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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I just don't understand when parents need a specialized, educated caregiver but don't want to pay. Hire an American with education and experience needed to care for the special needs child. [/quote]

You are assuming that they want an Au pair for cheap labor. Believe it or not, a lot of families are drawn to the au pair program for culture exchange and a flexible schedule. The OP mentioned that their child has mild special needs. If an Au pair with special training wants to match with a family with special needs, that their choice. I am not what your problem is. Also, unless a family is using all 45 hours or they have young kids, the AP program is not cheaper. When we were in the program we used Less than 20 hours because our kids were in school. When we joined the program we knew that wasn’t going to be cheaper but we had a split schedule because of school and one of our kids had an interest in foreign language and culture, so we decided to host. Check the comparison in cost below for our family.

Current before and after school cost
$1200/month (180/week) - monthly  average includes cost of summer
We only need 3 hours a day, 4 days a week. We’re using a college student.

Cost with Au pair
Stipend about 850/month or 200/week
Car for Au pair 150/month
Auto insurance for Au pair 100/month
Groceries for Au pair 200/month
Cell phone for Au pair 40/month
Gas card $50/ month
Extra  cost for electric and water: unable to calculate (but bill is lower now)
Cost of using the agency 800/month
Additional vacation  cost for Au pair 6000/ year ( 2 international/year)
Retention bonus 1000/year given in month 6 and 10

Total cost of hosting 2140/month vs 1200/month now. I did not include the retention bonus, vacation and gas card because this was our choice. It always puzzles me when people make having an Au pair seem like cheap labor. For family with 2 or more non school age kids it ends up being cheaper but those parents often have a hard keeping APs once they start comparing. Having an Au pair is a luxury, not everyone can afford. We did it for 2 years and have no regrets. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. We all knew what we getting ourselves into. We benefited from the cultural exchange experience. Our first AP took advantage and had the true American experience going to football games, base ball, clubs, took solo trips to the West cost, Florida and New York. Our second Au pair was more reserved. I think her goal was to find an American boyfriend which she did. She is doing her second year with another family. She is thriving. She and her boyfriend are discussing getting married after her second year. None of our AP asked for more other football or baseball tickets whenever we did plan to use them (first AP) and extra day off here and there (second AP to spend with her boyfriend). We didn’t mind because we had easy access to tickets and between my husband and my self we really only needed 4 days of childcare and so we gladly gave 3 day weekend occasionally.

To any future Au pairs reading this, you are signing up for $200/week which comes out to be about $4/hr if the family needs you for the max amount of time. You sign up knowing  that this is the case. I am guessing you will sign up because you think the family is a good match for cultural experience. When get here, you will find that other APs have it better than you. If the family treats you with respect and are not breaking things you agreed upon, make the best if your time. If having all these perks is important to you, interview number of families and find the best family for you. Additionally, you are not going to make what Nannies make but you will also not have the expenses Nannie’s have (Rent, car payment, insurance, groceries, cell phone, internet, electric, water…) . In our area, these can come up to $1500-2000 if you’re renting a room in someone’s house. Would be a lot more if you rent your own apartment. When you find yourself comparing yourself to a nanny. Remember that most nannies don’t have 850 leftover after they pay their expenses every month.
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