CCAP needs to learn from APIA

[Anonymous]

Another here who hates it. We've been in the program for years and never had trouble matching, but this year can't get responses. APs sitting on the connection request forever.

I finally signed up with APIA, then hung back because it seemed like too much of a pain to get up to speed in a new system but I did it, and it's much better. I haven't matched yet but we get responses, at least.

I complained by phone to the CCAP 'matching specialist' but I don't know if the complaint got forwarded internally. I also said it was annoying that they'd implemented the changes during the matching lead-up to the busy summer season, and he said they're about equally busy placing APs year-round. Can that be true???

[Anonymous]

No longer a HM, but I would have hated this process. What I don't understand is why, if the agencies have way more APs than HF's, they would implement a change that makes the process more difficult for HFs (who, by the way, are their "customers"). I'd probably try to pre-match with someone I found myself and then send them through the agency of my choice, rather than put up with this.

[Anonymous]

We are going into our third month of trying to match and now CCAP are automatically connecting us with any AP we want. And I do not think they are giving the AP any choice because they are very responsive. They must have very low matching numbers this year for summer and are getting desperate.

[Anonymous]

Our “matching specialist” told me to start looking in February for a September arrival. I did, and so far every ap I’ve talked to wants to come in the end of August, even if their “earliest or preferred start date” is listed as September. I don’t want an ap starting in August so how do I get around this? For whatever reason that seems to be the reason they’re all rejecting the connections. Or they say “family interests” which is so vague I have no idea what it means. Such a stupid system.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure if anyone at CCAP actually communicates with the candidates. We had our specialist look at one of our many pending and they told us she only accepted one and 9 of us were pending. So her queue was full and could not meet any new families but was only "talking" to one. It is really terrible.
We also got "family interests" after we had a perfectly matching profile and exchanged emails, go to set up skype and she disconnected us right before the interview.

I hope a lot of families leave CCAP like us, back with APIA.

[Anonymous]

I heard from my matching specialist this week that this in an "interim" system and there are more changes to be rolled out over the summer. I don't know what they all will entail, but she made reference to new profiles for the APs.

If that's the case, hopefully they're taking feedback into account and will reconsider some of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard from my matching specialist this week that this in an "interim" system and there are more changes to be rolled out over the summer. I don't know what they all will entail, but she made reference to new profiles for the APs.

If that's the case, hopefully they're taking feedback into account and will reconsider some of this.

Honestly, this is such a busy period (lots of people trying to match now for summer), it may well be too late for many if others like those posting here leave CC or the AP system entirely. I know I'm not going to otherwise lower/change my matching standards just b/c there are fewer viable candidates thanks to this system. I won't risk a bad match. I'd rather find a different plan.

[Anonymous]

Apia has no candidates! I registered there and searched for a candidate with only one filter and got exactly one candidate! Not worth it!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard from my matching specialist this week that this in an "interim" system and there are more changes to be rolled out over the summer. I don't know what they all will entail, but she made reference to new profiles for the APs.

If that's the case, hopefully they're taking feedback into account and will reconsider some of this.

I heard of the additional changes and they have nothing to do with the matching. Instead, from what I understand, they'll make HF take a Myers Briggs type assessment that will be shared with the candidates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apia has no candidates! I registered there and searched for a candidate with only one filter and got exactly one candidate! Not worth it!!

That's what I heard, too. But I signed up anyway, and I am positively surprised. Our filters yielded a good amount of candidates. Maybe half of what I see at CC, but what good do these CC candidates do for me if they never reply. We have reached out and are now talking to two candidates from APIA. Another HF in our cluster is switching to APIA as well. I hope that APIA remains a viable option.

[Anonymous]

My LCC just asked me for feedback about the matching process and said it was a work in progress. Seems like they're considering changes based on feedback.

[Anonymous]

Add me to the list of ccap failures after 4 years with them!
We gave up and are taking an extension from au pair care that my in laws in Boston area know. How sad (or lucky) we had to go this length to find an ap.

[Anonymous]

I'm so happy to no longer be in the program. We have a wonderful daily HS sitter and about 4 to call on when we have snow day/teacher work days. Been doing this since March 2017 and it is so much easier!