Many people think Au Pairs are only for the rich and famous. This misconception could not be farther from the truth. In reality, many parents choose Au Pairs because they are often times less expensive than day care, since there are no additional fees for multiple children.

The starting salary for a live-in Au Pair is defined by the US State Department. The average hourly cost of Au Pair child care is $7.58/hour. Although there are some set compensation values, application and managing fees vary from each agency. goAUPAIR is currently waving many of those fees to make the Au Pair program even more affordable for American families:

The first fee is the Host Family Application Fee. It covers the cost of the screening, background checks and matching processes as well as the in-home interview conducted by your Local Area Representative. goAUPAIR is currently not charging  families an application fee. In fact,  with goAUPAIR, families have access to the Au Pair Preview which allows families to search, review and compare hundreds of available Au Pairs. Unlike any other search tool in the industry, the Au Pair Preview is available at no cost. Plus, our Placement Coordinators are available to help families in their search for the perfect fit for their family.

Once families have matched with an Au Pair, they will pay an initial fee and thirty days prior to the Au Pair’s arrival, they will pay the remaining fees. goAUPAIR automatically divides the program fees into two affordable installments for our Host Families. Families may also take advantage of our Flexible Choice Program which offers flexible payment plan options.

Other fees are based on the Host family’s location, the domestic airfare surcharge accounts for the difference in arrival and departure airfare.  It is based on the Au Pair’s departure airport and Host Family preferred arrival airport.  goAUPAIR has recently reduced rates and even waived fees in some locations.

All Au Pairs are required to complete six semester credit hours at a university during their year. For most Au Pair programs, families contribute $500 for a tuition allowance. This amount is paid either to your Au Pair or directly to the school.

The average total cost of an Au Pair is only about $6,000 a year, which compared to the cost of nannies and day cares, makes it truly a very affordable option. You can expect to pay up to $20+/hr for a nanny depending on your location and standards of living. Nannies may also charge more depending on the ages and number of children. Costs for typical day care still range from about $100 to $400 a week for full-time care. Infant care, adds an additional $25 to $100 to that total besides additional expenses. In many areas of the U.S., day care can cost up to $10,000 a year per child and account for 10 to 25 percent of a household's budget. (http://hr.blr.com/)

Besides being a flexible and most importantly, an affordable option for child care, Au Pairs offer what other forms of child care can’t: cultural exchange. Children can learn a new language for free with native speakers, while broadening their perspectives and world knowledge; which in today’s world is considered to be priceless.

Unending torrential rains have left China devastated by severe flooding. Estimates show that more than 700 people have lost their lives and more than 300 are still missing.

Reports are showing that about ninety percent of the casualties were caused by mountain floods, mudslides and landslides triggered by heavy downpours. Around 645,500 houses have also collapsed.

There is also worry about the number of rivers running dangerously high. More than 230 rivers are above warning levels and 25 of them are at record highs. This is contributing to flooding in over 100 cities. Chinese government officials have also said that over 117 million people have been affected by the intense flooding. Estimated damage costs are reaching close to $21 billion dollars and the floodwaters are not close to stopping.

When a natural disaster like this occurs, it is much more impactful when you know someone who has been directly affected. Many of our Host Families have Au Pairs from China. As of right now, all our Chinese Au Pairs’ families and friends are safe in China. However, some Chinese Au Pairs said the affects have been far reaching.

“Just recently my friend who [studies] in Xi`an said that the railway in Xi`an was affected, some of the railway lines are destroyed so some students can not go home by train,” said Lily an Au Pair from China.

The flooding is also affecting our Chinese Au Pairs who are trying to get their embassy appointments. Meghan Ramirez, goAUPAIR’s International Representative Coordinator advised that the flooding “may be contributing to long embassy waiting times.”

We send our deepest condolences to the people in the flooding areas. We will keep you updated with any news we receive regarding embassy wait times and our Chinese Au Pairs.

The Dual Immersion Program in Utah has proved to be a great success. The program was first instituted at Granite School District in the summer and now the Utah State Office of Education expects that soon it could have up to 30,000 students enrolled in the program. 

The Dual Immersion Program gives kids, starting as early as 1st grade, 50 percent of their instruction in English and 50 percent in another language. Reading and Language arts classes are taught half of the day in English. While classes like math, science, or social studies are taught in their targeted language. Art, music, and P.E. can be taught in either language.

Educational representatives from other states and even other countries are coming to Utah to view the program’s model. Gregg Roberts, the world language specialist for the Utah State Office of Education says that in the fall there will be 14 more programs, making a total of 51 programs and 7,000 students enrolled. The hope is to have 100 programs and 30,000 students enrolled by 2014.

Like the Au Pair program, the Dual Immersion Program gives children the opportunity to experience culture exchange. Learning a new language is important to broaden student’s view and gain professional and personal enrichment experiences.

For more information visit KSL.com or the Granite School District’s Web site.

The Au Pair program was launched in 1989 by the U.S. Department of State. It consists of bringing foreign nationals between the ages of 18-26 to live with a family in the United States, take university credits and overall improve their English skills, while offering child care and performing light housekeeping.

Because the Au Pair program is carefully regulated by the U.S. Department of State, Au Pair and Host Family candidates must work with a designated sponsor of the Au Pair Program. These sponsors are responsible for background screening and training, travel, visas and managing Au Pair and Host Families interactions.  goAUPAIR was one of the original six Au Pair sponsor agencies designated by the U.S. Department of State.

At our headquarters office, our Placement Coordinators meticulously review the preferences and qualifications of each Au Pair to begin sending Host Families information about numerous Au Pair candidates who best fit the Host Families’ needs. They also manage the Au Pair application process and once a match has been confirmed, your Placement Coordinator will begin working on the Au Pair’s arrival process.

We also work with Local Area Representatives all over the U.S. Their job is to provide local support to our Host Families and Au Pairs. Local Area Representatives perform the initial interview in the family’s home before their Au Pair arrives, they are also responsible for an orientation shortly after the Au Pair has arrived. In addition to maintaining monthly contacts, Local Area Representatives also hold Au Pair activities as well as provide Host Family Day Conferences which every Host Family is required to attend at least once each year.

Currently, goAUPAIR represents hundreds families across the U.S. and works with Au Pair agencies in over 50 countries around the world.

Russian Au Pairs are a great option for any family considering Au Pair child care. For years, Russian Au Pairs have been known as hard working and friendly care givers. Many Host Families prefer Au Pairs from Russia because they experience minimal cultural shock due to substantial westernization in Russia. Host Parents also enjoy Russia Au Pairs because many have good driving skills and have exposed to similar driving rules in their home country.

Russian Au Pairs are motivated to come to the United States to improve their English as this will increase their opportunities back home. The majority of our Au Pairs pursue college degrees prior to their arrival and the education component of the Au Pair program is important to these Au Pairs as well. It is common for Au Pairs from Russia to drive prior to their arrival in the U.S. They also have great linguistic abilities, it is common to speak other languages like Turkish, German, French, Danish, Finnish and even Arabic.

The majority of Russians live in urban areas so most Russian Au pair are accustomed to big cities. In the past, initiative and working independently was discouraged in place of conformity in Russia, for that reason Russian Au Pairs work best when given specific instructions. Friendship is very important in Russia and helping friends whenever possible is expected.

The main meal in Russia is eaten at lunch, not at dinner. Culturally, Russians serve more food than they are able to eat, which means prosperity in the home, Russian Au Pairs may instinctively make large lunches and smaller dinners.

While the number of Russians who own cars is increasing, public transportation is widely used in urban areas. Russian Au Pairs from urban areas may prefer to use public transportation instead of driving. As with most Au Pairs, Russian Au Pairs may be interested in obtaining a cell phone while in the U.S.

Our Russian Au Pairs placed in the U.S. have experience with a wide variety of age groups. Over 80 percent of these Au Pairs have experience with infants and with children over the age of 10, but all of our Au Pairs in the U.S. have experience with children 2-10 years old. This comes from many of our Au Pairs from Russia working as teachers prior to their arrival in the U.S.

For more information about our Russian Au Pairs, contact one of our Placement Coordinators.

Oh, the world cup...

The largest and most lucrative sporting event in the world, The FIFA World Cup Championship brings together 16 national soccer teams from all continents along with it the passion for the largest fan-following-sport on the planet.

Soccer used to be much more popular in Europe and South America, but because of the international influence America has experienced in the last decades by immigration and cultural exchange programs encouraged by the U.S. government, like the Au Pair program, the perspective on sports has also being influenced. According to Nielsen Media Research, the USA vs. Ghana World Cup match drew the largest U.S. soccer audience in history with 19.4 million viewers.

With the World Cup in full swing, Au Pairs are providing their Host Families with a new outlook on this global event. Since soccer has yet to gain the popularity in the U.S. that is seen in most other countries, we asked our Au Pairs to share some of their opinions about the World Cup.

Do you have any traditions surrounding the World Cup?
In my country (France) everyone watches it. We get together at home or at a bar and we watch it!
-Sona, an Au Pair from France currently placed in VA

What differences have you seen here in the U.S. and in your home country in the way the World Cup is viewed?
In Germany, everybody knows the player’s names.  People are on the streets cheering for them, singing hymns and really enjoy the world cup. All commercials on TV are somehow connected to soccer and there are a lot of places for public viewing, where hundreds of people are laughing, singing and - if it has a bad ending - crying together.
-Linnea, an Au Pair from Germany currently placed in NJ

What is your favorite part about the World Cup?

Does not matter which team you like, the end is always fun and passion.
-Claudia Susana, an Au Pair from Mexico currently placed in DE

Well I am a huge follower of the World Cup this year as it is being hosted by my home country!  It is the first time a Cup is being hosted on the African continent and I think that is huge.  Not to mention all the buildup of excitement our country has felt in the past few years as we prepared to host the cup.
-Uresha, an Au Pair from South Africa currently placed in NY

My favorite bit is the fact that it helps raise our economy and will hopefully help strengthen the bridge between races now that they have to work together.
-Chane, an Au Pair from South Africa currently placed in CT

Ukraine is goAUPAIR’s featured country for the month of June, which means families who match with an Au Pair from Ukraine by June 30, 2010 receive $100 off the program fees.

goAUPAIR’s Local Area Representative for the Philadelphia area is originally from Ukraine.  As a Local Area Representative, she provides year-round support to Host Families and Au Pairs by maintaining monthly contact, organizing activities for the Au Pairs and conducting orientations shortly after an Au Pair arrives. To help you learn more about Ukraine, We asked her to describe life in her home country.

What do you like most about Ukraine?
My native country Ukraine can boast of historic and cultural heritage. There are a lot of museums of world significance, outstanding historic and cultural monuments, churches, cathedrals, fortresses and many other sights. There are ancient European cities, nice nature, hospitable people and beautiful Ukrainian women.

I like a close relationship between friends, their commitment, sincerity and openness. True friendship is very valuable and more important than money; close friends help each other no matter what. Their doors are always open to friends and family members and they don’t need ask permission to visit (without the notice).

Describe family life in Ukraine.
Ukrainians are traditionally family oriented people. Children are raised with love, respect to older people, work and education. Often parents (or grandparents) live together with their children and help them raise the kids.  It is a Ukrainian custom that grandparents play a great role in raising children. Also, adult children take care of their older parents; nursing homes are not common in Ukraine. Therefore, extended family is very important because of the close connection between grandparents, parents and children.

What are some of the cultural differences you have encountered living in the U.S.?
Ukrainians visit and call each other more often than here. Ukrainians like parties and social gatherings and they are good company. They are always welcome to the friend or relative’s house, especially in a special occasion. No invitations needed. Presents and flowers are common. Ukrainians never go to someone else's house empty handed.

What are some of the characteristics you commonly find in Ukrainians?
They are culture oriented, highly educated, interested in history and art, love reading, and explore museums and theaters. Ukraine has a very well developed higher education system. Having a college degree is common. Ukrainians consider themselves as a well-educated nation. They read a lot books, they are big fond of live performances at theatres. Many of them know arts, history and politics very well. 

Why should families consider placing with an Au Pair from Ukraine?
Au Pairs from Ukraine usually have many talents. An Au Pair can be a role model that children of all ages look to: they are family oriented and respectful to older people; they are responsible and hard working; they are very independent and reliable; they value education and love reading; they explore culture and art;  they are sporty and active; they are friendly and polite; they are passionate and committed.
Of course, it depends on personality, but most Ukrainian Au Pairs are diligent, responsible and devoted.

Read more about our Ukrainian Au Pairs and what actual Host Parents have said about their Au Pairs from Ukraine. You can also search, review and compare Au Pairs from Ukraine and other countries in goAUPAIR’s exclusive Au Pair Preview.