Does anyone know how much the agency fee is reduced if your au pair extends after the first year?

[Anonymous]

We are with Au Pair in America and the website says simply: "should you and your au pair choose to stay together for a second year, your program fee is substantially reduced."

Our current au pair just let us know that she would like to stay with our family for another six months. Although we adore our au pair, we were pretty sure she would be our last since our youngest is now starting kindergarten and so our childcare needs are substantially reduced. Using before/after care instead of an au pair is less than half the cost. She's so great, though, we were considering it, but wondered how much agency fee we would pay. Thanks for any experiences to share.

[Anonymous]

I've done online chat with APIA in the past, and they will give you numbers right there so you have it in writing. I did this when I was trying to figure out which discounts they would give me if I switched to them from CCAP. It will take you teo minutes, and you'd have your official answer if you did this.

[Anonymous]

We're with Cultural Care, and the normal program fee is $8000. Then there is a repeat family discount of about $900.
It is $6200 to extend for 12 months ($900 savings).
It is $3600 to extend for only 6 months (basically no savings compared to half year of the repeat program fee)

So basically, you only save $ if you extend for 12 months.

[Anonymous]

Thanks - I wanted some info anecdotally as I'm not quite ready to let the agency know that I'm thinking about extending, so I didn't want to email my LCC or anything. I'll try the chat.

[Anonymous]

They wouldn't give it to me in the chat. Just tried.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are with Au Pair in America and the website says simply: "should you and your au pair choose to stay together for a second year, your program fee is substantially reduced."

Our current au pair just let us know that she would like to stay with our family for another six months. Although we adore our au pair, we were pretty sure she would be our last since our youngest is now starting kindergarten and so our childcare needs are substantially reduced. Using before/after care instead of an au pair is less than half the cost. She's so great, though, we were considering it, but wondered how much agency fee we would pay. Thanks for any experiences to share.

Interesting. We did not get an AuPair until our youngest was in Kindergarten. We felt that we no longer needed the nanny since our kids were getting older and we only needed 25hrs a week. Plus we need the diver to help us out from time to time and someone to cover on snow days.

[Anonymous]

This is the OP. We started with au pairs when the kids were in preschool - they were at a school that was 9-1pm. It was perfect for covering an hour in the morning and then picking up the kids as covering the afternoon. Then my oldest started elementary, but my youngest was still on preschool. Now that she's starting K too, we only need about 3:30-5:30 every day.

It costs us $25k a year to have an au pair plus losing a room in the house plus the extra car. For 20 hours a week, I just don't know that I want to spend that much. The snow days are the only reason I might still consider it.

[Anonymous]

Op, so what are you going To do for childcare?

[Anonymous]

APIA this year is 6350 for 12 months with regular AP. Prices are different with 6 and 9 mos, extraordinaire and educare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op, so what are you going To do for childcare?

I'll have them do the aftercare program for a couple hours a day. That program has snow day and holiday coverage too I just found out. They have lots if friends that do the program so they are excited. Honestly kind of looking forward to being done with have au pairs. We've had three wonderful experiences who I think if as dear nieces, and two really not great experiences. Even with the good years though, it's really stressful and I admit I'm ready to have my house back and have one less family member to think about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:APIA this year is 6350 for 12 months with regular AP. Prices are different with 6 and 9 mos, extraordinaire and educare.

Thank you! So a couple thousand cheaper it looks like, but that's for the 12-month extension.

[Anonymous]

I've heard, for what it's worth, that you can agree to a 12 month extension but then mutually agree to terminate early WITHOUT penalty, according to APIA LCC.

So let's say you extend for 12 months, but really decide you only want 10 more months (or whatever). You notify APIA and then they adjust accordingly and done.

It may require a "rematch" filing but doesn't need to result in anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've heard, for what it's worth, that you can agree to a 12 month extension but then mutually agree to terminate early WITHOUT penalty, according to APIA LCC.

So let's say you extend for 12 months, but really decide you only want 10 more months (or whatever). You notify APIA and then they adjust accordingly and done.

It may require a "rematch" filing but doesn't need to result in anything.

Au Pair agencies NEVER refund the upfront agency fee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've heard, for what it's worth, that you can agree to a 12 month extension but then mutually agree to terminate early WITHOUT penalty, according to APIA LCC.

So let's say you extend for 12 months, but really decide you only want 10 more months (or whatever). You notify APIA and then they adjust accordingly and done.

It may require a "rematch" filing but doesn't need to result in anything.

Au Pair agencies NEVER refund the upfront agency fee.

Not true.

I was partially refunded by APIA in 2012.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APIA this year is 6350 for 12 months with regular AP. Prices are different with 6 and 9 mos, extraordinaire and educare.

Thank you! So a couple thousand cheaper it looks like, but that's for the 12-month extension.

Sorry I didn't read the OP carefully!

6 month standard is 3175