Happy Halloween!

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Talya

pumpkin picture (photo by dreamstime)

If you’re an au pair working in America, you are probably celebrating Halloween today. And if you’re an American working abroad, you might also be celebrating Halloween with your host family. Halloween is a great holiday for kids (as long as you keep the scary stuff at bay).

If you’re working this Halloween, be sure to enjoy it! Dress up with the kids, carve a pumpkin, and bake some yummy Halloween treats. This time of year the weather is still bearable (unless you happen to be on the East Coast in the snowstorm!), so enjoy the cool crisp fall air with the kids as well. It may be one of your last chances to be outdoors without freezing, so make sure you take advantage of it.

So what are you doing this Halloween? Are you trick-or-treating with the kids? Or heading to a party yourself?

Posted in Host Families, Kid-friendly Recipes | Tagged | Leave a comment

International Au Pair and Host Family Day, October 29

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Talya

autum family walk (photo from dreamstime)

In case you still need proof that working as an au pair is becoming more popular, here you go. The International Au Pair and Host family day is coming up this weekend. The event is in its second year and is hosted by AuPairCare, one of the first au pair agencies to be approved by the U.S. Department of State and in operation since 1989.

The Int’l Au Pair and Host Family Day is a free event that takes place in roughly one hundred towns and cities around the United States. It is designed as a fun, community event for both host families and their au pairs and serves as an introduction to those new to au pairing. I love anything that promotes cultural exchange and convenient, afforable childcare for parents, so any event that shows the fun and benefit of being (or hosting) an au pair gets my thumbs up.

Has anyone here taken part in an International Au Pair and Host Family event? If so, please tell us about it!

*For more on the Knoxville, Tennessee, event, check out the KnoxNews article.

Posted in Agencies, Au Pairs, Host Families | Tagged | Leave a comment

Au pairs and sexual assault

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Talya

girl on phone (photo from dreamstime)

Today I am at Au Pair Clearinghouse discussing the recent news about the German au pair who is suing her au pair agency and its representative for fraud, negligence, sexual harrasament, assault and battery, and more. According to the au pair, her host father made sexual advancements and subjected her to abusive behavior. Although the au pair agency, US Au Pair, claimed the the host father in question had passed an extensive background check. it seems as though this complaint was not the first. According to the au pair suing, two previous au pairs had been forced to leave the same host family due to sexual harassment on the part of the host father.

You can read more about the case, as well as tips on how to not become victimized while working as an au pair here.

Posted in Agencies, Au Pairs, Warnings | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment