Agency question ...

[Anonymous]

I like to know which agency the readers use and are you happy with them? I found an old thread on the other forum, but the responses were several years old.

Right now I'm with APIA, but am interested in others. I joined them hastily in 2011 because I was in a hurry and last year didn't have time to research others.

Please respond...it'll only take a minute.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

We are with Cultural Care and have liked all the APs we've had (4 over 6 years). We have never had a re-match.

[Anonymous]

I'm with APIA and finding that our happiness is more related to our local counselor than with the specific agency.

[Anonymous]

OP here.

Anyone with EurAuPair or ExpertAuPair?

Please keep posting.

[Anonymous]

We are with Au Pair in America. And dissatisfied. We had hoped that the agency would encourage au pairs to work out problems with host family if they exist. Instead it seems that they encourage automatic "rematch"

[Anonymous]

Another APIA family who LOVES LOVES LOVES our LCC. We had probably the hardest start with an AP that we have had in our six years in the program, and our LCC was such a great support for both us and for the AP. We both equally adore her and really credit her for helping us get on solid footing. She was both really supportive towards the AP and a great resource for her, but she also was clear in her message that the AP had to step it up and quickly. We're six months into the match, and it's turned out really good.

In our cluster, all the APs (and HFs too) love our LCC. The two APs who have had to rematch both ended up with local families (not in our cluster but very nearby), so they could keep their friends and contacts, and that is largely thanks to the LCC who advocated for them.

We had a HORRIBLE experience with Au Pair Care, who gave us four different Area Directors in six months, and not one of them had any idea of what they were doing. We also found that APC grew so quickly that it lost its quality control - the APs were largely unscreened. And when there was a problem, the AP was circulated back into the system with very sugar-coated explanations as to why things had gone wrong. We both saw how they were untruthful about why an AP of ours was being sent to rematch and also learned the hard way that they weren't honest when the AP we got through rematch turned out to have psychological problems (enough to warrant her getting sent home eventually) that had, we found out later, been flagged in her first family but APC never included this info in what we saw.

Overall, we are thrilled with APIA. If we were going to switch for whatever reason, we would try Cultural Care, but I can't see switching now - there is no reason for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another APIA family who LOVES LOVES LOVES our LCC. We had probably the hardest start with an AP that we have had in our six years in the program, and our LCC was such a great support for both us and for the AP. We both equally adore her and really credit her for helping us get on solid footing. She was both really supportive towards the AP and a great resource for her, but she also was clear in her message that the AP had to step it up and quickly. We're six months into the match, and it's turned out really good.

In our cluster, all the APs (and HFs too) love our LCC. The two APs who have had to rematch both ended up with local families (not in our cluster but very nearby), so they could keep their friends and contacts, and that is largely thanks to the LCC who advocated for them.

We had a HORRIBLE experience with Au Pair Care, who gave us four different Area Directors in six months, and not one of them had any idea of what they were doing. We also found that APC grew so quickly that it lost its quality control - the APs were largely unscreened. And when there was a problem, the AP was circulated back into the system with very sugar-coated explanations as to why things had gone wrong. We both saw how they were untruthful about why an AP of ours was being sent to rematch and also learned the hard way that they weren't honest when the AP we got through rematch turned out to have psychological problems (enough to warrant her getting sent home eventually) that had, we found out later, been flagged in her first family but APC never included this info in what we saw.

Overall, we are thrilled with APIA. If we were going to switch for whatever reason, we would try Cultural Care, but I can't see switching now - there is no reason for us.

What area are you in/what is your cluster? We are with APIA and I'm less than impressed. I think no matter the agency, a good LCC will make or break your experience with the agency.

[Anonymous]

Another person not impressed with APIA due to the LCC. We are in prince William county

[Anonymous]

OP here. I'm in Herndon/Oak Hill. While my LCC is responsive to a question, I'm not sure that I'm super impressed with her. My AP definitely isn't. The cluster is way too big (over 30-40 APs) and hardly hears from her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'm in Herndon/Oak Hill. While my LCC is responsive to a question, I'm not sure that I'm super impressed with her. My AP definitely isn't. The cluster is way too big (over 30-40 APs) and hardly hears from her.

We are in Bethesda and our LCC has over 50 families/APs.

[Anonymous]

We are in our 3rd good LCC in 7 years in DC with APIA and I also think the quality of the experience is linked to how they support the HF and the cluster. We recently hosted another au pair also from APIA but another cluster and she was being treated terribly. No support at all for her problems. If you want to switch I would meet with a few LCCs and see what you think.

[Anonymous]

APIA (Falls Church/Vienna) and we love the LCC. Not in love with some aspects of the agency, but the LCC makes it worth it.

[Anonymous]

We had a terrible experience with APIA. Terrible. Our nanny physically hurt our child aka broke the child's and their biggest concerns were a)the Au Pair and b) getting their money. APIA does little to actually train the Au Pair. They really just shuffle paperwork and the cost of that is small compared to what you are actually paying them and the Au Pair.
On a side note the Au Pair APIA was extremely concerned about did take some amazing naked text pictures she sent to men on the cell phone we gave her during the time she was supposed to watch children.
Terrible experience. Terrible response. Horrid agency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a terrible experience with APIA. Terrible. Our nanny physically hurt our child aka broke the child's and their biggest concerns were a)the Au Pair and b) getting their money. APIA does little to actually train the Au Pair. They really just shuffle paperwork and the cost of that is small compared to what you are actually paying them and the Au Pair.
On a side note the Au Pair APIA was extremely concerned about did take some amazing naked text pictures she sent to men on the cell phone we gave her during the time she was supposed to watch children.
Terrible experience. Terrible response. Horrid agency.

broke the child's arm.

[Anonymous]

what cluster are you in from APIA?

What country was you AP from?