Bringing the Balance Back into Your Family’s Life
As a mother of two children, ages 3, and 13, I know how difficult it is to balance life, family and work. Since we are a family of 4, I need an extra set of hands to help give my children the care and attention they need. Finding the right childcare, however, is one of the most challenging decisions my husband and I face. We need a trustworthy caregiver that can offer the flexibility and affordability a busy family, such as mine, requires.
One flexible and affordable option available to busy parents like us is hosting a live-in au pair. Au pairs are adventurous, educated, young people from abroad who choose to leave their life at home for one year to share their love for children with an American host family. Au pairs are excited to become part of an American family and experience American culture by living in our communities, volunteering and taking classes at local colleges. We welcome the enthusiasm an au pair brings into our home.
An au pair is the perfect childcare solution for my family, since we love to travel and learn about other cultures. Like most families, we want to educate our children as early as possible about the world beyond their small grasp through travel and cultural exchange. “We welcomed an au pair from Germany this year— we are looking forward to learning about her German culture and traditions and I can’t wait for her to introduce my children to a new language, new foods and music!”- a host family in NV says.
With an au pair, a family is more easily able to balance a busy lifestyle. An au pair can help with child-related housekeeping duties, driving children to sports practice and after school activities, help with homework, and other childcare duties.
The U.S. Department of State regulates all au pair programs in the United States, offering host families the peace of mind that their children are in trusted, qualified care. Au pairs live and study in the United States for one year on a J-1 cultural exchange visa, in exchange for providing 45 hours of childcare per week. The U.S. Department of State requires that au pairs are between the ages of 18 and 26 years old and speak proficient English. Each au pair completes a comprehensive application, including childcare references, non-family personal references, an essay about why they want to join the program, a medical examination, a background and criminal check and an oral examination.
For a family with young children, hosting an international au pair at the cost of $280 a week is the most affordable childcare option available. And yet, hosting an au pair is the most rewarding childcare option for a busy family. Au pairs can create a very caring environment for your children and can enrich their playtime with international games, stories and activities, while also helping families better balance their daily lives and schedules. Au pairs not only provide the flexible and affordable childcare that families need, but he/she can also teach children that there is a larger world out there.
Chruszhet Ledesma is a local childcare coordinator for Cultural Care Au Pair in Henderson, NV. She loves connecting host families with au pairs from around the world, helping families find flexible and affordable childcare. Chruszhet welcomes your questions about the au pair program and can be reached at 702-300-7535 or chruszhetl@earthlink.net. For more information, please visit http://www.culturalcare.com