Education & Accreditation

As you know, an important part of the au pair program is the completion of the educational component.  Not only is this a requirement of the program, but it is also a fantastic opportunity to expose au pairs to Colleges & Universities across the U.S. as well as fellow students with whom they can develop friendships and further their cultural exchange experience during their year.  As LCCs, you are often asked for advice and guidance regarding where au pairs are able to fulfill their educational requirement.  As a resource for your region, it is essential that you familiarize yourself with the options available in your community.  One important factor to always keep in mind is to make sure that the schools you suggest are accredited postsecondary institutions.  While there are all kinds of classes offered in every community in many different kinds of schools and education centers, only classes offered by accredited postsecondary institutions such as colleges, universities, and community colleges are acceptable for fulfillment of the au pair educational component.  Families and au pairs depend on the information you provide to them, so it’s important that you double check that the schools you suggest are compliant with the educational component regulation.  Please take a moment to double check whether the schools you have on your list are properly accredited and therefore appropriate for au pairs to sign up for classes at by checking on either one of the following sites:

•     The U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs:  http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx

•     The Council for Higher Education Accreditation:  http://www.chea.org/search/default.asp

For many au pairs, one year is simply not enough and thousands of au pairs have elected to participate in the extension program where they are able to stay for an additional 6, 9 or 12 months.  An au pair who has not taken their classes at an accredited post-secondary institution will not have successfully completed his/her year and will therefore be ineligible to participate in the extension program.  Remember, an au pair planning to extend must complete their educational requirement by the end of their 11^th month.  If you have any questions about schools in your region, be sure to speak with your Program Director right away so that we can make sure that families and au pairs receive the right information on both education and accreditation.