspectives of folks who hold different roles in the AuPairing Community, we’re more able to learn from them and appreciate their wisdom. ~ cvh […]

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Fun Au Pair Activities for Monthly Cluster Meetings– ideas?

by cv harquail March 8, 2015
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Dear AuPairMom and Readers–   I enjoy reading the blog and learning from all your advice.  I wonder if we could crowd-source some ideas?   Our Au Pair Community Counselor is a lovely person, but sometimes she seems a little out of touch with what Au Pairs might think is fun or useful. Our Counselor […]

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Should you get involved in another Host Parent’s Au Pair issue?

by cv harquail September 24, 2010
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I promised you that there was a part 2 to the story of the au pair and host parents who were struggling with responsibility for damage to a car. That issue was shared with us by a host mom with a personal connection to the au pair. In addition to hoping for some ideas on […]

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When you initiate rematch, can you ask your Au Pair to leave immediately?

by cv harquail July 22, 2010
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When you initiate rematch, can you ask your Au Pair to leave immediately? When this question popped up over the weekend, I shuddered. It brought me back instantly to our flame-out au pair, the one who announced on the last day of school that she wanted a rematch because she didn’t want to work weekends […]

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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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3 Qualities of a Great Local Community Counselor

by cv harquail February 24, 2010
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We’ve got quite a backlog of posts waiting to go up about LCCs (Local Community Counselor)  — those agency employees who are in charge of your local cluster of au pairs and host families. If you use an agency, your LCC can make or break your au pair experience. She is the link between the […]

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Learning about the “Education Requirement”

by cv harquail June 1, 2009
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The education requirement for au pairs on one of those features of the program that can be misleading, both for families and for au pairs themselves. My sense is that the US, the agencies and the LCCs all know that meeting the requirements with ‘only’ $500 tuition credit is almost impossible. And, they rely on […]

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