Happy Holidays from Au Pair in America!

Au Pair in America wishes all of our program participants a very joyous and peaceful holiday season. We hope for a happy and healthy 2023 as we continue to bring the world together one host family and one au pair at a time.

Nominate Your Au Pair for Au Pair of the Year!

2022 has been a bright year for our Au Pair in America host families and au pairs. We’ve heard countless stories of cultural exchange, magical family moments, and au pairs who are lifesavers for their host parents. Have you found yourself thinking, “I don’t know how we would survive without our au pair”? The Au Pair in America Au Pair of the Year contest is for you!

The International Au Pair Association (IAPA) is continuing the long tradition of celebrating au pairs who made a difference in the lives of their host families and children. If you feel that your au pair is exceptional and has made a big impact on your family’s life, this is a great opportunity to express it.

For criteria, nominating process, and prize information, check out the official APIA AP of the Year site. Click here to meet the IAPA Au Pair of the Year Winners from 2022.

Making Memories

Creating special moments is what the holiday season is all about. All you need is a little creativity and an open mind! Here are some ideas for host families and au pairs to share in this time of giving. Try one of these fun memory-making activities:

• Create a holiday recipe and name it together as a family.  Frame a copy of the recipe and hang in the kitchen.
• Make home movie tickets with the children for a home movie night. Keep the tickets for the next movie night.
• Decorate a jar and fill it with folded notes of 12 favorite activity ideas of the kids. They can choose one each month of 2023.
• Watch a sunrise or sunset together and make a New Year’s wish for 2023, then share the pictures.

Create a memory you can share and remember forever.  Sometimes the simple things mean so much more!

Cultural Exchange, Holiday-Style

The holiday season brings with it some special opportunities to celebrate the cultural exchange between host families and au pairs. Here are some ways to share cultural traditions and have some fun at the same time:

• Cook together ~  Make a traditional dish from the au pair’s home country!
• Combine holiday traditions ~  Combining traditions and learning about different cultural traditions is a way to acknowledge the differences that bring us together. Enjoy a little bit of both! Both host families and au pairs pick one new thing to share with each other. The children will love it.
• Make time to talk ~ We often have down time over the holidays; take some time out and talk to each other over a hot chocolate.  Ask “how are you?”
• Skype with both families together to wish all a happy holiday or happy new year.  Maybe the children can sing a favorite holiday song!
• Keep it fun! ~  Encourage the children to take part in learning about other traditions through arts and crafts, learning songs, making gifts, or simply telling stories. This is what makes our program special, the true experience of cultural exchange!

12 Months of Regulations My Sponsor Gave to Me 🎵

As schedules sometimes change over the holiday season, it is important to remember that regulations must still be followed 12 months a year. Here are 12 important regulations to remember all year round:

• Au pairs may provide children care assistance no more than 10 hours in one day.
• Au pairs may provide child care assistance no more than 45 hours in one week.
• EduCare au pairs may provide child care assistance no more than 30 hours in one week.
• Au pairs must receive 3 full days of training in the home before being left alone with the children.
• Au pairs must be given one full weekend off each month.
• Au pairs must be given one and a half days off each week.
• Au pairs must be given two weeks of paid vacation during a one year placement.
• Au pairs must complete their education requirement.
• Au pairs must be provided transportation to attend their cluster meetings.
• Au pairs must not earn money outside of receiving their stipend.
• Au pairs must not do heavy housecleaning.
• Au pairs must not be left in charge of an infant under 3 months of age.

The full list of regulations can be found on the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations website; au pair regulations are cited at section 62.31.

Global Awareness – Bringing the World Together

Global Awareness brings expanded educational and cultural opportunities to the forefront for all Au Pair in America participants. With ongoing opportunities to  “meet our global neighbor” and build “cross-cultural bridges,” the aim is to encourage better understanding of other cultures, improve communication between cultures, and support the concept of mutual acceptance.

Take a look at some of our Global Awareness stories, events and competitions that help us bring the world together every day. You’ll see how we celebrated Pride Day, Juneteenth, and National Exchange Day earlier this year.

Visit the Global Awareness site

As always, we’re here to support you! Your Community Counselor is your first contact. At Au Pair in America, we take great pride in being able to provide 24-hour support to our program participants. If you cannot reach your Community Counselor and the office is closed, there is always a Regional Program Manager on call for urgent situations. To reach our after-hours emergency line, call 1-800-928-7247 and follow the prompts at the end of the message.