Which Au Pair agency?

[Anonymous]

Hi,
I'm looking into the Au Pairs for the first time -- which agency should I go with? And, what should I be looking for in an agency?

Thanks for the input!

[Anonymous]

Sign up with all of them. It's free. Talk to the LCC. Get a sense of how many au pairs are in your cluster. Look through the AP profiles, interview a few to get a better sense of what may be a good fit for you. And then just see what feels right. All agencies have their pros and cons. It's more about the AP than it is about the agency. The only time the agency really matters is during the rematch.

[Anonymous]

What is re-match?

[Anonymous]

Rematch is when things aren't working out between you and your AP, and you decide to end the match. The agency will help find a new AP for HF, and a new HF for outgoing AP. It helps to have a supportive LCC or AD (representative from the agency) during rematch, as it is a stressful time. It also helps for the agency to have a larger pool of rematch candidates to choose from. In a good year, you won't need much from the agency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is re-match?

A rematch is when the AP is not working out for your family or vice versa and you need to replace your AP before the end of the year. For example, a month after the arrival, the AP decides to go home and she is gone within a week. You then need to find a replacement AP ASAP. You no longer have time to wait for a new AP to get her visa and come to the states. Instead, you are stuck with candidates who are (1) with your agency and (2) in the US already. Those can be other rematch candidates or second year APs. You may have a harder time with a smaller agency during the rematch.

[Anonymous]

OP:Got it thanks! It seems good re-matching capabilities are crucial. Based on that, which agencies would you suggest for DC HFs?

[Anonymous]

Start with Cultural Care and Au Pair in America and take it from there. There is also Au Pair Care. Call them up. When we were looking for our first au pair, I put together an interview script with all the questions that I wanted to ask. I then took notes when I spoke with each agency.

[Anonymous]

Where do you live? It's helpful to use an agency that has a large cluster in your area as it's an easy way for your AP to make friends. It's also easier for coordinating the APs monthly meetings.

[Anonymous]

I live in Washington DC, so will be good to know which agencies have a strong presence here. Thanks

[Anonymous]

Cultural Care is dominant, although their matching system is currently terrible. APIA and APC have a decent presence. There are other smaller agencies available too (Interexchange, etc.)

[Anonymous]

Urge new HPs to visit AuPairMom.com and search on interviewing techniques, hosting best practices etc.