HOST FAMILY QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
FEATURED ARTICLES IN THIS EDITION:
Announcing the Au Pair of the Year Winner…
We are pleased to announce the Au Pair in America Au Pair of the Year Award Winners! This year, we received so many thoughtful host family nominations, each of them filled with heartwarming stories about their au pair. Choosing our winners was challenging, but we are thrilled to honor and acknowledge these inspiring young women.
Drumroll please…
Congratulations to Daiane Maia from Brazil – Our First Place Winner!
Click here to read about Daiane and our 2nd and 3rd place winners.
The winners, their host families, and counselors have all been notified. All nominees will be sent a special award certificate via mail. We will also be posting the winners on social media in the coming days. Thank you to the selection committee for their help with reviewing the submissions and with the difficult task of making the final selections.
Spring Is in the Air!
As we welcome the spring season, we also welcome the return to more normal program operations with in-person visits.
Over the past two years, the Department of State has recognized that in-person visits and contacts may not have been possible or prudent given the COVID pandemic and has made allowances for virtual options where in-person would have been the typical type of contact. The Department of State has indicated that at this time, they are expecting programs to begin reinstating an in-person approach as much as possible.
The health, safety and well-being of our participants and community counselors are of utmost importance to us as we begin to adjust to what we hope is a post-pandemic world. We have created new hybrid meeting models allowing some meetings to be conducted partly in the virtual environment with an in-person component. We look forward to the spring season and building relationships that include a face-to-face greeting.
Free Au Pair Webinars
We offer a wide range of ongoing webinar training opportunities for au pairs during their time on the program. The webinars are hosted by our au pair orientation trainers and are designed to help au pairs manage life in the U.S. They include topics such as child care, safety, resume building and homesickness.
We hope these webinars enhance the program experience for au pairs and also benefit host families. Although the webinars are for au pairs only, we hope that attendance results in some meaningful conversations between host parents and au pairs.
“I attended your webinar yesterday and loved it! The activities were really really great and I actually did the reindeer-sleigh-fingerprint one with my host kids today. The kids loved it and the host mum said it was one of the best crafts she’d ever seen and she’s a preschool teacher.” ~ Au pair webinar attendee
Au Pairs can view the selection of upcoming webinars being offered and register at any time. Upcoming sessions include:
- No Time for Boredom: Activities to do with Preschoolers
- Talk with a Trainer
- Help, My Kids Are Fighting Again!
- Sleep: How to Get a Better Night’s Sleep
- Talk Talk Talk: Activities to Develop Speech and Language in Young Children
- Homesickness and Culture Shock
Visit our Au Pair Webinar page
Regulation Reminder: The Importance of a Schedule
The government has issued regulations that establish the framework for recruitment, placement and monitoring of au pair and host family relationships. The au pair child care assistance schedule is an important part of the program experience for both host families and au pairs. Host families need child care and assistance with child care-related tasks, while au pairs need time to take classes, travel and experience American culture.
We recommend thatt host parents provide a child care assistance schedule at least a week in advance. We also suggest a weekly meeting between the host parents and au pair to discuss the schedule, any changes or special events and any requests for a change. Knowing the schedule ahead of time helps everyone in the family plan ahead and stay organized.
If you have questions about the schedule or how to plan the schedule, please contact your community counselor. For more details about the specifics of the regulations, the Code of Federal Regulations can be found online; au pair regulations are sited at section 62.31.
AIFS Statement on the Conflict in Ukraine
Au Pair in America’s parent company, the American Institute For Foreign Study, has recently released a statement regarding the conflict in Ukraine.
At AIFS, our mission is to bring the world together. We are deeply saddened by the events unfolding in Ukraine. These acts of force and violence are in stark contrast to all we stand for and believe in. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this conflict, especially the millions of innocent people living in the region who deserve a peaceful future.
Check Out Kid Notes, the Au Pair in America Host Family Blog!
Kid Notes, the Au Pair in America blog, is a forum for our host families, as well as au pairs, counselors and staff, to share information about au pair child care and cultural exchange. We hope you’ll enjoy reading unique and inspiring stories related to child care, au pairs, parenting, the benefits of intercultural education and much, much more!
This blog is also a resource for anyone to learn more about au pair exchange, including what it’s like to host an au pair and what it’s like to visit the United States as an au pair living with an American family.
Refer a Family to Au Pair in America
We enjoy rewarding our host families for their loyalty to Au Pair in America. Receive $250 off your next Au Pair in America contract for each new family you refer!
We currently have a diverse selection of qualified young women from all over the world waiting to be placed with American families. Invite your family and friends to join Au Pair in America and save with us!
Or contact us at:
Phone: 800.928.7247
Email: info@aupairinamerica.com
Did you know?
An overwhelming 94% of host families recommend the program to family and friends!
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.
