Karen S. Relstab

Spring Discount Promotion

Posted by: krelstab on March 1, 2010

Spring Savings - Save $350
The spring season represents new beginnings -making now a great time to secure childcare by hosting a Cultural Care au pair. Families who apply between March 1, 2010 and March 31, 2010 are entitled to a $350 program fee discount. The weekly cost is just $330-or $7.30/hr (per family, not per child). To qualify for this discount, families must be new to Cultural Care Au Pair and welcome an au pair into their home by October 22, 2010.

Coffee With Vernon Hills Host Mom and Her New Au Pair

Posted by: krelstab on February 25, 2010

On this sunny, cold February afternoon. Host Mom Laura and her new au pair from Brazil, Lucilene, meet their Cultural Care LCC Karen Relstab for coffee.

Lucilene is completing her first year and is extending for an additional year. She is a teacher from Dourados, Brazil. She speaks English, has a extensive au pair application, and passed a background. Her application describes her as responsible, mature, and a experienced teracher. Her hobbies are travel, camping, exercising, drawing, arts/crafts, and photography. She has a wonderful family in Brazil who is very important to her.

Lucilene is one of 30 au pairs assigned to LCC Karen Relstab in the Libertyville and surrounding communities. The au pairs represent the countries of Brazil, Germany, Chile, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, and Mexico.  There are six male au pairs in Karen’s group; Tom, Patrick, and Andy from Germany; Alex and Aquiles from Brazil, and Rickard from Sweden.

Cultural Care Au Pair is the leading au pair agency in the US and has been arranging au pairs for American families since 1989, 20 years.

Since 2004 LCC Karen Relstab has helped hundreds of families in Lake County find flexible, affordable, and quality childcare through the Cultural Care Au Pair Program.

To find out about hosting an au pair call.

Karen Relstab

Cultural Care Au Pair

Local Childcare Coordinator

Telephone 847-680-3794

Email karen.relstab@lcc.culturalcare.com

With A Live In Au Pair Parents Enjoy A Date Night!!

Posted by: krelstab on February 25, 2010

While many families use the full 45 hours per week with their au pair, there are many other families who don’t.  While many families think about the au pair hours in relation to when they are at work, one way that we’ve found host parents have also benefited from the help an au pair provides is by establishing a date night once a week.  Those couple of hours where the parents can go out to dinner and reconnect allows them to come back to the house as a stronger team and more on the same page and that has benefits for the whole family.  So, if your families have some hours to spare, encourage them to put them to great use and invest in date night.

If you would like to learn how you can become a host family call me.

Karen Relstab

Local Childcare Coordinator

847-680-3794

Great Weekend Discount Promotion!!!

Posted by: krelstab on January 14, 2010

When new families apply between January 14 and January 17th they will enjoy 2008 prices AND save $850.  This offer also includes a $75 application fee waiver plus a $275 selection fee waiver and a $500 program fee discount. Families total savings is $850! 
 
Please call me for the promotion code to take advantage of this discount.

Karen

847-680-3794

Top Five Reasons To Hire An Au Pair

Posted by: krelstab on December 27, 2009

In today’s modern world Au Pairs are becoming more and more popular. There are a hundred and one reasons to hire an au pair and bring them into your home but this article will tell you about the five that are the most compelling and beneficial to anybody thinking about hiring an au pair.

AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE Au pairs are a lot more affordable than people generally believe. Following on from the very reasonable initial fees, the ongoing costs of having an au pair in your home are incredibly low, especially considering the benefits you will gain from the experience. They are much more than a mere babysitter, but the savings in childcare costs alone more than justify the decision.

EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT CULTURES Au pairs are in this country for often manifold reasons. One of the most prevalent of which is the opportunity to improve their language skills. Whilst their interaction with a American family helps them to improve their English they also help to educate family members, young and old in the culture and language of their home: generally creating a mutually beneficial and exciting environment of learning. Above all the experience is not only educational for all but also fun!

SCHEDULE PLANNING With the help of an au pair you as a mother or father will be able to plan your weeks with much more accuracy, flexibility and freedom, as your au pair will generally, upon agreement with yourself make him or herself available to collect your children from school, take them to after school activities and many more activities as you see fit allowing you greater freedom to plan in time for yourself. Not only does an au pair enrich family life, but also allows you and your other half to escape the house a night or two a week for some quality time, safe in the knowledge that the little ones are safe and happy.

In return for their weekly fee au pairs are generally expected to help out with light housekeeping (pertaining to the children only).

Running round after children and managing all of the household duties can be a tiring job so having even a little bit of help in this area could be a great time saver. An au pair can serve as that ‘extra pair of hands’ busy parents are often in much need of, especially during those particularly stressful times!

IN HOME CARE When your children are sent to daycare you are generally at their mercy with regard to location and methods of entertainment, interaction and discipline, as such limiting your control with regard to how your child is looked after. By hiring an au pair you can be safe in the knowledge that your children are being looked after in a familiar environment (your family home) and have greater control of the activities they undertake during the day. It is more like having the children looked after by an honorary family member, who will take on house rules and personal childcare preferences.

Besides these benefits and the numerous others you receive by inviting an au pair into your home, you are also making a great difference to your au pair. In return for assisting yourself and your family in all manner of daily chores, activities and events, they are learning a new language, culture and way of life…which is after all the reason they have left their home country to come to the US. In short, everyone benefits!

If you would like to learn more about hosting an au pair, I will be glad to speak with you and or mail you a brochure.

Karen Relstab Cultural Care Au Pair Local Childcare Coordinator

Telephone 847-680-3794

Email Karen.relstab@lcc.culturalcare.com