Au Pair in America

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Community Counselor Job Profile

Thank you for your interest in joining America's premier au pair network!

The community counselor (CC) interviews potential host families to evaluate their appropriateness for the Au Pair in America program.

The community counselor also matches host families with au pairs, has responsibility for a cluster and generally facilitates the host family/au pair relationship. The community counselor is also responsible for ensuring adherence to program regulations established by the State Department.

The community counselor reports to an assigned regional program manager. Regional representatives assist in training new counselors and work with them to market the program and provide support in customer service issues. An annual conference and regional meeting provide an opportunity to network nationally and internationally.

Specific responsibilities include:

Recruiting potential host families
Interviewing prospective host families when applications are forwarded by the main office
Conducting an orientation of all new host families, in person, before the arrival of the au pair (and for repeat host families as deemed necessary)
Organizing au pair travel arrangements from the Stamford, Connecticut, orientation to the host community in conjunction with the host family, sending travel information to the Connecticut office and ensuring that each au pair is met by the host family upon arrival
Contacting the au pair within 48 hours of arrival
Meeting with each au pair and host family in person within two weeks of arrival
Supplementing the orientation program if an au pair missed any portion of the formal orientation program in Connecticut
Submitting the following reports:
1. (1) a formal two-week evaluation for all new placements as well as for rematches,
2. (2) host family interview results,
3. (3) two-week summaries,
4. (4) quarterly reports and placement change reports,
5. (5) record of educational courses completed by each au pair
Attending an informal visit once during the third month (more frequently if called for)
Maintaining a record of all personal monthly contacts with au pairs and host families
Organizing monthly meetings for au pairs in the cluster
Planning and attending annual cultural events with the au pairs in the cluster (to ensure that all au pairs are given the opportunity to participate, more than one cultural event may have to be planned to encompass arrivals and departures)
Coordinating and hosting an annual host family day
Establishing, fostering and maintaining rapport with each au pair and host family
Assessing problems impartially before they develop into crises and mediating, when necessary, to resolve a situation, informing the regional program manager of critical situations
Ensuring that each au pair gains a working knowledge of the community and completes the educational requirements
Offering interim room and board to an au pair in case of emergency