Complaints about Expert Au Pair
I am from China who have been an au pair in America for 3 months. During my time period in U.S.A, Expert Au Pair Agency gave me a horriable experience while besides that I have good memory with this country. In the end, the host family while we have conflit concern my safety and paid half of my ticket back to my country. Mark Gaulter just made a phone call after the host family terminated the contract and told me they wouldnot give me any placement, no any refund of my deposit and laughed to say that I have to leave the country in 15 days. They donot need any investigation as the host family lives in a supper rich area in Florida .
I cried heavily and desperately after that . After I informed that to host family and agency . Mark Gaulter replyed me personally that I run off the duty just want to attend a party and I am foolish to expect the agency to give me another placement. That is all.
During the au pair life in that rich area, I feel I was in a lower class while no one is sincere with me and was commented as foolish before I was back to my country.
I took my personal stuff with the help of warm people,appreciate the nice people offer me free accomadation and food in the last 2 weeks in U.S.A while I gave some tips back to them ; offer me transportation to get my personal stuff, back mobil phone and go to the airport; book the ticket with the help with host family and finally leave the country while the agency just disappear.
I have reported this to the U.S. government and do not know if I could charge the racial discrimination. It is very horriable as the agency is a window of many young people who want to see and know America while exhausted and hurt in the end.
Expert Au Pair Program
Dear "Ex-Au Pair" from China,
We are very sorry to hear you had a bad experience with Expert Au Pair agency. Matches fail due to various reasons, such as personality conflicts, and are not uncommon - they happen every day.
Sometimes host families have unrealistic expectations of what an au pair's job is and what they can and cannot do. And, yes, sometimes au pairs have unrealistic expectations of what the cultural exchange program is really all about. Many au pairs are given the wrong impression, often by the agencies themselves, that their year abroad will consist of exciting travel, interesting college courses and meeting lots of new friends, with a little "babysitting" on the side. This is unfortunate for au pairs, many who are young, naive woman who sign up eagerly for a year of adventure and fun!
Read our article on Expectations and Au Pairs and how agencies often add to their own problems by not explaining the program in realistic terms to their prospective customers - both au pairs and host families!
As for your particular situation, it is difficult to comment fully since we are only hearing one side of your rematch problems. In addition, you are rather vague about what happened exactly, but it sounds like you may have indulged a bit too much "partying" and the host family fired you?
Most host families do not like knowing the person they hired to look after their children is partying all the time, even though it is your time off. Why? Well, it says something about your personality - that you are not mature enough or that you might might engage in risky behavior that could lead to unpleasant problems.
In addition, au pairs who party a lot are tired, sleep deprived and often irritable when they report to work the next day. I don't know if this was your issue with the host family, but you do refer to a conversation you had with Mr. Gaulter, CEO, of Expert Au Pair agency.
I know Mr. Gaulter and I have always found him to be professional and honest in my dealings with him. If he thought the best decision was for you to return home, I assume that it was based on a careful and thorough assessment of all the events that lead up to your situation, and not based on racial discrimination!
I do appreciate your sending in your complaint with the Clearinghouse - if you would like to share more of your situation and what happened that lead to your being fired and sent home, please send me an email at edinastone@aupairclearinghouse and we can discuss it together.
Best,
Edina
Cultural Clash!
Hi Edina, good commentary here for this unhappy au pair and any host family reading this! They should keep in mind that many cultures are now just jumping on board the au pair programs and their cultures are very very different, like the Asian countries. Most yooung people from Asia have a very difficult time confronting their host families about incidents that are making them unhappy. They consider the host parents on the same footing as their own parents and you do not talk back or question your parents in Thailand, China and Japan!
So, this au pair just got mad and then, in reaction to this anger, she lashed out by leaving the family and not telling them where she was going until later and sending them a text she was off to a party (and instead of coming home to work with the child). This is why she got fired and was sent home. She made a very bad judgment call here and got burned.
It is a learning experience and all young people go through many of them until they mature and "know better!"