If Trump does not exempt J1 in July program is dead

[Anonymous]

Rumors are J1 we’re exempt up to last minute of EO; if Trump does not grant exemption in first review window I think it is the end of the program.
Next window is September and that is full election mode.
Win or lose trump will most likely extend visa limit through 21. If Biden wins he won’t get around to this order until late 21 at best. Just do not see even ccap weathering that storm.

[Anonymous]

Maybe this is a dumb q but why do you think a hiatus automatically means the program is dead? Why couldn’t it start back up in a Biden administration as long as demand continues? If anything, demand for at home child care will increase with the pandemic for two parent working families.

[Anonymous]

Trump loses he will extend the ban most likely; Biden will have so many other things on his plate this will be a low priority.

[Anonymous]

I totally agree the program is dead. There was already a lot of momentum prior to this to kill the program. This is a convenient way of getting it done.

[Anonymous]

It deserves to die with the way the agencies ran it with shady practices, such as putting negligent and problematic au pairs into rematch but lying that the prior host family left the program.

Now the lies are being exposed about how the program is about cultural exchange. If you try to find a rematch or extension now, it's simply about how much are you willing to pay per week and what's the biggest number an au pair can squeeze out of a desperate host family. Or the ones who simply jumped to being an illegal nanny with the idea that they can get $20-30/hour.

[Anonymous]

Agree 100%. Some people are hanging on to the program, when they should be looking for other solutions to their child care needs. Just hanging on the "part of the family, cultural exchange" will not change the facts that there are too many challenges right now with the program, and will most likely end.
Be pro-active, look now alternatives, get your children safely in the hands of more professional care givers, and let this go. Just let it go.
Agree also that the au pais right now are only looking for the extra bucks, and going into rematch after rematch just to continue getting bonus, etc. Sure, it is their right, but it has nothing to do with an exchange program anymore.

[Anonymous]

Lol seems like it’s a bunch of nannies posting not host families. What are all these magical child care alternatives that families are yet to discover, in the midst of a global pandemic no less? I’ll wait... yeah they don’t exist. There is a child care crisis in this country right now and the politicians in charge won’t acknowledge it or do anything to solve it. Clearly there is a huge difference in the cost of an au pair versus a nanny, a nanny could cost twice or three times what an au pair costs. Nannies are simply out of reach for many families, leaving day care as the only option and right now in a pandemic that’s simply too risky for many. There is a reason this program existed, both for host families, and for the young women and some men who relish the chance to live in the US for a couple of years. Yes of course there were the bad abusive host families and the dud Au Pairs who ruined it for the rest of us, but we can’t deny that this program fills a huge hole.

[Anonymous]

A number of these posts also ignore that for MANY MANY families and APs, the program is working. My kids are in school, so my AP works less than 20 hours a week. She travels and enjoys seeing the US. We enjoying hearing about her country and perspectives.

My AP is living her dream as she says. And we are experiencing a cultural exchange == both us.

Only a small number of families I know have their AP work even close to the 45 hours.

And I agree there are abusive families. They are violating the rules and should be kicked out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lol seems like it’s a bunch of nannies posting not host families. What are all these magical child care alternatives that families are yet to discover, in the midst of a global pandemic no less? I’ll wait... yeah they don’t exist. There is a child care crisis in this country right now and the politicians in charge won’t acknowledge it or do anything to solve it. Clearly there is a huge difference in the cost of an au pair versus a nanny, a nanny could cost twice or three times what an au pair costs. Nannies are simply out of reach for many families, leaving day care as the only option and right now in a pandemic that’s simply too risky for many. There is a reason this program existed, both for host families, and for the young women and some men who relish the chance to live in the US for a couple of years. Yes of course there were the bad abusive host families and the dud Au Pairs who ruined it for the rest of us, but we can’t deny that this program fills a huge hole.

It does not fill a huge hole. There are around only 20,000 au pairs a year.

There are not only 20,000 families needing childcare. Or even 40,000.

This is a drop in the bucket of the childcare issue. And everyone else does not care about the au pair program, which is why there are so many misperceptions about host families being rich to afford an au pair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol seems like it’s a bunch of nannies posting not host families. What are all these magical child care alternatives that families are yet to discover, in the midst of a global pandemic no less? I’ll wait... yeah they don’t exist. There is a child care crisis in this country right now and the politicians in charge won’t acknowledge it or do anything to solve it. Clearly there is a huge difference in the cost of an au pair versus a nanny, a nanny could cost twice or three times what an au pair costs. Nannies are simply out of reach for many families, leaving day care as the only option and right now in a pandemic that’s simply too risky for many. There is a reason this program existed, both for host families, and for the young women and some men who relish the chance to live in the US for a couple of years. Yes of course there were the bad abusive host families and the dud Au Pairs who ruined it for the rest of us, but we can’t deny that this program fills a huge hole.

It does not fill a huge hole. There are around only 20,000 au pairs a year.

There are not only 20,000 families needing childcare. Or even 40,000.

This is a drop in the bucket of the childcare issue. And everyone else does not care about the au pair program, which is why there are so many misperceptions about host families being rich to afford an au pair.

Ok it fills a *small* hole. What’s your point? It’s still a child care solution for 20,000 families, including many military families, and there’s still a child care crisis and it’s at least one option that’s not day care or pre-school (added risk during a pandemic) or nanny ($$$$)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lol seems like it’s a bunch of nannies posting not host families. What are all these magical child care alternatives that families are yet to discover, in the midst of a global pandemic no less? I’ll wait... yeah they don’t exist. There is a child care crisis in this country right now and the politicians in charge won’t acknowledge it or do anything to solve it. Clearly there is a huge difference in the cost of an au pair versus a nanny, a nanny could cost twice or three times what an au pair costs. Nannies are simply out of reach for many families, leaving day care as the only option and right now in a pandemic that’s simply too risky for many. There is a reason this program existed, both for host families, and for the young women and some men who relish the chance to live in the US for a couple of years. Yes of course there were the bad abusive host families and the dud Au Pairs who ruined it for the rest of us, but we can’t deny that this program fills a huge hole.

It does not fill a huge hole. There are around only 20,000 au pairs a year.

There are not only 20,000 families needing childcare. Or even 40,000.

This is a drop in the bucket of the childcare issue. And everyone else does not care about the au pair program, which is why there are so many misperceptions about host families being rich to afford an au pair.

Ok it fills a *small* hole. What’s your point? It’s still a child care solution for 20,000 families, including many military families, and there’s still a child care crisis and it’s at least one option that’s not day care or pre-school (added risk during a pandemic) or nanny ($$$$)

+1

[Anonymous]

The point is that small programs that are misunderstood and/or the public won’t care about are easily cut when it’ll look good. Especially in an election year.

[Anonymous]

https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/2020/07/02/banning-j1-au-pairs-affects-military-readiness/

AP and military readiness, possibly the best (only) argument that Trump will hear

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/2020/07/02/banning-j1-au-pairs-affects-military-readiness/

AP and military readiness, possibly the best (only) argument that Trump will hear

The guys doesn't care that Russians are paying bounty to kill killing U.S. troops, what make you think he will care about this? My point being nobody has any idea why this government does stuffs. We just hope that things will get better...one day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/2020/07/02/banning-j1-au-pairs-affects-military-readiness/

AP and military readiness, possibly the best (only) argument that Trump will hear

The guys doesn't care that Russians are paying bounty to kill killing U.S. troops, what make you think he will care about this? My point being nobody has any idea why this government does stuffs. We just hope that things will get better...one day.

This is an election year. The article I posted was aimed at military readers; if it’s picked up by mainstream news during the election cycle, he’ll either have to deal with it (possibly lifting the AP ban) or be ousted as completely incompetent. Most military backers are conservative and/or Republican, and he knows he can’t afford to alienate them all.

As I said before, the AP program is small, easily overlooked or misunderstood by the vast majority of people. It will take it being explained in a way that the average person can understand (ie. as childcare that allows for flexibility and consistency for military families) before he has to deal with it.

~Nanny who happens to think the AP program is a good thing and wants it saved