Karen S. Relstab

Why are au pairs the choice of many busy families? Quotes By Fellow LCC Michelle…

Posted by: krelstab on July 23, 2009

* Quality childcare coverage for 45-hours a week
* Au pairs manage kid’s meals, laundry and clean up
* Program is regulated by the US State Department
* Our Au Pairs receive training from our Au Pair Training School
* Your kids will be exposed to a new language and culture
* Au Pairs drive, so lessons, play dates and games are no problem
* Au Pairs earn a stipend of $195.75/week — per family not per child!
* You create a schedule that works for your family
* Sick days are no problem! They live-in!
* Au pairs have medical insurance coverage
* The Au Program Program manages all of the visas & flights
* The Au Pair provides local support year round
* Au Pairs may stay up to 2 years
* Au Pairs are between 18-26 years of age
* All of our au pairs are fully screened
* Au Pairs are proficient in English
* Overall cost to you is about $330/week per family not per child

August LCC Au Pair Meeting 8/9/09

Posted by: krelstab on July 16, 2009

Dear Au Pair,

I am adding another LCC meeting for August. This is a chance to make up for a previously missed meeting or to get a credit for a future meeting you might miss.

Or maybe you might just want to help out, because it sounds like a fun event. Who knows you might get yourself on TV Channel WTTW.

When: Sunday August 9, 2009
          9 AM to 6 PM

Where: Gymboree Play & Music
           204 Hawthorne Center
           Lower Level Just Outside JC Penny By Kids Play Area
           Vernon Hills, Illinois
           Hawthorne Mall (Westfield Shopping Center)
           Telephone: 847-680-5437

What:  The event is a 4th Anniversary Party for Gymbo the Clown of Gymboree Play and Music… WTTW (Chicago PBS station) will be there with Curious George, famous child reader Ms Linda, professional caricature artists and face painters are some of the events.

I need au pairs to volunteer for a one or two hour shift to help pass out balloons, tatoos, stickers, playing w/ bubbles, during “circle time” and  helping the Gymboree staff with songs and interacting with the children.

So please call me as soon as possible and let me know if you can help and what time you can be there. You will need to wear your Cultural Care tee shirt for this event.

Karen Relstab
Cultural Care Au Pair
Local Childcare Coordinator
Telephone 847-680-3794
Email karen.relstab@lcc.culturalcare.com
Website http://www.krelstab.aupairnews.com

AND THE WINNER IS!!!

Posted by: krelstab on July 13, 2009

For those au pairs that did the face painting at yesterday’s event, their names were placed in a raffle for a $10 gift card.

The winner of the au pair face painting raffle is….

Anne Boller

She will be receiving her gift card in the mail this week.

Congratulations Anne!!!!

Photos From Host Family Day At Arlington Sunday July 12, 2009

Posted by: krelstab on July 13, 2009

Yesterday for the 4th year in a row Cultural Care Au Pair hosted a host family event on a beautiful sunny July Sunday afternoon at the Arlington International Racecourse. Over 30 families, 60 au pairs, 9 Local Childcare Coordinators and lots of children participated.  Every Sunday is family day at Arlington with pony rides, petting zoo and other activities for children. Au pairs took turns painting children’s faces and a wonderful time was had by all. See the following photos of some of the attendees.

Are You Traveling Outside the US During Your Au Pair Year

Posted by: krelstab on July 6, 2009

It is the responsibility of each au pair to check to see if a tourist visa is required for the country he/she is visiting.

• Travel to Canada: please follow this link to find out if the au pair needs a tourist visa: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.asp.
• Travel to Mexico: please follow this link to find out if the ay pair needs a tourist visa: National Institute of Immigration Mexico
• For all other countries, please visit www.embassyworld.com for a listing of embassies for various countries. If the au pair travels without the appropriate documents, such as a tourist visa, she/he may be prohibited from boarding the plane and/or denied entry into the country.
• Travel outside of the U.S. during the au pair’s 13^th month is not permitted by the J-1 visa.  If an au pair leaves the continental U.S. during this month, she will not be allowed to re-enter the U.S. Cultural Care has no authority in this case. The only exception to this rule is travel to Hawaii. Au pair may travel to Hawaii in their 13^th month.

A Fellow LCC Wrote….

Posted by: krelstab on July 3, 2009

“A friend of a friend” always considered the au pair program a luxury and mentioned how strange it would be to have someone living in. They had a baby last summer that they’ve had in daycare; who has been sick ever since. My friend ran into them last Monday night and as she listened to the litany of childcare woes, she felt obligated to bring up the au pair program!

His initial response was - too expensive and, again, strange to have someone live with them. She offered to grab a Cultural Care Au Pair brochure from her car and give him the “low down.” “If you want, but we’re really not interested.” So she brought in our lovely new brochure and chatted for a few minutes and asked if he and wife still liked to get out for dinner once a week. “Not often. We’d love to, but the sitter costs about $100 for the night.” Then she asked if wife was riding much these days (they are horsey people). “She’d love too, but again we’d need a sitter because I can’t give her a lesson and watch the baby at the same time.”

Then the light bulb went on - $320/week for childcare suddenly equaled a baby at home not getting sick, date night and his wife being much happier.

They applied last Tuesday, finaled last Thursday and the au pair is moving in next Friday.

Now, her friend was not considering an au pair at all! But once they started talking about what they were really paying for childcare (daycare + date night sitter) and what they wished they could do (wife get out and ride once a week, go to the gym, go to work!) the value of the au pair program became clear and they applied.

If you’ve ever considered hosting an au pair, but THOUGHT it wasn’t for you….. maybe it is. Hosting an au pair really is quite affordable! And you’ll have a freedom and peace of mind that you don’t get with trudging off to day care- now THAT part is the luxury.

California LCC S. Burgess