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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My au pair left our family (and the program) without notice on 12/26 - 14 hours before she was supposed to start work - after she got married and applied to change her visa status. I am not in the DC-area but in MA.

This scenario has caused me to SERIOUSLY question the au pair program in general, especially after I read the "agreement" I signed with my agency with a new lens and see that there are basically no protections for the host families. The au pair is protected at all costs, but the host family is incented only to remain with the program and to continue matching with au pairs.

A scenario like mine opens up a lot of grey areas between the host family, the au pair, and the agency and makes it hard to discern who is responsible for what. Because of that, the program make no sense and, in my opinion, puts children at risk. I understand now, after my own experience and what I'm reading online, that to many au pairs, it is simply an easy way to get into the country, and there are just no protections for the host families (primarily THE CHILDREN) that are sacrificed for the au pairs desire to immigrate. I would gladly participate if there were a way to take significant action against the agencies. [/quote]

I am so sorry about this, how awful! So she got married in secret?

If you really wanted to be vengeful you can report that she violated her J1 visa by getting married[/quote]

Yes, our aupair was removed from the program because she was arrested and deported but the agency would not refund our host family fees and pointed to the contract that said our fees were gone unless we accepted another au pair. We sued and settled. The contract is biased against host families AND aupairs. This is a profit driven machine of an industry centered on selling childcare.  If you read your contract, you pay for the "access" to the applicant database and not for the assurance or screening of the applicants for safety and childcare experience.

The reforms do nothing to fix the issue that is causing 99.9% of the problems with the au pair program. I'm sorry your aupair left you high and dry. They can easily walk away with little consequence. The agency will take the opportunity to sell you more of the same or force you to leave your already fees behind.

It's quite the program they are running and it's legal.
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