Switching to Cultural Care?

[Anonymous]

We're with APIA, but I do feel that the LCC isn't great and not happy that everyone seems to say they're more expensive (which the program fees is $200-300ish more depending on the agency).

However, I've seen people unhappy with the "largeness" of Cultural Care in the area, the "backroom" type dealings for rematch, the new non-exclusive match system, and 1.5 weekend days requirement.

My AP told me that practically everyone she knows is from Cultural Care, so maybe their large size is good? I have no idea about the LCC (guess we'll find out if we apply).

Any other downsides or good upsides for CC? I acknowledge that we'll likely be a difficult "dare to match" with a new baby on the way, totaling three kids, but the other two will be in full time preschool/kindergarten. Plus I'm considering an extended maternity leave/working only part time and then a lot of telework until the baby turns 1 because I hate all the time needed for pumping. We also don't offer a dedicated AP car (which I know some people will jump on and say we'll never find a match! )

[Anonymous]

You may have a harder time with telework. A lot of APs decline HP who work from home.

Why not use both to find AP and base which agency you choose on which AP you find vs the other way around?

[Anonymous]

I'd go by the au pair you want over the agency. We found the CC website easier to use and found our au pair there, but our particular LCC is useless.

[Anonymous]

We always register with both and make the decision based on the right candidate, rather than the agency. If I were you, I would go ahead and register with CC and then just see which agency will have that great candidate that won't be afraid of 2 young kids + an infant. I think the only practical difference between the two agencies is CC's 1.5 consecutive days requirement. This basically means that you can never go out on a Sat night without giving the AP Friday off.

[Anonymous]

1.5 weekend days requirement.

Is it 1.5 weekend days or 1.5 consecutive days? I think it is the latter which makes a Sat evening impossible if she works Mon-Fri. The only time we would ever use AP on the weekend is for the occasional Sat night event, so I don't look at CC. We only use 25 hours anyway, but stretched across M-F, so the fact that I wouldn't be able to use a Sat evening once a month would be incredibly annoying.

[Anonymous]

There are subtle differences- we use both. 2 ap from apia and 3 from ccap.
ApIA matching is a tough slog with few candidates to fight over. We have had better luck with cc but gone through 7 lccs. Loved our apia lcc and she is still there. You only need an lcc if there is an issue; and our rematch in ccap was very smooth. Been happy with both services...just find the right candidate and agency does not matter.

[Anonymous]

ApIA matching is a tough slog with few candidates to fight over.

Why are there so fewer candidates? I have that the pool has really shrunk in the past four years.

[Anonymous]

We are ccap because it's all we can get in our area. I don't like them, I don't like their business practices, and I have professional issues with quality control at EF(the parent company). It' such a profit-driven model. I know how much they cut corners in other programs (on the EF side) that I am incredibly wary of them in CCAP.
If you can get a good lcc and a problem-free AP, it's fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You may have a harder time with telework. A lot of APs decline HP who work from home.

Why not use both to find AP and base which agency you choose on which AP you find vs the other way around?

I know this, but am hoping to find someone who finds it beneficial anyway. For example, I might start part-time telework around 4 months in Sept when the older two go back to school. We'd get someone right before (like the last week of August). Babies tend to sleep a lot around then, so I could feed and keep the napping baby while the AP takes the others to school. My babies have hated the car and tend to scream the entire time when awake... which is why I view being able to stay with the baby at home as a benefit, lol. Also, my 2nd child would not take a bottle when I went back to work at 7 months. She played with some food and drank the bare minimum not to starve until I got home. We tried the occasional bottle periodically and thought she wouldn't have this issue... but then she did. So, this is kind of my worse case scenario where I'd basically telework until the baby turned 1 (definitely "dare to match").

We rarely use nights/weekends, but do on occasion and say we do when matching. In reality, it's when DH travels like 2-3x a year or back-to-school night, not a regular date night (which might be nice when we don't have a baby). So, the 1.5 days isn't really an issue for us and our current AP loves that we rarely schedule weekends.

[Anonymous]

I have been with APIA and CC.

I loathe my assigned LCC at APIA and will not work with her/them anymore.

CC requires the 1.5 days to be consecutive. Does not have to be on the weekend.

APIA allows an online course (thru UCLA) to be used. CC does not allow online courses.

APIA has a LOT less available girls than CC.

They all have their ups and downs. Search the BBB for both and you;ll see a lot of complaints for each agency.

Depending on your area, I would register with multiple agencies and do a search, meet the LCCs, etc. Go with the agency that has your AP choice.

Try smaller agencies too, such as Interexchange, Au Pair Care and CHI.

Don't be discouraged. Find whats best for you and your situation.

[Anonymous]

APIA has a LOT less available girls than CC.

Why?

[Anonymous]

OP here. Last time, we registered with APIA and AuPairCare. Really liked the APC LCC, but we found our AP in APIA. I'm kind of disturbed by the uncaring/incompetent LCC with APIA, so I'm hoping CC is a viable alternate agency option. Not sure about how big of a presence other agencies have in the Northern VA area, but I'm aware that Interexchange exists and never heard of CHI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Last time, we registered with APIA and AuPairCare. Really liked the APC LCC, but we found our AP in APIA. I'm kind of disturbed by the uncaring/incompetent LCC with APIA, so I'm hoping CC is a viable alternate agency option. Not sure about how big of a presence other agencies have in the Northern VA area, but I'm aware that Interexchange exists and never heard of CHI.

I am also in NoVA, and I have met the LCC for Interexchange and CHI. Both seem caring and great. I just haven't found an AP that worked with those agencies. CHI is smaller, but they have a presence here, their training school is in DC, vs NY. Stay away from Diane if that's your LCC from APIA. Especially if you have a problem with your AP.

For the NP, I have no idea why they have less, maybe they are recruiting less or they have more fees. Who knows. I just have seen a lot less in recent years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

APIA has a LOT less available girls than CC.

Why?

They stopped in country recruiting and rely for online only. Total fail.

[Anonymous]

Wow, I had no idea. No wonder. So many candidates my first year...significantly dwindled!!