Reply to Proposed DC legislation re: domestic workers

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[quote=Anonymous]When DC moves to $15 an hour this summer it'll be $34,000+ a year paid to the au pair BEFORE living expenses, food, agency fee (ours was $9k), payroll taxes (will this now be required like nannies?). And how will it even be administered since some families use the max 45 hours and some use far less than that? How will an au pair document the hours and who will keep track? This will simply mean that far fewer (if any) families will use this program now. It's a shame for all those involved because I'm guessing au pairs would rather come to a city like DC than bumble-f Ohio and now there will not be as many HF wanting them here so they won't have that opportunity. It just won't make sense anymore to have the headaches involved of a young adult roommate on top of added costs of the program AND then you're paying essentially the same amount you'd pay someone else anyway. DC is just making it absolutely impossible for working families. I'm not sure what families will do who need part-time care at odd hours. And then for full-time care, a center opening by us is going to be $32k a year for a toddler (so infant will be more), but they're only open until 6pm. If you can even get a spot. The au pair program was a good option for those needing flexible full and even more so, part-time care.

My au pair has funded trips to Florida, California, Colorado, New Orleans, Nashville, and goes to New York frequently. She plans to go to LA several more times this spring. She goes shopping more than I do BY FAR. She goes out with her friends every weekend to bars and clubs. She has sent money home to her family. We have given her holiday bonuses, paid for medical expenses, ubers, on top of cell phone, whatever groceries she wants (sometimes $100 a week), etc. So yeah- on paper, I realize we sound terrible for not wanting to pay them minimum wage. But SO MUCH MORE GOES INTO IT THAN THE $200 A WEEK STIPEND. So for those of us who are normal and friendly HFs who follow the program rules and have happy au pairs who agreed to come to the program fully knowing those rules and how much money they would make, this really just makes childcare that much more expensive in the most expensive city for childcare in the country.

I wrote my council member and Ms. Silverman. I simply won't participate in the program anymore if this passes. I may as well find a college student to rent the basement room and bathroom to and get that income. [/quote]

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