One step closer to a class action against certain agencies - Visit the link today

[Anonymous]

Correction. Money making scheme for the attorneys and named plaintiffs.

[Anonymous]

My point is that you should just sue them. I know first hand that class actions are a money making scheme for the attorneys and plaintiffs.

No one is denying that the examples above are horrible. You have a good case against the agency. You do not have grounds for a class action.

Because you know the details of the cases and how many families are involved to date. OK

[Anonymous]

Why should OP and the other families currently involved take on the financial burden of a lawsuit that they are bringing, when they appear to be doing it on principle rather than seeking money? You keep saying, only attorneys make money on class action suits. You're missing the point- they don't appear to care about the money but do appear to want to reform the system. What's wrong with that? And, if you're in an agency that has good business practices (as I was when i was recently a host mom) it can be hard to understand the extent of exactly how horrible and soulless one of the agencies is. If you're in a childcare business and you repeatedly offer unsafe people to families, you need to be taken to task and a class action lawsuit is the way to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why should OP and the other families currently involved take on the financial burden of a lawsuit that they are bringing, when they appear to be doing it on principle rather than seeking money? You keep saying, only attorneys make money on class action suits. You're missing the point- they don't appear to care about the money but do appear to want to reform the system. What's wrong with that? And, if you're in an agency that has good business practices (as I was when i was recently a host mom) it can be hard to understand the extent of exactly how horrible and soulless one of the agencies is. If you're in a childcare business and you repeatedly offer unsafe people to families, you need to be taken to task and a class action lawsuit is the way to go.

You are right; none of the families are in this for money and the agencies have proven over and over again they do not care about anything except money. If the law firms make the money and the agencies have to pay in order for them to give us a level playing field, I am ok with that. They obviously have not listened to host families, they have not responded to YELP reviews, they have not responded to BBB complaints, they have not responded to State Dept. investigations. What else should hundreds of HF's do other than this? There is also a few fall back plans in place as well.

[Anonymous]

Why not publish the agency''s name? Let the market forces work.

Is the class action only targeting this agency or all?

[Anonymous]

Because, 23:00, it would be irrelevant to the issue. Writing anonymous complaints about an agency doesn't move markets. And I think you view success as the company getting trashed and losing business. The OP and his supporters have made clear that their version of success is better protections for host families. The market is not so perfect that it never needs regulation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Attorney here. The only group to benefit from a class action are the attorneys.

I am confident that there is a greedy law firm involved to shake down agencies.

I can't imagine you will get class action status.

If OP was the victim of fraud, then sue the agency.

And if you were stupid enough not to call the former family of a rematch or avoid her if you were told you couldn't talk to the family, that is your problem.

That's like saying that if you want daycare centers to be regulated then you're anti daycare. The regulations only require initial screening of the au pair. It doesn't require them to be honest with you about whether the au Pair has been with 4 other families before (which is why they only refer to the immediate past family). Doesn't require them to tell you that in 2 of their past 4 families they totaled the car. Or that they kept the host child tied up to their bed posts using leggings. (All actual examples.) I'm in favor of this program but I'm NOT in favor of families being lied to with no oversight. Since this stuff isn't covered by the CFR the only recourse families have is to 1) involve the police or 2) sue. Agencies aren't even mandatory reporters of abuse. The regulations and the agencies only protect the au pair. This is wrong. (Not the OP and not involved in the lawsuit).

If my au pair tied my child to the bed, I would not start researching a class action lawsuit. I would call the police.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Attorney here. The only group to benefit from a class action are the attorneys.

I am confident that there is a greedy law firm involved to shake down agencies.

I can't imagine you will get class action status.

If OP was the victim of fraud, then sue the agency.

And if you were stupid enough not to call the former family of a rematch or avoid her if you were told you couldn't talk to the family, that is your problem.

That's like saying that if you want daycare centers to be regulated then you're anti daycare. The regulations only require initial screening of the au pair. It doesn't require them to be honest with you about whether the au Pair has been with 4 other families before (which is why they only refer to the immediate past family). Doesn't require them to tell you that in 2 of their past 4 families they totaled the car. Or that they kept the host child tied up to their bed posts using leggings. (All actual examples.) I'm in favor of this program but I'm NOT in favor of families being lied to with no oversight. Since this stuff isn't covered by the CFR the only recourse families have is to 1) involve the police or 2) sue. Agencies aren't even mandatory reporters of abuse. The regulations and the agencies only protect the au pair. This is wrong. (Not the OP and not involved in the lawsuit).

If my au pair tied my child to the bed, I would not start researching a class action lawsuit. I would call the police.

So would I; and when I found out an agency hid what happened in a previous home, I would find other families that had the same issue and research the civil legal remedies, one being a class action. End of discussion.