CCAP-- is it me?

[Anonymous]

We are having an extraordinarily difficult time in our search this year. We've veterans at this and our system has always worked -- introductory email with questions, 2nd email, then Skype. This year half of the APs don't accept our connection. A quarter accept and either never respond to my 1st email, or get it and then disconnect or never respond. And then of the ones I do connect with, they disconnect saying they're talking to other families. Are families just matching quicker this year? We have a great gig (one school-aged kid, car, vacations, full AP suite.) It's just such a change from the past and I'm spending so much time doing this that I'm getting really annoyed.

[Anonymous]

It's a mess. All host families are having the same problems. We all need to complain to CCAP in order for them to hopefully fix it.
I've been with CCAP 6 years, but we got so fed up with matching this year that we just decided to take a break, maybe permanently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a mess. All host families are having the same problems. We all need to complain to CCAP in order for them to hopefully fix it.
I've been with CCAP 6 years, but we got so fed up with matching this year that we just decided to take a break, maybe permanently.

But SOMEONE must be matching, right? Because my search shows more APs who are "interviewing other families" or "close to matching" than those who are actually available to me.

[Anonymous]

It has been pretty easy for us, only 2 or 3 have done the “pending” on us. But after they have checked a couple of times and not accepted us we drop them.
Only one has declined; but we still have not found “the one” yet.
I hate matching.

[Anonymous]

First timer here - it took us 4 months to match with CCAP, but I have nothing to compare it to. It was tough and I was pretty discouraged throughout the process. We did end up matching with someone who I'm VERY happy with.

I think my problem in the beginning was that I started the process too early.

[Anonymous]

Try APIA or APC. I’ve had a better experience with both.

[Anonymous]

We've been with CCAP for 4 years, couldn't get anyone to interview with us this time around. Found a great AP with APC so: so long to CCAP for now!

[Anonymous]

Just matched with CCAP for August. Took 3 weeks. Hated this process (we had an extension before so was first time under the new system). Interestingly enough to the earlier thread of Bro Pairs: I host BP now so for BPs I had about 80 percent connection acceptance rate. For girls, it was close to 30-40 percent, and unlike previous years I was not able to find acceptable female candidate and just invited the BP after being frustrated with the girls.

Some comments:

1. Your matching specialist can give you number of active connections for anyone in your Likes. It helped me made a decision quickly to match. It also allows you to just send connections to APs with 1-3 families and not 5.

2. From FB groups I have a feeling that many other HP use WhatsApp/Skype much more than email. I had couple of APs respond to WhatsApp much more... BP that i matched with was very responsive on both email and WhatsApp, but he was more of an exception. Many families book next Skype session while on the phone or hours later.

3. I submitted loooong complain to CCAP.

4. Remove any AP that logged in and did not accept your connection or anything pending for more than 48 hrs...

5. I do think that it depends how far away you are looking. I’d think that 3 months out APs will get more nervous and stop looking for the “perfect” family. Someone 6 months might be choosier.

6. You might need to be willing to compromise on something in your search (eg when I sent a connection to a vegan AP with great credentials she immediately accepted)

[Anonymous]

Hate CCAP’s system. Horrible success rate to connect. I’m signing on with APC (was finishing application today in fact).

[Anonymous]

I matched/moved to APC this year after using CCAP for 6 years. Eff it...

[Anonymous]

Also moved to APC after I lost patience with CCAP. I matched within 3 weeks. All APs but one responded to my email and interview request. Also my LCC or area director as they call them at APC is great. They are full time employees. The one I got from cap was aweful!

[Anonymous]

I will not go back to CCAP until they can actually deliver to host families. After being with CCAP for 3 years, we had a horrendous time matching last year so just switched out. The candidates were very flaky--cancelled at the last minute or were too into comparing perks. They need to do better screening instead of letting anyone with a pulse into the candidate pool. Not to mention, I've seen how they allow exploitative host families continue to host APs. I am so through with them.

[Anonymous]

I am another HM who is frustrated wIth CC. What I am trying to understand is what makes the new system (with 6 connections) so difficult to navigate? CC won’t be bringing back exclusive holds. So how are the systems that other agencies have in place better?

[Anonymous]

APC allows a more limited number of connections at same time. That helps cut down on perk shopping to some extent. And if you select option toninterview, au pair contact info is automatically available rather than waiting for au pair to decide whether to accept or to respond with the INCREDIBKY ANNOYING PRE-WRITTEN RESPONSE. (I really have the CCAP responses...aaaagghhh.)

[Anonymous]

At this point I think the CCAP system is too weighted toward the APs. They should be required to answer connection requests, not just leave them dangling. And I'm totally confused by APs who go from Available to "Interviewing with Multiple Families" to "Busy for Personal Reasons" in a matter of days. If you are busy and not available, you should not be in my list of candidates.
I think the biggest difference between this and last year is APs don't want to email you back, they want to jump right to Skpye and if you dont, they pass you along for someone else.