SCREENING & APPLICATION PROCESS
Screening is an important key to a successful placement & exchange experience.
Au Pair in America utilizes a multi-tiered screening process to ascertain an applicant’s appropriateness for the program.
All applicants who meet the program’s minimum requirements complete a four page application detailing occupational history, child care experience, educational achievements, interests, hobbies and other personal information. They write an essay describing life in their home country and reasons for wanting to become an au pair or companion in the United States. Each applicant is also required to submit photographs showing herself with the children in her care, her family and friends.
All Au Pair in America applicants will have successfully passed a background investigation, which includes verification of schooling, references, psychometric test and a criminal record check (where available within the scope of the laws of a given country).
PERSONAL INTERVIEW
Applicants are interviewed in person by a trained interviewer. Should you wish to contact the interviewer directly, the interviewer’s name is provided on the Interview Report.
We also monitor the interviewer’s performance and applicants complete evaluations about their interviewers.
During the interview, the interviewer assesses the candidate’s suitability, ability to speak English and educational level.
REFERENCES
Applicants provide at least three written references, one of which must be a child care reference. An academic reference is required for all EduCare applicants. Three references will be confirmed by telephone. References from relatives are not accepted as primary references.
CRIMINAL HISTORY AND BACKGROUND CHECK
Interviewers inquire as to whether the applicant has a criminal history and review the applicant’s Certificate of Good Conduct or police record clearance. It should also be noted that, before issuing the J-1 visa, United States embassies in the applicants’ home countries require them to answer questions about whether or not they have a prior criminal history.
MEDICAL REPORT
Applicants are required to submit a medical report completed in part by a physician. Each medical report is reviewed, and any areas of concern are investigated prior to their arrival in the United States.
PSYCHOMETRIC TEST
The final step in the interview process is a psychometric test administered by the interviewer. Au Pair in America utilizes the Sixteen Personality Factors (16PF) test. The 16PF test is a globally recognized, highly dependable and comprehensive measure of 16 personality traits that allow us to describe and predict a person’s behavior in a variety of contexts. In addition to the 16 Primary Factors, the questionnaire also measures five Global Factors.
With 60 years of research and application behind it, the 16PF has become internationally respected due to its global audience. The test is available in over 20 languages, each individually researched and validated. Although no test can accurately predict how a person will react in all situations, this test translates well across cultures. The results are considered in conjunction with other documentation about the candidate, allowing us to gain a more well-rounded picture of the candidate and how the applicant might fit into an American family.
