Summary of new proposed AP rules from State Dep't

[Anonymous]

Before someone blasts me on the paid sick day point. Of course APs should not work when sick. But guaranteeing them a min number of days just means they use it. Regardless.

[Anonymous]

Also looks like no option for those of us who use 20 hours max per week because of older kids.

I was thinking oh I don’t care I will pay min wage because it wouldn’t exceed the stipend most weeks. (I pay $300)

But this requires me to pay for 31 hours at min wage regardless.

So AP making much MORE than min wage.

[Anonymous]

I’m currently taking a break from hosting because the added mental load of hosting was really taking a toll on me. I’m a SAHM that has had AP’s because I like the flexibility - some days I need morning care, some days I need evening care - but never the same schedule 2 weeks in a row. I was thinking of starting to look for another AP because cobbling together care hasn’t been super easy even paying sitters $30/hr. But the new schedule rules make my break permanent, I guess.

I do acknowledge the stipend paid to the AP’s is low, but like others have said, with agency fees and all of the extras, we were spending around $50k all in. The new rules also change the nature of the relationship to to be more transactional than relational. I don’t want that dynamic in my home, so another reason to be out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Before someone blasts me on the paid sick day point. Of course APs should not work when sick. But guaranteeing them a min number of days just means they use it. Regardless.

We've always handled this in a reasonable way. For instance, if the au pair has a cold (in the most common scenario the kids have it too), it's totally fine that they all watch a movie on the couch. She's still "working" but our kids are big enough that she's really just there in case of emergency.

If the au pair is really sick, of course she doesn't work.

I'm concerned that these mandated sick days will be used for period cramps, extra travel and hangovers. There's also no ability to withhold the stipend, so once the sick days are gone it's unclear what the consequences are.

[Anonymous]

This is such a bummer. Many of our APs' friends back home are applying to the program b/c our APs all have had positive experiences and they want the same adventures. Our lives have also been immeasurably enriched by hosting. Like many have said in this thread, the proposals will make the relationship much more transactional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m currently taking a break from hosting because the added mental load of hosting was really taking a toll on me. I’m a SAHM that has had AP’s because I like the flexibility - some days I need morning care, some days I need evening care - but never the same schedule 2 weeks in a row. I was thinking of starting to look for another AP because cobbling together care hasn’t been super easy even paying sitters $30/hr. But the new schedule rules make my break permanent, I guess.

I do acknowledge the stipend paid to the AP’s is low, but like others have said, with agency fees and all of the extras, we were spending around $50k all in. The new rules also change the nature of the relationship to to be more transactional than relational. I don’t want that dynamic in my home, so another reason to be out.

I'm not sure where you are located but I have found care.com really helpful for finding nannies.

[Anonymous]

I really don’t understand how this would be attractive to anyone.

Even the flexibility has been taken away. No working after 11 pm means no babysitting for date nights?

Min wage PLUS $5 hr to agency (this will only go up), plus $1200, plus incidentals and a small deduction for room and board. In exchange we get a girl from
Another country with little to no experience (despite what they say), may not speak English well or drive well. (Btw, I have had 8 great APs and no rematches. But I am speaking the truth)

This will undoubtedly hurt the less well to do families and APs. Rich families and sought after European APs will be fine.

[Anonymous]

The $5hr to the agency assumes a 40 hour week. I use less than 20 a week. So all in I would definitely definitely be paying more than double the min wage under the rules. Even with the deduction allowed.

For what?

[Anonymous]

Is the $5 to the agency on top of the already exorbitant fees or in lieu of a portion of? I get the plane tix and visa expenses, but to get $5/hr on top of all of that? Yeah, no thanks. If the intent is to kill the program, they’re doing a really good job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So under the new rules, I just also keep paying for gas, phone, car insurance, gym and all the other extra costs I pay for, or can these things be deducted from the cushier wage?

Your childcare provider having a phone is for your benefit too--unless you're ok with having no way to reach her while she is taking care of your kids? Same with gas and being on your insurance, assuming you might ever want her to drive your kids anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the $5 to the agency on top of the already exorbitant fees or in lieu of a portion of? I get the plane tix and visa expenses, but to get $5/hr on top of all of that? Yeah, no thanks. If the intent is to kill the program, they’re doing a really good job.

This is the fee worked out to an hourly rate. $11,000 divided by 40.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So under the new rules, I just also keep paying for gas, phone, car insurance, gym and all the other extra costs I pay for, or can these things be deducted from the cushier wage?

Your childcare provider having a phone is for your benefit too--unless you're ok with having no way to reach her while she is taking care of your kids? Same with gas and being on your insurance, assuming you might ever want her to drive your kids anywhere.

We can all make that argument to our employers, but we won't get that far. For the vast majority of us, our employer will not pay our cell phone 100%, our car 100%, and our insurance 100%. We'll get the standard mileage and maybe a partial phone reimbursement.

[Anonymous]

The current proposed policy will add an additional $37,000 to a host family cost above and beyond the $30,000 which a family averages now.
It’s a huge stretch to think hosting an aupair for $67,000 a year is worth the additional costs over traditional childcare in the name of “cultural exchange.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So under the new rules, I just also keep paying for gas, phone, car insurance, gym and all the other extra costs I pay for, or can these things be deducted from the cushier wage?

Your childcare provider having a phone is for your benefit too--unless you're ok with having no way to reach her while she is taking care of your kids? Same with gas and being on your insurance, assuming you might ever want her to drive your kids anywhere.

We can all make that argument to our employers, but we won't get that far. For the vast majority of us, our employer will not pay our cell phone 100%, our car 100%, and our insurance 100%. We'll get the standard mileage and maybe a partial phone reimbursement.

We hosted in ancient times back in 2004 when cellphones weren’t as prevalent. We called our landline to get ahold of our aupair.

I mean, you can have our flip phone while you are working but I’m not continuing to pay data for the weekends. Lol.

[Anonymous]

To sum up:

Reduction in hours from 45 to 40.
Raising education stipend to $1200
Paying hourly at $18/hr with the agreed upon hours guaranteed
56 hours of sick leave (which is ridiculous. I don’t even get that much sick leave)
4 hours a month HAVE to be for their monthly aupair meeting so it’s a reduction of available childcare hours

Required to have a private bathroom

Made some laughable comment about taking aupairs on vacation and out to eat with the family which would 100% stop for our host family if an aupair is hourly.

$3000 a year roughly for food and board can be deducted

They can only extend with the family they match with in the first year.
They must have a prepaid return ticket or the ability to pay for one when they arrive

If you add up the company fees (11,000-12,000), the loss of childcare hours and the additional hourly fees, it will be between $60,000-66,000 to host an aupair for 31-40hours
Of childcare in D.C.

This doesn’t take into account the items which are typically covered by a host family: car insurance, gym, cellphone, outings

If you host an exchange student, the family gets a stipend for hosting. If you require 31-40 hours of childcare a week, you get to pay greatly for those hours.

The Department of State makes the argument that this was a program created for diplomatic reasons and not for affordable childcare. It’s clear they do not want to be in the affordable childcare business. They do a terrible job monitoring and overseeing the sponsors who relentlessly peddle au pairs as qualified nannies and then disappear when they turn out to be less than ideal childcare providers.

This proposed rule effectively ends the Affordable childcare marketing ploys and puts the Au pair program back into the status symbol of a wealthy family who needs an extra person to drive the kids. Often it’s the wealthiest families who are not the ones who have the time to welcome and aupair as family but solely as staff.

That’s the recap after reading the document. I can’t imagine a scenario where the au pair program makes it through these changes.