Yes, this year’s au pair of the year award from Cultural Care went to a young man from Brazil, Ricardo Silva de Araújo, who works for an American family living in Richmond, Virginia. So yeah, I admit, when I first heard that a guy one the award, which is not easy (this year there were 50,000 nominees), I had to wonder just how great this guy could be that he deserved the award. But this guy does seem great and really does deserve the award.
Ricardo works for a family who has a handicapped 16-year-old boy who is nonverbal. According to the host family, Ricardo has been an excellent caregiver and has treated their son as a normal teenager, which is something no one had really done before. For more about Ricardo and the Au Pair of the Year award, click here.
Hats off to Ricardo – way to represent the male au pairs!
October 26th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Hi, new to your site, it is great. Lots of feedback from au pairs, I like that.
Did you hear anything about this au pair leaving the program early and before his contract was up?
October 26th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Hi John,
No! I didn’t hear that … that’s crazy if it’s true. Where did you hear that? If it is true, did he have to give back his title?
Very curious now …
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:21 pm
It’s great to hear that a male Au Pair won the award this year. Many people have misconceptions about male Au Pairs. Contrary to what many believe, they are great with kids and they can really be a big brother for the children they care for.
December 31st, 2009 at 4:59 am
Hi Talya and happy new year!
Your reader, John, is correct, Ricardo from Cultural Care, who was the 2009 recipient of the IAPA’s annual Au Pair of the Year Award, did return home early in his second year. I confirmed this fact with Ms. Jordan, Vice President of Cultural Care. She told our readers that he left for “personal reasons.”
We are currently running a poll on our website, “Would you host a Male Au Pair?” If you would like your vote counted (and to read all about “mannies;” please visit our site soon!
Edina Stone
Founder & CEO
http://www.aupairclearinghouse.com
National News Center Au Pair Agencies
December 31st, 2009 at 11:53 am
Thanks, Edina! And a happy, successful, new year to you as well.
I have no idea if Ricardo’s reason for leaving was similar to mine, but from my own experience as an au pair, one year is about good. I thought that I was fine and could stay indefinitely, but realized later that I’d reached my limit at year one and should have gone home. I wonder if the au pair of the year also perhaps just needed to return home.
I’d love to hear from other APs out there – has anyone stayed longer than a year? If so, what are the pros/cons? Did it turn out well?