Basis for Assertion that Agencies are In It for the $$?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone understand whether the au pair agencies are for profit businesses or some kind of non-profit? Are there actually "owners" who are reeping all the fees/profits (if any?)?

[Anonymous]

Most au pair agencies are for profits, some are not for profit but it doesn't mean a thing. For example EurAupair is not for profit and they love to say there are one of the few not for profit au pair agencies out there, however their fees are higher than many other agencies including APC and their LCCs are 100% volunteers (APC LCCs are paid employees), their website is very basic. When I was with them I kept wondering where the money was going??? That is one of the reason I switched because I felt like I was getting scammed twice!

[Anonymous]

Yeah apparently the owner of Cultural Care (via some corporate conglomerate) is a really not great guy. Idk the details or substance of that though.

[Anonymous]

Cultural Care is owned by a company called Education First, which, as PP said, is a huge international conglomerate. I have never seen a financial statement for any AP agency, but I cannot imagine that they are not making a ton of money off of this. They get $9K per year from host families. They get another couple-thousand each year from the au pairs.

[Anonymous]

LCCs earn $25 per month per family. You pay 9k a year for that? the profiteering is outrageous

[Anonymous]

Part of the feeds cover advertising for APs, interviews, flights here and home, costs to house and “teach” during the orientation, etc. But I agree, $9k covers that and muuuuuch more!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Part of the feeds cover advertising for APs, interviews, flights here and home, costs to house and “teach” during the orientation, etc. But I agree, $9k covers that and muuuuuch more!

Lol. The owners are making a damn killing over their “cultural exchange” propaganda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LCCs earn $25 per month per family. You pay 9k a year for that? the profiteering is outrageous

Maybe this is how they’re able to afford their own AP.

[Anonymous]

Does it cover the costs of the visa or do the au pairs pay for that? When I was looking at the visas, they were very expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does it cover the costs of the visa or do the au pairs pay for that? When I was looking at the visas, they were very expensive.

AP pays agencies fees and also her visa fees and it is a lot of money depending on the country. What I find even crazy is HFs pay the same fees for extension APs (unless they are extending with the same AP) while the agencies is spending almost zero $ to train them, not paying an extra ticket, isn't that ridiculous???

[Anonymous]

I’m no apologist for the agencies but AP pays their visa APPLICATION fee but do not pay for any of the fees associated with actually issuing and sponsoring their J1 visa once their application is approved.
Fees also cover health insurance for AP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m no apologist for the agencies but AP pays their visa APPLICATION fee but do not pay for any of the fees associated with actually issuing and sponsoring their J1 visa once their application is approved.
Fees also cover health insurance for AP.

APs pay for their own insurance, actually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m no apologist for the agencies but AP pays their visa APPLICATION fee but do not pay for any of the fees associated with actually issuing and sponsoring their J1 visa once their application is approved.
Fees also cover health insurance for AP.

No sure what you are talking about, my Brazilian APs pay the agency about $2000 to join the program (some agencies are cheaper, it starts anywhere from $600 up), that is a LOT of money for someone living in Brazil!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cultural Care is owned by a company called Education First, which, as PP said, is a huge international conglomerate. I have never seen a financial statement for any AP agency, but I cannot imagine that they are not making a ton of money off of this. They get $9K per year from host families. They get another couple-thousand each year from the au pairs.

You mean this BILLIONAIRE?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/maxjedeurpalmgren/2018/08/23/meet-the-billionaire-college-dropout-whos-teaching-the-world-english/#63269f337332

HFs complain about where their money goes in an agency, so do APs. This would be the answer because the LCCs are barely paid too...

[Anonymous]

If you all think that AP agencies are making such big bucks doing this, then why doesn't someone else start a competing AP company with lower prices for both HFs and APs and take all of the business. The fact that there are so many different AP agencies out there and that none of them are currently doing this, suggests that despite the complaints of posters here, there isn't a huge huge profit just sitting around for running an AP company.