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FAQ

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Is the programme “Au Pair” a job?
 
The Au pair is the programme of cultural exchange, but not a job. The purpose of this programme is to give the opportunity to the young people without great expenses to spend a year abroad to improve the knowledge of the foreign language and to get to know the culture and tradition of the country where she will live in. The participant lives in the accepting family and has the rights as all other members of the family, like “elder sister” or “elder brother”, he she helps to look after the kids and to do light work about the house (work, which we partly do in our own house). 
The money, which is provided to the au pair, is not a salary, but so to speak “pocket money”. The participant receives not a contract for a job, but the agreement, where the rights and duties of the au pair and the family are specified. That is why we advise you not to think of the programme as the employment, and not to expect to earn a big amount of money during the programme. You better spend this money on the traveling! If you consider the programme as a job, we advise you to think twice before you make any decisions.
 
 
Is the programme legal?
 
This programme was developed and is maintained by the State Department of the USA. We have sponsors, who are accredited by the State Department of the USA to give out the documents, which are the basis for getting the visa. Our company works only with such accredited partners.


Can I be sure in my security during the programme?
 
Our company co-operate with the biggest American partner, which work in this sphere about 45 years, have good reputation and which checks the  observance of all rights of au pair and the family. Our sponsor checks all the families before working with them. Before arrival to the USA, au pair receives all the necessary information about the accepting family, talks to the members of it over the telephone and by e-mail. You will also receive a constant support during your stay in the family.

Why the families take part in this programme?
 
First of all, all the families need help looking after their children. As a rule, these are the families, where two parents work and don’t have the possibility to constantly be with their kids. And that’s why they come running to the help of Au pair, whose charges on living are less then the charges of a nanny. In addition, many families like in the programme the possibility of the cultural exchange. Not only Au pair get to know the culture of the country where they live in, but also a family meets the culture of the au pair. That’s why many families take part in the programme many times and prefers to invite au pairs from different countries. But there are families which accept au pair from one and the same country.
 
 
What kind of experience with kids do I need?
 
You should have at least 200 hours of the experience working with kids (like, a nanny, in the kindergarden, in the school or with the kids of your relatives etc.) The more experience you have, the better chance you have to find a family in the near future. The experience with children is the main criterion when choosing an Au pair. And you will feel more confident during the programme, if you have rich experience.
 
 
What do the duties of the Au pair and the family include?
The family must provide the au pair with a separate room, three times a day meal, free time for attending language courses, to pay for the tickets to the courses and to provide with pocket money in the amount of 770$ a month, also an au pair should be given a paid vacation.
 
Au pair must in turn look after children and do light work about the house, generally, it’s connected with kids: to help them to set out the table and to make dinner, to keep order in the room and to clean the kids` clothes. Usually, these are the duties of elder children according to the juniors.
Au pair has to wash clothes in the washing-machine and to wash up in the dishwashing machine, to iron and to clean the rooms with the vacuum cleaner.
 
Au pair has to read with children, play, walk, to go to the cinema, to the sports stadium, to the kindergarden with children. The work about the house and the time with kids include 45 hours per week in the USA. Two or three times per week a family can ask an au pair to sit with kids when they are out of home.
 
 
What an Au Pair can learn during the programme?
 
First of all an Au Pair can improve her knowledge of the language. Usually, the participants of the programme attend the language courses 2 times per week and usually the duration is 1,5-2 hours. And also au pairs are given the opportunity to communicate with young people from other countries. You should take into the consideration, that while being absorbed into the English atmosphere, you progress very fast. And the communication with children also promotes to it, as children – are the greatest teachers! In the USA the courses are paid by the accepting family in the amount of 500$.
Au pair has the opportunity to travel through the whole America during their weekends and the vacations.
 
For many students, the programme gives the opportunity to enter the university and to study there out of charge.
 
By the way, you can broaden your outlook as during your stay in the country you learn not only the language but also the culture and traditions, history, national cuisine. 
 
 
How does the typical family, which accepts an au pair, look like?
 
Usually these are the families with middle sufficiency, which has 1-3 children. The parents of the kids usually work full day and live in the country of big cities. The family usually has the worker who cleans the house and keeps the order I the house. But this worker doesn’t live there. The families live in cottages with two or three stores, usually with gardens, kids`s grounds and sometimes with pools.
 
 
What doesn’t include into the light work about the house?
 
The main duty of an au pair – is to look after the children. But you also have to keep the house clean. It’s better when au pair sees herself what is needed to do about the house and doesn’t wait to be told about it. You are not expected to do very hard work, for example, to look after the garden, to wash the walls or the pool.
 
 
How can I be sure that I will not be deceived and will really work as an Au Pair?
 
Before the departure Au pair gets to know the family by photos, by letters and by telephone. Then you receive the official invitation from the family, which is then applied to the embassy. The international department in the USA invites the family for the interview and checks its living standards. And only after the interview you are granted the visa Au-pair for staying in the USA.
 
 
Can an au pair work during the programme?
 
According to the rules of the programme all additional work, which is not connected with the looking after children I the accepting family, is considered as illegal! In case of violation of these rules Au Pair can be deported from the country! We advise you not to take a risk.
 
 
Can I go home during the programme?
 
Every au pair has the right for vacation from 2 to 4 weeks. You can spend this time as you wish: go home and see your parents and friends, visit your friends who are also staying in the USA or the country where you are staying or travel through the country. Pay attention to the fact that all the transport and other expenses, which are connected with your vacation, you pay for yourself. But the family provides you with pocket money for the period, which is set in the agreement.
 
 
 What should I do if I have problems with the family where I will live?
 
During the whole stay you will be given a support from our partner in the country where you will live in. In case of violation of the rules from the family’s side, you have to inform our partner. If these problems are of psychological character, you should try to solve them yourself first, by discussing it with the members of the family. If it doesn’t work and the situation makes worse, you have to inform our partners in the country where you will live in, who will help you to solve the conflict and will, if it’s needed, find another family in one or two weeks. We are also ready to get in touch with you, to give you a piece of advice or to give you the necessary support.
 
Pay attention to if you have violated the law in the country where you will live in or the conditions of the agreement, which you have signed, if your behavior doesn’t correspond to the expected, like, you are rude with children, you beat them, if you leave little children without supervision, take a car or other things without permission, invite people to the house without permission, take drugs or drink during the programme etc., if you gave untruthful information about yourself, for example, you wrote that you don’t smoke, but you do smoke – in all these cases a new family will not be provided. In more serious cases your participation in the programme will be stopped, and will have to leave the country. Believe, something in the above mentioned did happen, that’s why we have to do such retreat.
 
 
What kind of living conditions will I have? 
Every Au Pair is provided with a separate room. As a rule, there are: a bed, a wardrobe, a table. In the room there are sometimes a TV set, a musical centre and a computer. In some families au pair can use a separate bathroom. And in some families if it’s a cottage, an Au pair can have a separate entrance, which helps her to be more independent.
 
 
In the process of finding a family can I renounce off the family? 
 
Future Au pair has the right to choose the family. When the applicants fill in the registration forms, they mark children of what ages they are willing to work with, how many children they want to look after, and what area they would like to live in ( a big city, a small town, in the country). While choosing a family, our partners try to take into account these wishes. But the more wishes you have the longer will be the process of your finding a family. We recommend not to limit the age of kids and not to write that you want to look only after 1 kid. You can renounce off the family, but your choice has to be grounded.
 
 
How does the knowledge of English is checked?
 
If you want to take part in the programme, you have to know the language of the country you are going to on a colloquial level. The level of English is assessed by the certificates from the universities or other establishments where you studied the language or by the results of interview.
 
 
How can I find new friends in the USA? 
 
 You will have a lot of opportunities for that! The first week you will spend on the training in Washington, where you will meet other au pairs from different countries. You will get a list of other participants of the programme, who will live nearby and you will meet in regular hours once a month. You will also attend courses, where you will meet with other young people from America. And, without doubts, you will find many other new friends through the accepting family.
 
 
Can I begin the registration without driving license yet?
 
According to the requirements of the programme you have to possess the driving license. But you can begin the registration and be ready to provide all the necessary documents in our office, and as soon as you receive the driving license we will begin the selection of the family in the USA. But you have to remember that by the time of your departure, you have to have good experience in driving a car, as in America many families use a car all the time.  
 
 
Will I have the opportunity to study?
 
According to the rules, which were set by the State Department of the USA, all au pair during their stay in the America have to attend courses in the university. It’s a great opportunity for all au pairs to meet with young people of the same age during the education, which can be very useful for the future career. The courses of foreign languages, computer courses, bringing up and looking after children courses and the course of American culture and history are of great demand.

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