Michele & David Chazen

Census 2010 - Do We Count Our Au Pair?

Posted by: mchazen on March 17, 2010

While filling out census forms for the 2010 census, some host families have been asking us whether or not they should count their au pair as a household member.

The answer is : In the first section where it asks about household members there’s a separate box for live in babysitters and others who may live in the home but may not be members of the family and that’s where an au pair can be counted.

If you have any further questions, you can go to the census website.

Cultural Care Spring 2010 Customer Satisfaction Survey

Posted by: mchazen on March 15, 2010

 Cultural Care wants to hear what you have to say! Changes have been made based on feedback received from you our host families in previous surveys. 

Monday, March 15th will mark the launch of our Spring 2010 Satisfaction Survey. All Cultural Care host families who are actively hosting an au pair will receive a survey via email. We had a record-breaking 52% response rate this past fall and we look forward to even more feedback from our host families this time.

1. The email families receive with the invitation to complete the survey comes from “Cultural Care Au Pair” with sender email address no-reply@culturalcare.com.

2. The subject header for the email invitation is “Cultural Care Au Pair - Customer Satisfaction Survey”.

If you do not receive the survey in your in box please also check your spam folder.

It is greatly appreciated if you take the time to fill it out.

Thank you.

Putting Kids First: helping at-risk children worldwide

Posted by: mchazen on March 8, 2010

As part of Cultural Care Au Pair’s mission to break down barriers of culture and language through educational exchange, a group of local childcare coordinators and staff recently visited South Africa to see firsthand the difference the donations from the Cultural Care community have made through our charitable organization Kids First.

Since it’s inception in 2004, Kids First has supported many worldwide organizations that work with at-risk youth. From the daycare center in Brazil to the school library in New Orleans to an orphanage in Russia, Kids First has supported a wide range of global organizations. Our most recent work at an orphanage and daycare center in a poverty-stricken township outside Capetown, South Africa is another great example of the work we are doing worldwide.

Cultural Care staff and LCCs had an opportunity to visit several projects funded through CHOSA, an organization that Kids First supports. CHOSA provides support to programs that work with at-risk children and their families to provide nutrition, medication, clothing, food, shelter and an education.

During the service visit, those who participated had a chance to visit the Ubuhle Babantwana Care Center, which helps 150 children, some of whom are HIV positive. Donations received from au pairs, host families and Cultural Care LCCs and staff have provided funds for the building of a new structure for the infants and toddlers in the center. The group from Cultural Care Au Pair had an opportunity to see the new structure, meet the inspirational director and dedicated teachers and had some time to play with the children.

In addition, the group visited the Ilitha-Labantwana Place of Safety, the Philani Child Health and Nutrition Project, the Emasithandane Children’s Project and the Baphumulele Children’s Home. The Cultural Care team is now bringing their experience back to the U.S. to raise awareness, and additional funds for even more projects that Kids First supports.

“Our Kids First trip to Cape Town was truly amazing and inspiring,” says Local Childcare Coordinator Trudy Mar. “The work, effort, love and sacrifice the women heading up these projects give to all of the kids goes well beyond what most of us could imagine. If one little body sleeps better, eats better and smiles more, we’ve helped to change their future and make the world a better place. Every dollar we raise for Kids First definitely does make a difference.”

For information about how you can make a contribution to Kids First, or raise awareness for the programs it supports, visit http://www.culturalcare.com/aboutus/kidsfirst/ or contact your Local Childcare Coordinator.

The results are in! Cultural Care Au Pair families are overwhelmingly happy!

Posted by: mchazen on January 30, 2010

The results from the 2009 Host Family Survey are in … and the consensus is that our host families are overwhelmingly happy! To share a few of the stats:    

- 96% of host families are satisfied with the quality of childcare that their au pair provides
- 95% are satisfied with the support provided by their Local Childcare Coordinator
- 97% are pleased with the choice they made to use the services of Cultural Care Au Pair
- 96% would recommend the services of Cultural Care Au Pair to other families

Thank you to our current host families for participating and for helping us to further improve our program! Host family feedback gathered through our customer satisfaction survey has contributed to several changes at Cultural Care Au Pair including an improved host family and au pair matching process, increased new and repeat host family discounts, new payment plan options, and better online and phone support for host families. In addition, host families are able to provide direct feedback to senior management at face to face meetings held throughout the country, and they may participate in an online forum (www.community.culturalcare.com) created just for program participants.

We’re thrilled with these results, which are certified by independent survey company Discovery Surveys, Inc. In fact, our participation rate (52% of active host families this time around) and the results themselves have improved each of the four times we have administered the surveys (spring and fall of 2008 and spring and fall of 2009). For more detailed survey information, visit our website

Finding the perfect au pair for your childcare made easy

Posted by: mchazen on January 24, 2010

Cultural Care Au Pair offers 3 Ways to Match
Cultural Care Au Pair host families now have the ability to review even more applications and au pair profiles with our new 3 Ways to Match, a program feature that let’s host families select the style of matching that best suits their needs. Host families can now search through multiple candidates on their own timeframe, set an appointment for a consultative matching session or work one-on-one with a placement manager who carefully selects possible matches. Best of all, our 3 Ways to Match allows you to enjoy the benefits of all three matching styles to help you find the right au pair for your family.      

To get started
Whether you’re a new family to Cultural Care Au Pair or have already hosted an au pair, our 3 Ways to Match makes it easy for you to begin reviewing au pair candidates right away. Simply fill out your new or repeat application. Once it’s processed, you can log into your account and begin matching. Here’s how it works:

Personalized, exclusive matching
Enjoy the benefits of our trademark one-on-one matching. Your placement manager will select carefully screened applications for you to review based on your family’s unique needs. Each au pair is exclusively reserved for your family’s review, which means no two families are contacting the same reserved au pair candidate at the same time.

Consultative matching
Review our pool of au pair candidates in real time by setting up a consultative matching appointment by phone with your placement manager. This highly effective method allows you to carve out time with your placement manager to review available candidates who are not being reviewed by other families. At the end of the appointment, you have the opportunity to have up to three candidates maximum reserved for your family exclusively.

Search & Select
An enhancement to our current profile review system, this new feature offers families the ability to build a list of au pair profiles available for review. Families can narrow the search field and request, for example, a driver, a second year au pair or someone available now. If you find a candidate of interest to you, you may add the au pair to your list and notify your placement manager of your interest by clicking the Notify Placement Manager button. Your placement manager will review your suggested matches and place up to three of those matches into your host family account for further review of their full application.

 For more information about our 3 Ways to Match  contact your local childcare coordinator.

Getting an au pair is more affordable than ever

Posted by: mchazen on January 8, 2010

Our host families spoke, and we listened. The economy had an impact on everyone last year. Many families faced new financial challenges, but in the end, they still needed flexible, affordable childcare. As a result, Cultural Care Au Pair has created several new payment options that help lower the initial cost for welcoming an au pair into their home in the New Year. Along with this exciting new change, we are also keeping our prices the same for the second year in a row!

Now new families applying to Cultural Care Au Pair will have even more payment options available. Not only have we reduced our application fee, we have created several new payment plans for new and repeat families. As a result, they can continue to enjoy all the benefits they have enjoyed from Cultural Care Au Pair in the past - and even more!

Lower application fee, lowered payment plan options
How does it work? Now new families applying to the program will pay a $75 non-refundable application fee -a savings over our previous $350 application fee. Upon finding the right au pair, a $275 selection fee will be due so the au pair can finalize arrangements to come to the U.S. Offering this new payment structure not only helps secure the au pair for the family, it allows the visa process to begin moving forward.

In addition, families now have even more flexibility when it comes to making payments. On our regular payment plan, families now have the ability to pay the program fee 30 days prior to the au pair’s arrival, instead of upon selection of an au pair. This is great for families who select an au pair early, as it provides them with additional time to pay their program fee.

In addition, our Extended Payment Plan option now lowers the initial deposit to $2,395, plus a $200 payment plan enrollment fee. Families have the option of making a payment in three easy installments or they can log into their host family account at their convenience and pay weekly, bi-weekly or monthly - whatever works best for the family, as long as it’s within the Extended Payment Plan timeframe. Repeat and extension families enjoy all these flexible payment benefits as well, with the additional benefit of a waived application fee!

Along with keeping prices the same in 2010, and creating several new, lower payment plan options, we are also decreasing the cost for enrolling in our Extended Payment Plan, making it even easier to afford an au pair in the New Year. For more information about how to utilize these new options, contact me, your local childcare coordinator, and I will be happy to provide you with additional details about Cultural Care Au Pair’s exciting new payment options for 2010    

Recognize your au pair! Nominations due for 2010 IAPA Au Pair of the Year Award

Posted by: mchazen on December 27, 2009

Every year thousands of young people from all over the world embark on a special journey by becoming an au pair. Now it’s time to recognize the extraordinary and ordinary daily accomplishments that each au pair makes in his or her host family by nominating your au pair for the International Au Pair Association’s seventh annual Au Pair of the Year Award.

The International Au Pair Association established the Au Pair of the Year Award to recognize the many great young men and women participating in the au pair program worldwide. In addition, the award helps highlight public awareness of this valuable cultural exchange program.

For the last two years, au pairs with Cultural Care have been honored with the IAPA Au Pair of the Year Award. In 2009, the honor was awarded to Francisco Ricardo Silva de Araújo, of Brazil, an au pair to the Boyer family of Virginia. In 2008, Linda Falter, an au pair from Germany, received the award while she was an au pair for the Sato family of Hayward, California.

What makes your au pair outstanding?
Maybe it’s the day-to-day things he or she does, such as kicking around a soccer ball, helping the kids with homework or entertaining them while you cook dinner. Maybe it’s the way he or she has embraced your family, such as teaching your kids her language, baking treats from her home country or coming to watch your children in the winter program at school. Every thing your au pair does that helps your family or brings a rich cultural exchange into your family is worthy of recognition, and a great way of saying thank you to your au pair!

Host families who would like to nominate their au pair should submit an essay detailing what makes their au pair exceptional in the form provided. Nominations for the Au Pair of the Year Award must be received by Friday, January 15. Once you’ve submitted your nomination, don’t forget to share it with your au pair to show her or him how much you think of what she or he does for your family!

Simply nominating an au pair for the IAPA Au Pair of the Year Award is a wonderful honor that can show your au pair how much you value what she or he does for your family. This award allows so many in the au pair community to reflect on what an incredibly positive program this is and the many lives it touches and enriches along the way.

For more information about the Au Pair of the Year Award or nominating your au pair please click here.

Two New Great Resources For Host Families

Posted by: mchazen on September 10, 2009

Join our on line Cultural Care Community

We are happy to announce an innovative on-line resource for host families, the Cultural Care Community. On our new site, families can ask a question, share an idea or “best practice” they use with their au pair, report a problem they are having or give praise. Cultural Care staff, LCCs and other host families can help answer your questions and join in the discussion. This new community is not meant to replace the customer service structure and systems that we already have in place, but rather to give host families a public forum to share with us and to connect with other families. Visit http://community.culturalcare.com, join the conversation and let us know what you think!               

Visit http://www.community.culturalcare.com

New Blog by Cultural Care President

The President of Cultural Care Au Pair, Dave Fougere, has recently started his own blog at www.culturalcarepresident.com

In his Blog Dave will write on many topics covering his personal life as a parent, Host Dad and his professional perspective heading the Cultural Care organization. Dave enjoys meeting and speaking with other host parents and responding to their questions and concerns. This blog will serve as an extension of those efforts. Join Dave in the conversation!

NJ Drivers License

Posted by: mchazen on August 17, 2009

Many of you are reading the NJ Drivers Manual preparing to take the written exam. 

Here is a website that has some Interactive games to help you prepare for your state’s driver’s license exam.

 http://www.quia.com/de/njmain.html

If you have any questions about your license do not hestiate to give me a call

Tourist Visa Requirements For Canada

Posted by: mchazen on July 16, 2009

Tourist Visa Requirements for Canada

Starting July 14 2009, all Mexican and Czech nationals (among other countries) require a tourist visa when traveling to Canada.              
For more information please read the News release on the Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Website.
See a complete list of countries requiring a tourist visa for Canada as well as instructions on how to apply for one and find all Travel Guidelines on Infosource.