4th graders raise $3,000 for Kids First!

I was lucky enough to visit the Alcott School in Cambridge, MA on their last day of school last Friday. Justine Hebert, a local childcare coordinator (LCC) for Cultural Care Au Pair (pictured on the far right), also teaches one of the fourth grade classes at the school. She regularly invites her students to help raise money for our organization’s philanthropic program, Kids First. This year, her kids organized a talent show, several bake sales and even contributed money from their personal allowances to contribute this whopping sum. They even presented us with a homemade check! Thank you Justine and students at the Alcott school. Our Kids First partners will certainly appreciate it.

As Seasons Change, So Do Expectations

As you know, host families and children are as busy as ever and the role an au pair plays in helping to keep everything together can change significantly depending on the time of year. During the school year, the au pair may be asked to work closely with the children on homework and school projects or may have increased driving responsibilities in helping to make sure the kids get to all of their after-school activities. As various sports seasons begin and end or scout meetings start up or wind down, these changes in the schedule and changes in season represent an important opportunity to encourage families and au pairs to communicate about any shift in expectations. Now that school has ended for most children across the country, what does the summer schedule look like for them? Are there things the host parents would like to see the children engage in during the summer months? Are there limits on video games? Is there a summer reading list they need to begin? Are there new chores the children will be responsible for? How is the schedule different? How will day camp impact the weekly au pair hours? A great way to avoid frustration about expectations not being met is to make sure that those expectations are clearly communicated beforehand, especially in light of a change in schedule or season. Encourage the families and au pairs in your region to make this a part of their weekly touch base conversation at the beginning of each season so that they can properly recognize that as seasons change, so do expectations.

Our "Au Pair of the Year" featured in the Richmond Times

Ricardo Silva de Araújo, who won the International Au Pair Association’s 2009 “Au Pair of the Year”, is currently being featured in the “Lifestyle” section of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Complete with a slide show and narrative from Ricardo, the article is a heartwarming account of how this au pair has positively impacted the lives of his host family, particularly that of teenage boy Taylor Boyer. Ricardo returned home to Brazil earlier this month but it is clear that neither he, nor the Boyer family, will soon forget what an incredible adventure they have shared together. You won’t want to miss this story or the movie Cultural Care Au Pair created about Ricardo earlier this year.

A Cultural Care Ice Cream Social raises almost $1,000 for Kids First!

Local Childcare Coordinators Carina Rush (NY), Ellen Sicinski (CT), Carrie Smuckler (CT) and friend Katherine Morehead (from left to right) smile about a successful Kids First event. Au pairs enjoy some tasty dessert. 

One hundred and thirty ice cream cones were served at a Cultural Care Au Pair Ice Cream Social last weekend, hosted by Local Childcare Coordinators in CT and NY. The social occurred next to a family outdoor concert in Ridgefield, CT so the refreshing snacks were appreciated by parents and children alike! In total, 45 Cultural Care au pairs helped staff the event and 24 host families attended. Altogether, $465 was raised for Cultural Care’s philanthropic program, Kids First. Because Cultural Care matches donations at 100%, almost $1,000 total will be donated to our three partners: Ubuhle Babantwana, an orphanage and daycare center in South Africa; Casa do Zezinho, an after-school program in Brazil; and St. Mary’s Academy, a school in New Orleans.

A True Gift

One of the best gifts we can receive is the gift of feedback. We can get so used to our routines and the ways that we’re “used” to doing things that we may miss an opportunity for improvement. As you know, Cultural Care launches an extensive customer satisfaction survey each Fall and Spring and this provides incredibly valuable feedback on our program and the level of customer service we are providing. However, soliciting feedback should not be restricted to just these two surveys. Be sure to ask your au pairs and host families during your monthly meetings and phone calls how they feel things are going in terms of the support they are receiving. How do they feel the monthly meetings are going? Are there additional topics they would like to see covered? Is there more information we can provide to them? Are there events they would like to see the organization offer locally? Are there “hot topics” that the au pairs are asking or talking about that should be addressed? Every time we speak with our families and au pairs, we have an opportunity to seek ways to improve the customer service we provide. Asking for feedback may provide you with a pleasant surprise when you hear the positive responses to things you’ve been doing and will also provide you with an opportunity to modify other approaches to better serve your region. Be sure to ask your group to provide you with feedback all year long, it’s truly the gift that keeps on giving!

A typical American host family

I enjoy my life as an au pair in my great host family! I’m watching three kids. First of all there is Olivia, she’s 5 years and the oldest. She is starting Kindergarten next year. Besides school she takes swim, karate and soccer classes. Olivia is very smart, fun and always up for drawing, doing arts and crafts or playing baseball and football.

Audrey is 3 years old and just finished her first year of pre-school. She’s a typical girl and doesn’t wear her princess crown less then 6 days a week…except when she wears her sparkly headband instead. So of course, Audrey is taking dance classes but also swim and soccer classes. Audrey loves having tea parties, playing with her groovy girls, dancing or making pictures with stickers.

Last but not least there is Henry. He was born the first day I arrived to my new home! He is 11 months old and the cutest baby around! He brings a lot of fun to the family! He loves taking tubs, so his favorite room has become…the bathroom! He always sneaks back in there and you’ll have to catch him before he plays in the toilet. He is getting so good at crawling and standing, and he’ll probably be walking soon. I can’t wait to hear him talking! It’s a lot of fun for me watching him growing up!

A Letter To Remember

Au pairs experience so much throughout the course of the year and change in many different ways. A neat way to mark those changes and acknowledge their achievements is to have au pairs who have just arrived take some time at your next meeting to write a letter to themselves. They should include first impressions at the school and with the host family, goals they have for the year, places they want to travel, friends they may have already made. It may be interesting to also include some things that they may be nervous about or initial experiences they may be intimidated by. Have them put their thoughts in a sealed envelope and mark the date of their arrival on the back. At their last meeting in your group return this letter to them.

This is a really personal way for them to see how much they’ve developed and how much their perspective has changed. If they are staying for a second year it can be an even more enlightening moment for them to receive this letter at the end of that second year. They will likely have forgotten that they wrote it but it will be one of their most treasured souvenirs of their experience in the United States.