Au Pairs - Local Counselor or Coordinator Network is Key
Looking for an au pair? Make sure the agency you use has a strong counsellor or coordinator network. Their importance to your total au pair experience can not be overrated.
The role of the local counselor or coordinator network is a critical one for a host family and au pair alike. They work to ensure that you and your au pair enjoy a mutually beneficial experience. Agency counselors do everything from answer your day-to-day questions or assisting when there is a misunderstanding, to helping the au pair acclimate socially to her new surroundings.
If your agency has a good local counselor or coordinator network, it means that you won't have to sweat the small, or the large, stuff!
Your agency counselor may be your first introduction at the agency you choose. They often conduct the interviews with the host families, uncovering their needs and preferences. Consider them your primary contact and your au pair's mentor.
They are responsible for ultimately matching you with your au pair and assisting you and your au pair throughout the year. Their role is so important that in most cases they can be reached 24-hours a day. You can quickly see why your local agency counselor and the services they provide are so critical to the success of your au pair experience.
Here are just a few of the services you can expect your local counselor or coordinator network to provide:
Orientation upon arrival for the au pair
- Initial orientation meeting with both you and your au pair
- 24-hour availability to field questions
- Regular (usually monthly) contact with you
- Regular (usually monthly) meetings for au pairs in your area. (This is an opportunity for your au pair to receive updated program information, training and to make friends. Contact with other au pairs in the network helps to ensure an enjoyable and fulfilling year in America.)
- Host family conferences
- Mediation
Many of these services are actually responsibilities required by the U.S. Department of State regulations. Full-service agencies with experienced agency coordinators will skillfully keep you and your au pair to maintain compliance.
An au pair agency's local counselor or coordinator network is often overlooked when families are choosing an agency. Do your homework, ask questions and make sure that your agency will give you their best service not only in the beginning but throughout your relationship.
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