Au Pair Agencies and Services - They Do It All
Should you use an agency to hire an au pair or nanny? The answer is easy.
To legally employ an alien au pair, families must work through one of the government-authorized agencies. These agencies provide necessary and important services. Without one, you are walking a tight rope with no safety net.
What if there is an emergency with your au pair? Au pair agencies offer a 24 hour answering service and you will be contacted by a staff member. What happens if your au pair doesn't work out?
Au pair agencies local counselors or representatives will work with you to find a replacement as quickly and as smoothly as possible. If you didn't go through a government-authorized agency, well ... you are on your own.
A full service au pair agency will screen, train and legally bring au pair candidates to the United States, and help you to find the right match for your family. They provide a structured, secure and comprehensive program that is in regulation with the U. S. State Department, which govern all legal au pair programs.Au pair agencies bring in aupairs with J-1 visas from over 40 countries. These candidates provide culturally rich child care, for up to 45 hours a week (10 hours a day), for up to two years. They also put their candidates through a rigid screening process, usually including face-to-face interviews, criminal background checks, personality testing, and also require submission of several references which they verify. When a candidate arrives in the United States their orientation begins and includes training in child development, safety training with CPR and cultural adaptation.
You can see now where the agency fee goes. However, a good agency really earns its free when things don't go quite as planned – not unlike insurance. On average, 20% of all au pair matches require some agency intervention. For instance, if the personalities of the family and the au pair just don't meld, the agency will take charge. Their trained counselors will counsel the au pair, making it less uncomfortable for all concerned, and orchestrate the change. The counselor will then help the family to find a rematch candidate available from a pool of au pairs already in the United States. The agency truly takes care of everything for you, making the process as smooth as possible.
You should be able to count on your agency to provide:
- Screening and training
- Legal visas
- Airfare
- Health insurance
- Program support for the entire stay
- Activities and a social network for the au pair
Copyright 2004-2009 S&T US LLC
©2004-2009 Wise4Living | Contact | Advertising Info | Legal | Privacy | Directory
