Hoping this article will help some people

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You lost me at "most au pairs are not qualified." I find this to be a very one-sided perspective. Also, not qualified for what? Young mothers figure it out. It is not rocket science. The real issue is not that most au pairs are not qualified, but that the expectations are misaligned. Host families need to understand what they are signing up for when they enter the program. They are not getting a trained/experienced educator/nanny at affordable prices. They are getting a young person, who is hoping to have the experience of her lifetime during this year, while keeping an eye on your children. The analogy that I frequently use is to host a niece from an estranged sibling, who is coming to the states for her gap year before she starts college. You are not getting a trained educator, nanny, coach, but with some luck you are getting a person who will love your children, play with them, and will forever think back to her year with you as one of the most exciting and formative years.

Not Op, but did you read past the "most au pairs are not qualified."? OP is exactly talking about managing expectations. Most families get into the AP program without knowing what to expect and it is ok to tell them "wait, APs are not qualified childcare, you will have to teach them a lot, don't expect too much etc...".

I think OP did a good job capturing some important questions for new families considering the AP program. But as a somewhat "advanced" HM, I was hoping to read a bit more about the industry side of things since she worked in the au pair industry for years!

Same here, some insights into the agency practices would be very helpful. As a long time HF, we have already learned the things in this article (sometimes the hard way).

I would love to know what answers would help? I had intended this for famlies new to the program or considering it but a deeper dive could be so interesting. Let me know what ideas you have