Not all families can afford a fancy vacation or simply choose not to vacation a particular year or go on vacation when they are between aupairs because it makes sense with timing, work schedules, kids school break, etc.

I interview for mature young adults who have independent travel goals for the time in the USA.

We plan our expensive vacation between APs departure/arrival. Problem
solved.

I am not sure which agency you are referring to? My agencies brochure certainly does state "all expenses paid vacations for a year"

And so is everything else that APs don't want/refuse to take part in.

Anonymous wrote:"The AP can plan her own vacation of course. But she came to the US on the AP programme to share your life for a year.
It's not a hotel, room and board ... You have to welcome her like you would a niece or cousin"

I love the "AP came to share your life" cliche! To share my actual "life" (crying kids, forgot to buy milk, call from nurses office to pick kid up, flat tire, etc, etc) or just the perks, smooth sailing happy moments?

This is not a cliché. This is how it should be and how it is spelled out in the agency brochures.
But in reality families are mostly picking the AP programme just because it's cheaper. They don't care much about the cultural aspect or having the AP participate to family life.
Vacation is part of family life.

"The AP can plan her own vacation of course. But she came to the US on the AP programme to share your life for a year.
It's not a hotel, room and board ... You have to welcome her like you would a niece or cousin"

I love the "AP came to share your life" cliche! To share my actual "life" (crying kids, forgot to buy milk, call from nurses office to pick kid up, flat tire, etc, etc) or just the perks, smooth sailing happy moments?

Fascinating that I should bring AP on all expenses paid for/non-working vacation as I would my 16 year old niece, however; in an emergency pinch, I can ask my niece to sleep overnight with my kids, but I can't ask the same of the AP.

So- as all parents know. "Vacation" with young kids is not a vacation... It is a trip.
So, unless AP is needed on vacation to take care of the kids- feed them, clean them, supervise them, handle outings, be responsible, etc (like me and my husband do 24 hours/day on vacation), then she doesn't come.

I disagree, AP came to make young adult friends (as she should) and explore/travel with them. Yes, local events, and things with HP, but not extended vacations.

We typically take two trips per year. We take our AP to the family vacation to CA and treat her as a visiting niece. We pay for everything: airfare, lodging, ice cream at the beach, dinner out, zip-lining, hot air balloon, etc. When our AP explores things on her own, she pays herself: train ticket to LA, overnight accommodation, etc. Our second vacation is typically without the AP. She takes time off then and pays for her own travels.

The AP can plan her own vacation of course. But she came to the US on the AP programme to share your life for a year.
It's not a hotel, room and board ... You have to welcome her like you would a niece or cousin.

You have signed to be host families and to treat your AP as a member of the family. So I don't believe it's fair for you not to bring your AP to family events or to family vacation.
It's not just a"what can I get from the AP" and "only give what I want"deal. It's just not fair for these young women.

Be ready to share everything for a year and include her in your life, if not that means you're not made for the programme


Hey AP poster,

How about you plan your own vacations? This is what young American adults do. Embrace the culture that you came here to experience.

You have signed to be host families and to treat your AP as a member of the family. So I don't believe it's fair for you not to bring your AP to family events or to family vacation.
It's not just a"what can I get from the AP" and "only give what I want"deal. It's just not fair for these young women.

Be ready to share everything for a year and include her in your life, if not that means you're not made for the programme.

There is no list aside from the required...private room, three meals per day, stipend and education stipend. The rest is an annoying grey area that creates drama and resentment as APs compare and contrast what their HP pays for and doesn't pay for.

We invited our AP on vacation to all inclusive resort (not working and not counted as vacation week) but she had to share a room with one of my kids (separate bed, easy kid who sleeps well). I wasn't paying for a separate room. All inclusive made it easy because everything was paid for up front. We invited her on family excursions and paid. She paid for excursions that she planned on her own.

We don't invite to trips that involve weddings, family reunions, etc. I don't want to deal with the messiness of it all and feel like I am responsible for her happiness and comfort!

This is one reason why many families don't take APs on vacation. Just done ask her. If you do, you pay. There will be a lot of confusion and awkwardness if you don't. Just don't do it. ManY APs are happy to,have the time off.