Movin’ On Up!

From time to time you may have a host family in your group who informs you that they might be moving at some point in the future.  Other families may know exactly where and when they may be moving to a new location.  Whether it’s around the corner or across the country, it’s so important that you let them know that you’ll need to check with your Program Director to make sure that we will be able to continue to service them in their new location.  Therefore, getting the exact address and zip code of the town they are moving to is very important.  

Due to State Department regulations, a Local Childcare Coordinator must live within one hour’s driving time of the host family’s location so it is essential that confirmation of the proper LCC coverage is confirmed.  While host families may move from time to time, LCCs may also do the same so just because an LCC may be in their area today does not guarantee that by the time the family moves that there will still be coverage.  Therefore, we cannot confirm with 100% certainty until close to their move date and after your Program Director has had the opportunity to confirm immediate and long-term LCC coverage with the corresponding Program Director for the new area. 

While moving to a new location may prove to be a great opportunity for the host family and au pair, as the program sponsor, we need to make sure that we always keep the regulations in mind and check it out before they move on up!

Happy LCC Appreciation Week

This week’s Nat Chat is dedicated to the amazing Local Childcare Coordinators at Cultural Care Au Pair.  If you want to know how much they mean to their families and au pairs, just take a look at the unbelievable outpouring of support and love they’ve expressed on our community site.  We are so proud of the work that they do each and every day and we are honored to have them represent our organization across the country.  Thank you LCCs and Happy LCC Appreciation Week!

A “Grace”ful Extension

The kind of visa that an au pair travels on is called a J-1 and allows them to participate in the program for 12 months.  If they have successfully completed their program year, they are also provided with a 30 day grace period in order to travel and they are not allowed to work during this time. This grace period is meant to serve as an opportunity for them to be able to travel and see parts of the country that they may not have been able to during their program year. 

One frequently asked question I receive is how that 30 day grace period works if an au pair chooses to extend their program term for 6, 9, or 12 additional months. The answer is that the grace period simply shifts to the end of that extension term. It cannot be used in between the first year and the extension term, it can only be used at the end before their departure to their home country. This means that what is often referred to as their “13^th month” simply shifts to become their 19^th month, 22^nd month or 25^th month depending on the length of their extension term. 

Fun With Food

Food and cooking can be the greatest connectors between people and cultures.  Preparing and sharing a meal is a wonderful way to make someone feel welcome, express appreciation, and to share joy. Encourage the au pairs in your group to engage with their host children in preparing something special for their family. It’s a great way to spend time together doing something hands on and a wonderful gift to give to Mom and Dad after a long day at work. Looking for fun and simple recipes to make with kids? Check out helpful resources such as the websites listed below and Bon Appetit!

http://www.easy-kids-recipes.com/

http://www.childrensrecipes.com/

Thinking of You!

As the summer months continue, so does participation in sleep away camps for many host children across the country. In many families, one or more of the children may be gone for a period of time during the summer. One great way for the au pair to make sure they stay connected during this time away is to add something from them to the family care package or to send a postcard from the child’s home town. It’s great for the child to know that they are being thought of by their au pair and it can also help when they return home as they readjust. It’s a small gesture and a nice way to stay connected.

Let’s Make A Deal

With a limited budget, au pairs are always looking for great activities at a bargain.  Did you know that there are a number of fantastic websites out there that can make finding those bargains a little bit easier?  For major discounts on museum admission, retail stores, outdoor adventures, spa treatments and more, encourage your au pairs to check out resources such as:

Group On:  www.groupon.com  
Living Social:  www.livingsocial.com
Ever Save:  www.eversave.com

You can choose to check these kinds of sites randomly or sign up for a daily deal alert.  They have offers in cities across the country and you can save between 50% and 90% on some amazing things.  A great way to keep your group informed is to sign up as an LCC and email out to your region when you see something of interest that pops up.  Some of these sites require a minimum number of people to sign up before the deal is valid and others have no minimum so it’s important to check the fine print.  The basic concept of these sites is to offer great stuff for a great price.  That may be music to the ears of your au pairs so be sure to pass this information along and help them make a great deal!

Paper or Plastic?

Have you ever had a family claim that their au pair is eating an excessive amount or requesting expensive items for the grocery list each week?  Host families must provide room and board for their au pair and make them feel as comfortable as possible, but sometimes a particular food or shampoo or other item may be consumed or used at a much more rapid rate than the host family anticipated and it could be putting some stress on the family budget.  During these economic times, families are more likely to watch the household spending more closely and it may become necessary for a conversation to take place to discuss these issues.  When things like this go unaddressed, tension and resentment can mount in the household and this can be disastrous for an otherwise solid relationship.  As situations like this can be a bit uncomfortable, here are some things to keep in mind if this issue should emerge in your area and ways you can help to address them in a productive manner:   

• This issue, as most do, comes down to communication and a willingness to address the “uncomfortable” stuff before it feels like it’s gone beyond the point of no return.  Encourage the family to address the issue directly, but in a nonjudgmental way so that the au pair has the opportunity to understand the situation rather than becoming defensive.  This is as much of the cultural exchange experience as learning a new language because it’s about showing an au pair what life is like in the host family home and there may be limits to what a family is able to afford.  This is an important part of being part of this family for a year.
• The au pair may simply not know what the cost of certain items are because she is either not reading the prices or just consumes the things already in the kitchen and simply does not know that it’s problematic because no one has mentioned anything so far.  If no one has mentioned what things are “big ticket items”, how could the au pair know when she is used to entirely different products and a different currency?
• Given a new member of the household has just moved in, the family may need to simply realize that consumption has increased and it may not be that the au pair is excessive, but they’re just not used to another adult mouth to feed.  It’s one thing when you have a new child as they don’t eat THAT much so as to make it very noticeable but when you add in a full grown adult, there may be an unexpected volume of food consumption that they’re simply not used to yet.
• Perhaps buying in bulk for some items will make sense and this may be a worthwhile suggestion to pass along, especially for staples like toilet paper, shampoo, eggs, bread, milk, and juice.
• It’s okay to have some reasonable rules around the more costly items in so long as it doesn’t become a highly restrictive situation because that can simply lead to more issues
• Encourage the au pair to help find coupons for some of her favorite, albeit more costly, items.  Making her a part of the process is a great way to illustrate how important the issue is and that she is invited to be a part of finding some possible solutions.
• On a much more serious note, there may be a bigger problem happening in terms of some potential emotional eating on the part of the au pair which should be looked into especially if there are other behaviors being exhibited (withdrawn, depressed, etc.).  Our Program Counselors should be consulted right away in these cases so if this is of even the slightest concern on the part of your host families, speak to your Program Director immediately to arrange an immediate assessment. 

Choosing to be a part of a cultural exchange program brings with it a number of responsibilities and tackling these kinds of issues is certainly one of them.  With a bit of support and guidance from their LCC, families and au pairs can better understand each others perspective and this issue will soon seem like a distant memory.    

A Summer To Remember

Now that the summer has arrived, it’s an exciting time for au pairs and their host children to plan some of their summer adventures together. Will they go to the zoo? Will they go to the beach and build a sand castle? Will they take nature walks? Will they ride bikes? Read books? Learn a new skill? Make a new friend? No matter what they have in store, encourage the au pairs in your area to talk about their excitement for the summer with the host children and have them make some plans together. Encourage them to take pictures throughout the summer and put together a photo album together at the end of the season that they can all look back at and see how they made the most of their summer together. Imagine how wonderful the host parents will feel when they can see how much fun their children and au pair have together and what an important part of their lives their au pair is. If your au pairs are looking for fun ideas for the summer, great suggestions are only a click away, check out these sites for inspiration:

http://www.activitiesforkids.com/summer/calendar.htm - check out their month by month suggestions for a new adventure each and every day!!!

http://www.creativekidsathome.com/summerkidsactivities2.html - terrific ideas to get them away from the tv and into the fun!

http://www.familiesonlinemagazine.com/teens/ - this site include 50 ideas for teens!

School’s Out For Summer!

As the kids celebrate the end of the school year, host families and au pairs switch into their summer schedule which may include a number of important changes. Having a successful summer starts with clear communication about schedule and rule changes as well as making expectations very clear. Encourage your families and au pairs to have a “summer summit” where they discuss how things will be different for the next few months. Some of the things which may be helpful to review in preparation for the summer months can be the following:

• Activity schedules for the kids
• Bedtime for the kids
• Curfew for the au pair
• Start/end times for the au pair’s work day
• Rules regarding play time and friends for the kids
• Summer reading list/homework for the kids
• Vacation schedule and expectations
• Review of pool/lake/ocean rules and safety expectations

Summertime can often be the best time for families and au pairs and a little preparation will go a long way to helping it to be the very best it can be!

The World Cup - Kind of A Big Deal

I can’t say that I’m the biggest sports enthusiast that you will ever meet, but I have to acknowledge that the rest of the world is pretty interested in a little something called The World Cup which starts on June 11^th in South Africa. Taking place every four years, this football (or what we call soccer) tournament has more viewers than the Olympics or the Super Bowl. The final match of the 2006 World Cup was seen by more than 715 million people worldwide!!!  With 32 competing teams from nations around the world, this is certainly an event that the au pairs in your area will be talking about. Brazil, Italy, and Germany lead the world in titles and so the spirit of competition is certainly strong as the tournament kicks off. Take advantage of the opportunity this tournament presents in your group by hosting a World Cup party for your next monthly meeting.  Do you have someone in your group who can teach a few soccer moves to everyone else? Invite them to be your World Cup Trainer at the meeting. Ask au pairs to share the cheer that they use in their country to encourage their team. Ask them to bring a dish representing their country so it can be a truly international event. Even if you’ve already planned your monthly meeting, you can still get a buzz going by posting information and fun updates on your website and you can also ask your host families if they are watching it with their au pair as you make your next monthly calls. Recognizing something that is as exciting and important as this to so many of the au pairs in your area is a great way to continue to build your connection with them. While you may not have realized it (just like me), it turns out that the World Cup is kind of a big deal!

For more information on the World Cup, check out the official website:  http://www.fifa.com/index.html