Comparing/switching Au Pair Agencies

[Anonymous]

We have worked with Cultural Care in the past but are thinking of switching agencies for two reasons: 1) we have a split schedule M-F (30 hours roughly) and would occasionally like Sat night. With Cultural Care requiring a consecutive 1.5 days off we can only ask for Sat morning or Sun afternoon/night over the weekend, and 2) we once had to rematch after a terrible au pair experience and CC isn't great about refunding fees/we would have lost 60% or so of already paid fees if we decided not to continue with the program. Could you share experiences with other agencies, both on these points and just the agency generally? For example, I've always had a good experience with CC on having many candidates from many different countries to search from but not sure if other agencies are the same, or find candidates only from select countries. I realize some of these questions are moot with COVID but it would be great to compare as we think about long term options.

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I started out looking on CC's website but had a terrible time matching with anyone (this was when they switched to allow aps 6 connections at a time). Switched to AupairCare and connected immediately with 2 candidates and found our first ap. I thought the countries and selections were comparable, but apc limits aps to 2 connections so they have to make decisions rather than sitting on connections and shop for perks.

Another thing in apc's favor is the local consultant, who's head and shoulders above the one from cc.

[Anonymous]

I've used both CC (7 years with a rematch) and Au Pair Care (2 years). I much prefer the support during matching from Cultural Care, and LOVED my local coordinator. I can't say the same about Au Pair Care, but they have more spanish-speaking male au pairs at the moment, so I'll likely end up with them again.

My rematch experience with CC was fine, though its never pleasant.

[Anonymous]

I had a bad experience with aupaircare. They do nothing during rematch and grant rematch for every aupair. So the loss is always on the family. They do not mediate or tried to resolve issue and just approved to have aupair go their way and family always ended up losing money if you don’t get another aupair from them. The local area director basically sit on her ass and let everything tax it’s own way.

[Anonymous]

FYI--all the agencies suck. Just use whatever agency you want to get you what you need. They are loyal to themselves. HFs should be too

[Anonymous]

CHI has the same shitty "return" policy almost like CC. APIA has
theirs published online and it also looks terrible.

If rematch happens, the financial burden falls entirely on HF, no regard to the au pair or agency.

Also, I second the previous poster. The LCCs may be great but remember, they are not your friend and their loyalty is with the agency.

[Anonymous]

Wondering if aupair still have only 2 weeks to find the next family or they have unlimited amount of time to choose their next family? Mid of last year when I was looking for an in country aupair, I got no one responded or even accepted connection because they have 30-40 families competing for them. Some of the girls denied the connection within 1 minute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a bad experience with aupaircare. They do nothing during rematch and grant rematch for every aupair. So the loss is always on the family. They do not mediate or tried to resolve issue and just approved to have aupair go their way and family always ended up losing money if you don’t get another aupair from them. The local area director basically sit on her ass and let everything tax it’s own way.

+1000 this was our AupairCare experience. Rematched a dangerous aupair and then charge us more for a replacement aupair (and the aupair's flight to us from the west coast) in the meantime. They will rematch an aupair no matter what crazy thing they have done and lie to a host family to do it.

I'm sure it happens with every agency, but it was so accepted that the LAR didn't even try to hide what she was doing. She then tried to place an aupair in our home who had her previous host family call the police on her for stealing their belongings when she left for her rematch. Who knows who was telling the truth in that situation, but we were told that the HF was crazy (they werent) and to take the aupair because she decided to do better the next time.

I decided my children didn't need to be involved in her "do better next time" experiment.

We haven't had those issues with the other two agencies we have used, but it may be luck.

[Anonymous]

Now I am with agent au pair, so far I like the support. The area director was an aupair so she prides herself to be a great au pair and see things from both side. They imposed a 30 days mediation period for working things out, that sounds much better for family in this weird time (many aupairs look for unrealistic perks and rematch for the better) . My aupair just arrived from out of country in end of March so I dont know how it's going to be if we really have to be in rematch. Hopefully we dont need to be in this sticky situation ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a bad experience with aupaircare. They do nothing during rematch and grant rematch for every aupair. So the loss is always on the family. They do not mediate or tried to resolve issue and just approved to have aupair go their way and family always ended up losing money if you don’t get another aupair from them. The local area director basically sit on her ass and let everything tax it’s own way.

+1000 this was our AupairCare experience. Rematched a dangerous aupair and then charge us more for a replacement aupair (and the aupair's flight to us from the west coast) in the meantime. They will rematch an aupair no matter what crazy thing they have done and lie to a host family to do it.

I'm sure it happens with every agency, but it was so accepted that the LAR didn't even try to hide what she was doing. She then tried to place an aupair in our home who had her previous host family call the police on her for stealing their belongings when she left for her rematch. Who knows who was telling the truth in that situation, but we were told that the HF was crazy (they werent) and to take the aupair because she decided to do better the next time.

I decided my children didn't need to be involved in her "do better next time" experiment.

We haven't had those issues with the other two agencies we have used, but it may be luck.

Same experience with lack of support from aupaircare. Totally based on your LCC. Our previous LCC was great, but new one does absolutely bare minimum 5% of the time and 0% the majority of the time. We joined a lot of agencies for free and looked for the right AP. So my advice is don’t worry about the agency, look for the right AP or bropair for your family.