We bring you up-to-date news stories on the au pair industry that affect you, the consumer!   We publish consumer news that covers au pair agency press releases; costs increases & discounts; new agency program features; U.S. Department of State regulation changes; court cases & rulings program; and all news stories that highlight au pairs making the headlines.  

You heard it first, at AuPairClearinghouse, the Nation's only Consumer Information website that reports daily on the Au Pair industry!

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Mamapedia Voices Mamapedia City Voices highlights the inside scoop on your city by selected writers, from up-and-coming mom bloggers to well-known mom experts.

Photo by: Staff

December 21, 2010

by Hartley Steiner of "Hartley's Life With 3 Boys"

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Midhusdonnews.com

December 10 2010

AUSTERLITZ – The 20-year-old woman killed Sunday when her car skidded on icy Route 22 in the Town of Austerlitz has been identified as an au-pair who was a citizen of Germany.

Katharina Wagner was living with a Westchester County family where she worked, State Police at Livingston said. She was also a student at Westchester County Community College.

Her family was notified through the assistance of the German Consulate in New York City and the Cultural Care of America Au-Pair Service.

Wagner was driving in slushy and icy road conditions when police believe she lost control of her vehicle and slid across lanes. She collided with a vehicle coming the other way. That driver sustained injuries.

December 8, 2010

10,000 Cheers and Thank Yous from CHOSA

by Kids First

We received the following note from Ann Eveleth of CHOSA last week when they received our Kids First donation of $10,000.

YAY!!!!! 10,000 CHEERS & THANK-YOU’S FROM CHOSA!

All of the staff and volunteers that have worked so hard to enable Kids First to make this wonderfully generous donation to CHOSA should know that your efforts will go such a long way towards… supporting community-based children’s projects to provide the kind of care, love and hope today’s children need to grow up and build a better future for all South Africans.

Kid’s First ROCKS! Enkosi, and Happy Holidays!

Cultural Care's Kids First Charity Program assists underpriveleged children worldwide -  read an excerpt from Edina's interview with Ms. Natalie Jordan, Senior VP, who talks about Kids First.

News Online - NBC-2.com Nov 29, 2010 4:59 PM EST

 By Andy Pierotti -

Online Resources for Au Pairs and Host Families

Annika Ritter, an au pair from Germany, recently visited Earthplace in Westport to teach 4-year-old children about her native country. Photo: Contributed Photo / Westport News 

Youngsters at Earthplace, the environmental museum in Westport, recently got a lesson in German culture from a woman working here as an au pair.

New by Michele MacFarlane: The Au Pair: A True Story

by Thando on Oct 28th, 2010 , ,,,,,,

www.Jacanabook.co.za

Falling madly in love, even when you know that by loving you risk all you have… it could happen to anyone. The Au Pair bravely goes where no other book has gone, and tells the story which so many women have experienced, with complete honesty. There is no other lesbian account that addresses the issues faced in the book as directly, and as openly. Furthermore, it is a tale that everyone who has encountered similar circumstances will be able to identify with, and benefit from.

Read the entire story

by Jazzmyne Morrison

www.thesetonian.com - October 21 2010

Becoming an international student is a difficult decision for students.  For Marjore Bragion, a junior from Brazil, the decision to become an international student at Seton Hall seemed easy enough: she sat down, thought about what she wanted to do with her life and went online.

Bragion was an au pair in the United States for a year before starting college. "I decided to extend to my visa and go to college here in America," she said.  "I always wanted to go to college here and that's how I found Seton Hall University."

Read entire news story

by goAUPAIR

October 25 2010

As one of the fastest growing Au Pair agencies in the United States, goAUPAIR has been going through constant additions to our variety of Au Pairs. We have been recruiting Au Pairs from all over the world and expanding our connections with many other countries. This month goAUPAIR has opened its doors to Paraguay and started recruiting Au Pairs from Global Education, the leading Au Pair agency in Paraguay.

All Paraguayan Au Pairs are personally interviewed, go through a psychometric test, oral English evaluation, and have all child care references checked. “Our Au Pairs are well prepared to go through the experience.  We provide them with an intercultural orientation prior departure. They all go with true motivation and true expectations regarding the program.” Isabel Olmedo, Global Education CEO.

To read the rest of this blog post, visit Paraguayan Au Pairs from goAUPAIR. 
 

October 20, 2010

Baltimoresun.com

Daycare can be a breeding ground for viruses.

For most kids this might mean they get sick and spend a couple of days at home.

For babies with a chronic lung condition caused by premature birth, it can put them at risk for serious respiratory infections, according to researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

"Daycare can be a breeding ground for viruses and puts these already vulnerable children at risk for prolonged illness and serious complications from infections that are typically mild and short-lived in children with healthy lungs," said lead investigator Sharon McGrath-Morrow.

Read entire news story

Most of them happen in unregistered nurseries.

NST Mon, Oct 18, 2010 New Straits Times - asiaone.com.sg

PARENTS turn to nurseries to look after their children while they are at work. Such centres are a necessity and parents often choose to live near their babysitters. But how safe are nurseries, babysitters and daycare centres? In recent years, the number of accidents and child abuse at such places has increased.

What is alarming is that parents are ignoring the warning signs that can result in their children getting hurt or, in some cases, end up dead.

Read entire news story

GlobalTimes.cn, Metro Bejiing

October 11 2010

After three years of trial runs, one au pair agency is now positioned to offer Beijing families the services of about 800 male and female au pairs, aged 19 to 28, from countries around the world.

The lure of experiencing local culture firsthand and learning the language has attracted an increasing number of au pairs to China. "I think in total we'll make arrangements for around 2,000 families next year in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou," said Yang Zheng, the general manager of the HHS International Cultural Exchange Center.

Around 600 families in Beijing have applied for this service to date, and according to the center, about 50 au pairs came to Beijing this year

Read entire news story

bayofplentytimes.co.nz

With daycare costs set to soar, middle-income families are being urged to consider an alternative option for childcare - a foreign au pair.

Read entire news story

Read entire news story

Paul Lampathakis From: The Sunday Times, Perthnow.com Australia

September 25, 2010 7:00PM

THE rape of a German teenage au pair at knife-point in Mosman Park has prompted police to warn foreign au pairs against posting Facebook messages revealing they are home alone.

Police told a meeting of au pairs on Wednesday that posting messages such as "I am alone at home", especially on unrestricted Facebook pages, left them vulnerable to predators.

Read the entire news story

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

asianpacificpost.com

Since Jason Kenney, Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Multiculturalism implemented changes to the Live-In Caregiver Program in April 2010; Canadian families have dramatically changed their approach to recruiting an overseas nanny or caregiver. 

A few short months ago, the vast majority of nannies recruited from overseas came from Asian countries. However, the current trend is towards hiring a highly skilled and trained caregiver who speaks English as well as a second language such as Spanish or French. 

Families who are prepared to pay the much higher fees that the changes require of them tend to have much higher expectations of the caregiver being hired.

Read the entire news story

 TIAPE is a Member of IAPA

lajollalight.com

La Jolla, California area resident Ferda Haroon has joined The International Au Pair Exchange (TIAPE) team as a local exchange coordinator.

Recently designated by the U.S. Department of State to administer an au pair program, TIAPE places carefully screened au pairs between the ages of 18 and 26 from foreign countries with qualified host families in California, Oregon and Washington. Au pairs from the U.S. can also be placed with host families abroad. The local coordinators provide continuous support to both au pairs and host families in their areas and help them maximize their program experience.

Read more about the newest au pair agency, The International Au Pair Exchange

by goAUPAIR

Au Pairs from China are quickly becoming some of our most popular Au Pairs. As the third largest country in the world, China provides dependable and hard working Au Pairs, who are able to make a smooth transition to life in the United States.

Most Chinese Au Pairs from goAUPAIR have worked or volunteered as tutors for younger children, so they are well prepared for their Au Pair experience. Education is very important in Chinese culture; therefore, it is common for older classmates and friends to help teach the younger generation. The Chinese government is also taking new steps to increase opportunities for higher education. In fact, all of our Au Pairs from China who are currently placed in the U.S. were either enrolled in college or already held a degree prior to their arrival. The education component of the Au Pair program is often appealing to Chinese Au Pairs and reassuring for Host Parents to know their Au Pair is eager to learn and grow.

Read the entire news story

Posted on 22. Sep, 2010

by Isaac Bonnell in Tips - BBJToday.com

The International Au Pair Exchange (TIAPE), an organization that helps place au pairs with host families in other countries, recently opened at 119 N. Commercial St. Suite 820. TIAPE recruits young people age 18 to 26 to travel abroad and stay with qualified host families in exchange for providing childcare.

Read the entire news story

Stuff.co.nz - September 20 2010

by Lisa Pryor Sydney Morning Herald

Life was supposed to be better for mothers, and fairer, when they struck some enlightened deal with their boss to work part-time, spending the rest of the week mopping the sticky spots off the floorboards and dragging toddlers through the supermarket.

Well it seems that part-time work for women, far from being the solution, may be part of the problem, making life busier and less equal.

This is the conclusion I have drawn from a study comparing the demands on families with young children, including the gender division of work and care, in five countries, namely the US, Australia, Italy, France and Denmark. Researchers Lyn Craig and Killian Mullan, of the social policy research centre at the University of NSW, said that in all the countries couples found themselves working harder once they had children.

Read entire news story

The Au Pair Enrichment Program is designed for au pairs seeking to develop and enhance their English language skills while living in the United States. Students engage in a variety of experiences and exercises in which they are given opportunities to learn through conversation, reading, and writing. Courses provide a fun yet educational way for au pairs to practice and improve their English speaking skills, grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension of the English language. Additional courses explore American customs, culture, history, and entertainment.

Read entire news story

by Rollercoaster.ie/Parenting Website

September, 2010

More than 70 per cent of Irish families believe having an au pair is a positive experience, according to the results of a survey which were released yesterday. Cheaper childcare is the most common reason (51 per cent) for taking an au pair, while for 18 per cent of parents, cover for irregular working hours is the main attraction. Half of those surveyed by the parenting website Rollercoaster.ie described the au pair’s relationship with their child as “excellent”, while another 32 per cent reported it to be “good”.

Read the entire news story

Au Pairs Reveal What They Really Think of Their Host Families

 by Edina Stone

September 13, 2010

Fifty au pairs from Slovakia were interviewed by Zuzana Burikova and Dr. Miller for their new book, Au Pair, an academic study of not only what it is like to be an au pair, but an examination of the entire cultural exchange process:  the decision to become an au pair, one's self-identity as an au pair, and its affects long after young woman's cultural year abroad.  Dr. Miller refers to his study as an ethnography, which is the methodology used by anthropologists to study people

Read the entire news story

Voxy.co.nz Monday, 13 September, 2010 

Looming price hikes in daycare have seen parents seeking out more affordable childcare options. With the cost of daycare expected to rise by as much as $40 per week, following the 2010 budget cuts in early childhood care, home based childcare is seen as an attractive option.

Read the entire news story

Independent.ie September 2010

CHARLENE'S STORY: 'I first set foot in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow, as an au pair three months ago. I have to admit that I was quite nervous at first about fitting in. I heard plenty of horror stories about the whole au pair situation going horribly wrong: from tyrannical hostesses who dump every job in the house on the au pair, to live-in grandfathers trying to get in your room at night.

Read the entire news story

RANDOLPH TWP. — Morris County families and Au Pairs from 20 countries will gather for “International Au Pair and Family Day” in Hedden Park on Saturday, Sept. 11.

Morris County families and au pairs from Brazil, Germany, South Africa, Sweden, Denmark and other countries around the world will gather for the first International Au Pair and Family Day, a local AuPairCare-sponsored event that features fun and interactive activities and games, food, and socializing to promote international childcare and the benefits of cultural exchange.

AuPairCare, a leading au pair agency providing live-in childcare services to American families, is proud to announce its first International AuPair and Family Day.

Read the entire news story

Teacher Meishan Spradlin usually begins her Mandarin Chinese class with a warm-up, with phrases such as "My name is" and "I am 13."

A chorus of students echo the words back, but from two different classrooms — the class seated before her and the eighth-graders on the television screen.

Spradlin, an instructor at World Language Academy in Flowery Branch, leads a class via teleconferencing Monday through Thursday at Davis Middle School.

"It’s saving us money and I think it will get more students interested in the future. That’s the goal," she said.

Hall County Schools expanded its Chinese program in August after the Confucius Institute at Kennesaw State University, in partnership with Bright From the Start, offered Chinese teachers to begin programs.

Read the entire news story

Cultural Care, September 1, 2010

EAST COBB - Julia Gottschalk, a 19-year-old Brazilian who has been in Cobb since March on a year-long au pair exchange program, was driving Greg and Kimberly Euston's three children to after-school activities in east Cobb on Aug. 18 when she was pulled over for allegedly running a red light. The end result, however, was more than a ticket. Gottschalk was arrested and spent seven hours in the county jail on charges that her international driver's license was invalid.

According to Georgia Department of Driver's Services' website, "Georgia recognizes valid driver licenses issued to and held by residents of other countries as long as the "Out Of Country" license is valid (not expired). Generally, you may drive in Georgia for up to one year on a valid foreign or International license. You do not need to apply for a Georgia license unless you become a resident of Georgia."

Read the entire news story

One of the main reasons au pairs sign up for the cultural exchange program is to improve their English skills. This is very important to the majority of au pairs. If you au pair's English skills are weak, you should send them to an English as a Second Language (ESL) class before you sign them up for a college course. Many times, the college or university will require this before they admit the au pair into a class. If you are lucky enough to live in the Boston area, you can send your au pair to a school that focuses on English lessons just for au pairs.  Costs are moderately priced for 80 hours of credit (enough to fulfill a year's educational requirements).

Classes are held through the week and on Saturdays - making it very convenient for host parents' busy schedules.  Make sure you check out our Fact Sheet -  see dates for the mandatory placement test.

By Lauren Mack, About.com Guide

While over 384 million people in China have access to the Internet, much of China's Internet is under censorship so only a portion of what the World Wide Web has to offer is available to online users.

Why? Because China's government uses what's been dubbed China's Great Firewall to censor the Internet. Censoring the Internet means information is examined in order to delete what is considered objectionable.

How China Censors the Internet: Instead of banning certain websites, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) uses filtering software that detects sensitive words in data moving through a network. When a user logs on and tries to search for banned words like 'Tiananmen Incident,'1 the filtering software detects the banned word and sends reset commands to break the connection so the user can't access information related to the 'Tiananmen Incident.'

Read the entire news story

westseattleherald.com, July 2010

Life with the Grotelueschen family never stops moving. Keeping up with two young children, 5-year-old Payton and 2-year-old Noah, is a full time job, not to mention Topher, the family’s energetic black lab.

Add getting to pre-school on time, keeping up with careers and the occasional needed date night with just the parents and accessible child care becomes a pressing issue for many families.

In 2009, the median rate for child care centers in King County totaled $1,235 a month, according to the Washington State Child Care Resource and Referral Network.

In the northwest, au pairs are catching on as an alternate form of child care, often more affordable and convenient than the high rates and hassle of day care centers or even local nannies.

Read the entire news story

PRWeb.com Press Release

(Vocus) July 15, 2010

As children go back to school this fall, one of the most important tools for success is not a good breakfast or new school supplies – but high-quality child care, such as the live-in child care (aupaircare.com) offered by AuPairCare international au pairs (aupaircare.com). As reported by a national research study published in Child Development magazine, good child care not only affects children during the preschool years, but could create a significant difference in academic development and performance during adolescence as well.

According to Child Development, children are better prepared for school when they are placed in high-quality child care – defined as routine child care provided by warm caregivers that are both sensitive to children's needs and offer cognitive stimulation of the children in their care. When tested during their adolescent years, children who had been in higher-quality child care scored higher on cognitive and academic achievement tests than peers who had been in lower-quality care.

Read the entire news story

Birminghammail.com

England Defeated by Germany - June 26 2010

FANS were praying for glory, but all they got was agony as England’s World Cup dreams were shattered.

Thousands of people poured into bars along Birmingham’s Broad Street for the crunch match against Germany and, like many, Walkabout, was forced to turn fans away as it reached its 1,198 capacity.

Inside, the vuvuzelas were blaring with pre-match excitement though this time, they didn’t manage to drown out the two-man trumpet and drum band on stage.

Read the entire article

by goAUPAIR 2010 21:00

goAUPAIR was pleased to attend and participant in the annual Work Experience Travel Market and IAPA Annual Conference in Miami, Florida last month. During the conference some the employees from goAUPAIR had the chance to meet with International Representatives and potential future representatives from various parts of the world. 

Read the entire article

by Bree Shrivel at rye.patch.com

A new bill that would provide strict guidelines for nannies and other domestic workers is being met with support and questions

They come into homes as strangers, and in the best scenarios become cherished employees or even part of the family. In the worst scenario, they work too many hours, are underpaid, and even abused. More than 200,000 domestic workers are employed in New York according to Domestic Workers United, and many of them work here in Rye as nannies caring for the children of busy professionals.

A bill recently passed in the state Senate could change the way they work. The bill would provide a Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights providing domestic workers with paid sick days, vacation days and holidays, overtime pay, and 14 days' notice or severance pay before termination.

In Rye, the bill is being well received. Sarah McNamara, Director of Matching and New Products at Au Pair Care, a national agency that matches au pairs with families, says the agency believes providing caregivers workplace protection makes sense and is an investment that will benefit parents and their children.

Read the rest of the article

Cultural Care has just launched a new and helpful resource for their host families and au pairs.  It’s a series of articles called “On Call, Words of Wisdom With Our Program Counselors. Cultural Care has two program counselors who are trained family and child therapists and parents with international experience and exposure.  The counselors, Lisa Bravo and Elisa Elkin-Cleary, share their professional training and expertise with the Cultural Care au pair community through a series of articles.

Read the rest of the article

State Senate Passes Domestic Worker Bill of Rights New York moved one step closer on Tuesday toward becoming the first state to create a bill of rights for domestic workers. With a vote of 33 to 28, the state Senate passed a bill granting an estimated 200,000 maids, nannies and other domestic workers the right to paid vacations, sick day, holidays and overtime. Nanny Law will not affect status of au pairs...

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goAUPAIR June 2010

Are there any stipulations in the contract about traveling with an Au Pair? Can we take our Au Pair with us on our trip? Can Au Pairs work while traveling with our family?

Because of the many questions goAUPAIR is asked about travel, we thought it would be beneficial to answer some of our most frequently asked questions about traveling with an Au Pair.

Read the rest of the article

Written by Chris Davis, Assistant Editor
Friday, 14 May 2010 07:00

Malin Johansson, 20, comes from the small Swedish town of Nassjo, halfway between Stockholm and Gothenburg. She calls herself a sporty girl who likes to travel. And yes, that’s Johansson, spelled just like the actress Scarlet. “Half the people in Sweden are named Johansson,” she said with a smile.

An only child, she discovered a knack for managing kids by taking care of neighbors’ kids. When she graduated from high school, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to study in college but she did know that she wanted to improve her English so she went online and began looking for study abroad opportunities. 

Read the entire article

South Africans are a welcoming people, known for their friendliness and hospitality. South Africans may come from many different cultures, but there is a sense of unity in the country defined by a common goal: to strive towards a better and brighter future. The 2010 FIFA World Cup is part of that bright future and has become the focus of the entire nation.

Potential Strengths of a South African Au Pair:

• Hard working and Eager to Please!

• Full of Life and Energy!

• Good drivers - the test for a driver's license in South Africa is tough to pass, so...

 Read the rest of the article

by Consumer Watchdog

She received an email from a journalist who asked for processing fees. This is simply not how au pairs are recruited, it never has been, it never will be.  Other than possible, very minor application fees, recruitment companies don’t charge the person they are recruiting, they charge the person or company who does the recruiting. If I’m trying to find an employee it’s me that pays the recruitment company, not the applicants. That’s just how it works.  Beware of Au Pair Scams! 

Read the entire article

According to Psychiatrist, Au Pairs Could

Turn Your Son Into A Womanizer

Do you have a young son whom you kissed goodbye this morning and left in the care of his nanny? Mmmm, well maybe that wasn’t such such a good idea, actually. At least not for the female who eventually marries him.

According to a new book An Unsolicited Gift by the psychiatrist Dr Dennis Friedman employing a nanny or au pair to look after your baby son could turn him into a womaniser.

What you have done, you see, while he is still gurgling in his Pampers, is unconsciously introduced him to the concept of the Other Woman — the idea that there can be one female to meet one set of needs and another to meet different ones.

Read the rest of article

Poll Results Are In

AuPairClearingHouse releases results of our poll, "Would You Hire a Male Au Pair?"  Results indicate that host families in America are intrigued with the idea of hiring a male au pair, despite negative press and media coverage of male au pairs abusing the children in their care. 

Read the entire report, Male Au Pair Poll.

Consumer Warning: if you are using a Safety 1st Vantage Child Seat, you need to watch this video made by Dad, Bryan Dussault of Chicago. Mr. Dussault documents the looseness of the straps on some samples of the Vantage child seat, and without touching the release for the harness. In a car accident, the child may fly through the straps - see the video here - it says it all!

Watch the YouTube Video

allows families to search, review and compare hundreds of well-qualified and prescreened available Au Pairs.

SALT LAKE CITY, MARCH 1, 2010 -- goAUPAIR is excited to announce its new Au Pair Preview. The Au Pair Preview allows families to search, review and compare hundreds of well-qualified and prescreened available Au Pairs without having to fill out any application. Unlike any other Au Pair search tool in the industry, the Au Pair Preview is available with no cost, no commitment and without having to take the time to apply. With other agencies and companies, families have been limited in their search for Au Pairs by a set number of candidates chosen for them by their Au Pair agency or even a computer. Now with the Au Pair Preview, they will be able to search with any combination of qualities they want with access to hundreds of pre-screened and travel ready Au Pairs. Families can now search Au Pairs on different criteria including nationality, language spoken and more. The new search function will empower parents and give them the option to hand-select the Au Pair that best meets the unique needs of their family at their own convenience.

Read the entire article

Saturday, February 6, 2010

By RONALD DEROSA LITCHFIELD —

A sexual assault suspect who has apparently skipped out on court and ignored his attorney may find himself back in police custody soon. Litchfield Superior Court Judge James P. Ginocchio ordered on Friday a re-arrest of Muhammed Atif Bhatti, a 38-year-old New Milford resident charged with sexually assaulting an au pair. Attorney James Diamond, Bhatti’s legal counsel, said he has been trying to get in touch with his client for the past two months but has had no success. Bhatti, who is facing charges of first- and third-degree sexual assault, has not returned numerous phone calls or e-mails to Diamond and the last time the two spoke was the week of Nov. 10, 2009, Diamond said on Friday. Bhatti has been at liberty since posting a $75,000 bond last year. New Milford police arrested him for allegedly duping his 20-year-old Slovakian au pair into taking off her clothes for an “inspection” before a family swim at a New Milford pool on Nov. 5, 2008. The au pair told police two weeks later Bhatti told her two tests were needed for herpes before they could return to the pool and forcefully administered the “tests” in her bedroom, using Vagisil and a Q-tip, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Originally, Bhatti planned on taking his case to trial, and proceedings were in line for that to commence in January.

Read the entire article here

AUPAIRCARE, THE LEADER IN LIVE-IN AU PAIR CHILDCARE,

PARTNERS WITH BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP

TO HELP LOCAL CHARITIES

By:stlapc@yahoo.com

Stltoday.com 01.26.2010 12:29 PM The #1 St. Louis Website

Ronald McDonald House in St. Louis to receive 15 teddy bears from AuPairCare’s Share-A-Bear party St. Louis, MO – February 21, 2010 – AuPairCare, aupaircare.com, a leading au pair placement agency, is teaming up with Build-A-Bear Workshop stores nationwide for their second annual Share-A-Bear campaign which invites au pairs to give back to their local communities by making a bear to be donated to a local children’s charity.

Read the entire article here