Good Initial Impressions- difficult period after matching The company does very well throughout the application process as well as with the check ins when arriving in the states. The company needs a lot of work once a match has been processed. The period between matching and departure was extremely difficult to navigate. I felt as though the staff stopped responding as quickly and as effectively as they had been prior to the match

Mixed Experience with Hit-or-Miss Au Pair Agency My family has been using this agency since 2019, and the journey has been quite a rollercoaster. We've had the pleasure of welcoming three amazing au pairs into our home, two of whom joined us during a rematch phase. However, the experience has been inconsistent, to say the least. Before the pandemic hit, the au pairs underwent a thorough two-week, in-person onboarding process. Since then, this crucial step has been eliminated, and the impact has been glaring. There's been a noticeable decline in the understanding of the job and their responsibilities. When I inquired about reinstating the onboarding process, the response was dishearteningly casual: "the girls didn't like it." As a host, it's unsettling to have au pairs arrive at my doorstep unaware that they've signed up for a childcare role. Furthermore, the agency appears to operate with a one-person-deep approach to every task. When someone goes on vacation, communication becomes nonexistent. It's frustrating and leaves us feeling abandoned when we need assistance or clarification. On a brighter note, the Local Childcare Consultants (LCCs) have been a saving grace. Their dedication and effort in fostering relationships with both families and au pairs are commendable. It's evident that they invest the time and energy to ensure a positive experience for all parties involved.

Support and verification can be better Support and verification can be better. We've used cultural au pair for the past 4 years and it is helpful with finding a new au pair. However the LCC support has been inconsistent with our area and our au pairs reflect that they have to figure out alot of information by themselves. It is also noted that the driving ability of the au pair is difficult to gage as well. The driving ability seems to be self-reported and can be oversold by the au pairs. We found that we often have to teach them how to drive safely.

Me and my host family I find the perfect family for me who want to share moments together. I really like the way they behave with me and support me in everything I can do !

Disadvantages of being au pair Is a good opportunity to meet new places and people and get a bit of different cultures. In the other hand this program has so many things to fix, starting from the health care insurance which is not good or affordable at all, LCCs that are not enough trained to help so many people, life in the US is extremely expensive for us and even more when we have to pay taxes that takes a 10% of that small we make. Families pay yearly thousands to the agencies, but it would be fair us receiving at least a good part from that to make it part of our salary, because at the end of the day we are WORKING 45 hours per week.