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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Why doesn't the Dept. of State require EVERY host parent to be checked out?[/quote]

They definitely have protections written into the regulation concerning oversight by the LCC and the agency:

"Require that all officers, employees, agents, and volunteers acting on their behalf are adequately trained and supervised; (5) Require that the au pair participant is placed with a host family within one hour's driving time of the home of the local organizational representative authorized to act on the sponsor's behalf in both routine and emergency matters arising from the au pair's participation in their exchange program; (6) Require that each local organizational representative maintain a record of all personal monthly contacts (or more frequently as required) with each au pair and host family for which he or she is responsible and issues or problems discussed; (7) Require that all local organizational representatives contact au pair participants and host families twice monthly for the first two months following a placement other than the initial placement for which the au pair entered the United States. (8) Require that local organizational representatives not devoting their full time and attention to their program obligations are responsible for no more than fifteen au pairs and host families; and (9) Require that each local organizational representative is provided adequate support services by a regional organizational representative."

It also does require that the au pair have phone contact with the family before matching and requires the following:

"Host family selection. Sponsors shall adequately screen all potential host families and at a minimum shall: (1) Require that the host parents are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents; (2) Require that host parents are fluent in spoken English; (3) Require that all adult family members resident in the home have been personally interviewed by an
organizational representative; (4) Require that host parents and other adults living full-time in the household have successfully passed a background investigation including employment and personal character references; (5) Require that the host family have adequate financial resources to undertake all hosting obligations; (6) Provide a written detailed summary of the exchange program and the parameters of their and the au pair's duties, participation, and obligations; and (7) Provide the host family with the prospective au pair participant's complete application, including all references."

Also:
"Host family orientation. In addition to the requirements set forth at Sec. 514.10 sponsors shall: (1) Inform all host families of the philosophy, rules, and regulations governing the sponsor's exchange program and provide all families with a copy of the Department of State's written statement and brochure regarding the au pair program; (2) Provide all selected host families with a complete copy of Department of State-promulgated Exchange Visitor Program regulations, including the supplemental information thereto; (3) Advise all selected host families of their obligation to attend at least one family day conference to be sponsored by the au pair organization during the course of the
placement year. Host family attendance at such a gathering is a condition of program participation and failure to attend will be grounds for possible termination of their continued or future program participation; and (4) Require that the organization's local counselor responsible for the au pair placement contacts the host family and au pair within fortheight hours of the au pair's arrival and meets, in person, with the host family and au pair within two weeks of the au pair's arrival at the host family home."

I seriously don't know what else you want.  If you and your daughter were so concerned about coming to the program, then you don't have to do it.  There is risk in everything in life.  Most au pairs come and have a great time and have at least marginally welcoming families, which is really all you need to have a fantastic year.  And they're not stuck here - if they find it's not for them, they can return home.  Seriously I don't get what your big issue is.  Are you a host parent that didn't feel you were adequately checked out?  Are you an au pair who got stuck with a bad host family?  If you're the latter, what else do you think the agency could have done to screen out that family?  Are you just someone bored who has no experience at all with the program?  Then please recognize that you don't have any idea how it really works.[/quote]

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