Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our au pair just extended. The money is a big draw. Plus, her own country is an emerging hot spot.

Yep, our au pair has been here for two years and a month and will be extending for another six months. If she goes back to her home country (probably the same country), she’s very unlikely to be able to get a job and the health situation isn’t good. Also, we’re paying $500 a week.

I think it is extremely dependent on the home country situation.

Um, what now? $500/week?

DP but lots of us are paying much more because of covid childcare struggles. My German AP probably would have gone home otherwise and isn’t extending either way.

Yes, but also because it just felt like the right thing to do. She's gone from a maybe 20 hour a week job to a 45 hour a week job that is much harder. And it's still way less than what we would pay a nanny.

When you add in room, food, cellphone, transportation, education, etc, $500/week for an au pair doesn't make sense. But you do you.

Phone is $40 extra a month. Room? I don’t need to rent it. Transportation? Where is she going? Yes, 500 a week is fair and worth it.

Anonymous wrote:I could not agree more with PP. What else ahould happen to the program for families just say: I am done! Why are we even fighting for this?
I know the cultural exchange and other positives of the program are great... but does it really come first to our primary challenge of getting reliable, consistente care for our children? The way the program is right now is just challenging, full of drama and every day a new event.
We habe decided, we are done... we want to be in control, and not in thr passenger’s seat..

Cultural exchange is dead. If you look in the rematch groups, au pairs are celebrating because obviously the host families have been cheap all along if some have started offering $2k signing bonuses, brand new car to drive, and $400-500/week.

If the program actually resumes next year, au pairs will be holding out for those families (who will be dumping their interim mediocre au pairs anyway for a fresh start), but it will ruin au pairs' expectations and keep fueling the offensive being treated like "slaves" accusations.

Anonymous wrote:Our au pair told us she wanted to extend and we did the paperwork in April for a 6 month extension. She told us yesterday she wants to go to a different family. Her year is up July 30. So mad. I feel blindsided. We have an LC meeting tomorrow night. It would have been so easy for her to tell us this in April. So glad we dragged our feet on paying the $4000 + fee from Interexchange. We would have started to make alternative plans months ago.

Did she know you were dragging your feet on the fees? Maybe she thought you weren’t as interested in having her extend as you had said.

Our au pair told us she wanted to extend and we did the paperwork in April for a 6 month extension. She told us yesterday she wants to go to a different family. Her year is up July 30. So mad. I feel blindsided. We have an LC meeting tomorrow night. It would have been so easy for her to tell us this in April. So glad we dragged our feet on paying the $4000 + fee from Interexchange. We would have started to make alternative plans months ago.

I could not agree more with PP. What else ahould happen to the program for families just say: I am done! Why are we even fighting for this?
I know the cultural exchange and other positives of the program are great... but does it really come first to our primary challenge of getting reliable, consistente care for our children? The way the program is right now is just challenging, full of drama and every day a new event.
We habe decided, we are done... we want to be in control, and not in thr passenger’s seat..

Anonymous wrote:I honestly think host families should just look for alternative options and leave the program. It has become a huge struggle with all the past events, bans, etc.

I feel like this program is on life support. The class action lawsuit scared me away from hosting- I dislike the lack of clarity around compensation and I don't want to deal with a complaint filed to department of labor or similar. I just want an objective price, and that's what I get with before and after care. I think coronavirus is tougher on some families than others and that an au pair would be a big help to some families right now BUT the au pair would be miserable in the circumstances. If ever there was a time to just hire a local nanny, this is it. I mean, all the college students are home now, just hire one and be done with this visa/lawsuit/wage uncertainty/covid/inadequate AP medical insurance nightmare.

Anonymous wrote:I honestly think host families should just look for alternative options and leave the program. It has become a huge struggle with all the past events, bans, etc.

Yes, our au pair just requested a rematch because she felt our COVID rules were too strict and doesn’t want to social distance. I don’t fault her, but I am not going to compete for an in country au pair. We will just need to figure something else out.

I honestly think host families should just look for alternative options and leave the program. It has become a huge struggle with all the past events, bans, etc.

It's crappy all around. The Aps who want to go home (if they can) surely should be supported. If you were the German/Mexican (Maybe not Brazilian) parent of a 22 year old living here, wouldn't you want your baby home, especially if it's what she wants? People are scared and should be supported in this time of uncertainty.

Yep, you have to think of your well-being and that of your family, but APs' families feel the same way. Suck it up. None of this is your fault and we're all just doing the best we can.

Now team, get out there and charm the heck out of the APs who are looking for extension families. You and your kids ARE THE BEST OPTION FOR THESE (SCARED) YOUNG WOMEN!

Anonymous wrote:Our au pair had said she would extend for another year but has changed her mind and wants to go home because of COVID. How many others are in this position and were blindsided?

If you are blindsided by this, you are utterly oblivious.

Anonymous wrote:Both our current ap decide to leave early (in the next month) and our incoming extension ap (coming in early Sept) have decided to go home and both told me this week. Let's just say it's not been a good week.

So sorry. At least you know and can start looking. I Have an AP from Brazil supposed to come in August, I don't think she will make it but can't do anything but wait till at least july.

Both our current ap decide to leave early (in the next month) and our incoming extension ap (coming in early Sept) have decided to go home and both told me this week. Let's just say it's not been a good week.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our au pair just extended. The money is a big draw. Plus, her own country is an emerging hot spot.

Yep, our au pair has been here for two years and a month and will be extending for another six months. If she goes back to her home country (probably the same country), she’s very unlikely to be able to get a job and the health situation isn’t good. Also, we’re paying $500 a week.

I think it is extremely dependent on the home country situation.

Sorry if I am missing something but how is it possible to extend beyond 2 years?

The State Department is making a special exemption for au pairs wrapping up their second year in a certain time frame and allowing them to extend for another six months. I think it’s a relatively narrow group of people.

At the same time State Department wants to ban J1 Visa, it is clear they have no idea WTF they are doing.

I had the exact same thought! What a bizarre combination of events...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our au pair just extended. The money is a big draw. Plus, her own country is an emerging hot spot.

Yep, our au pair has been here for two years and a month and will be extending for another six months. If she goes back to her home country (probably the same country), she’s very unlikely to be able to get a job and the health situation isn’t good. Also, we’re paying $500 a week.

I think it is extremely dependent on the home country situation.

Um, what now? $500/week?

DP but lots of us are paying much more because of covid childcare struggles. My German AP probably would have gone home otherwise and isn’t extending either way.

Yes, but also because it just felt like the right thing to do. She's gone from a maybe 20 hour a week job to a 45 hour a week job that is much harder. And it's still way less than what we would pay a nanny.

When you add in room, food, cellphone, transportation, education, etc, $500/week for an au pair doesn't make sense. But you do you.

I am not in this situation, but some people are really desperate for childcare right now, especially with everything closed, some people are saving ton of money in activities, preschool fees etc, so yeah I can see paying a lot to keep a good au pair, because good au pair can be as good as a nanny.