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.

the experience… the company can review the experience of the host family an how they want to be with the au pair, how is going to be relationship with her, how many things they are going to share.

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.

Reaching out periodically was great as… Reaching out periodically was great as it kept the momentum going for searching for an au pair.

We did not personally know anyone that… We did not personally know anyone that had used an au pair, so we really went into this blind. Everyone in the agency has been so amazing and helpful. You are immediately connected with three different people in the agency, at least one of which lives in the area. They have been so quick to respond and help us whenever we needed it. We just matched with an au pair and cannot wait for her to join us in a few months.