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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]You're not saying why criminal background checks are optional, PP.[/quote]

And you haven't said why you think they're so important.  I don't really get what significant increase in safety they would add.  Please explain why basic background checks are your be-all-end-all on this issue.  If only there were background checks, all au pairs would be safe?  I just don't think so.  It does seem like agencies are starting to add them, incidentally.

So here are the things host parents go through before they can be matched:

1.  The LCC visits the house and personally interviews every family member that lives there
2.  The LCC checks out the au pair room
3.  The agency calls and talks with a professional and personal reference for the family
4.  The host family pays $8,000 to sign up with the program
5.  The host family gets tons of material and a guidebook about the program and it's limits
6.  The LCC visits the host family again two weeks after the au pair arrives to check in
7.  The LCC has at least monthly contact with the host family to verify that they are staying within the legal requirements

I'm not saying that's not going to catch everything, but really, what could you do to literally catch everything?  You can't.  It's a risk both sides take on as part of the program.  And fortunately, there is the rematch process if it goes wrong.

Do you care if your AP has a criminal record?

[/quote][/quote]

Of course, but frankly, I imagine there are so few APs with a criminal record that if I had to list all of the ways in which she'd been checked out, that would be the lowest on my concerns list.  Listen, I'm not arguing against them.  I and many other host parents have said that we would be more than happy to submit to them.  Find me a host parent in a thread who said she would refuse.  But you railing on here about criminal records just de-rails every thread.  If you're so concerned about it, talk to the agencies.  Posting on here is useless.  And please recognize that there is not an "absence" of security like you keep stating or that there is a huge rash of au pairs being abused and victimized.  There is tons of due diligence done in these programs.  [/quote]

If you really thought posting about this was useless, you wouldn't waste your time arguing against it, and you know it.

[/quote]

I'm not arguing against background checks even a little bit.  I've said I'd be fine with them, I've said that one was done on me through my agency, and I've said that it seems like agencies are planning to institute them.  What I am arguing against is your assertion that au pairs have no protection and that there is an "absence" of host family screening, which is patently false.[/quote]

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