Mr. Mates also pointed to
recent legislation designed to
protect both au pairs and
families. New measures call for
an increase in the weekly
stipend ($115, up from $100), set
a limit on the hours of work re-
quired (45 hours with at least
a day and a half off each week)
and increase the amount of ed-
ucational stipend from $300 to
$500, a total difference of $980.
The agencies are encouraged to
conduct criminal background
checks on the au pairs in the
countries that allow such pro-
cedures.
In addition, the government
opened the floodgates for the
number of agencies allowed to
operate in the cultural exchange
program as well as the number
of countries where au pairs can
be recruited. By not limiting the
number of agencies but keeping
the annual number of visas to
22,000, legislators hope that a
more selective process will be
used, potentially eliminating the
chance of an au-pair-from-hell
experience. 0
this story. "You pay to play and
take your chances."
In the past few years, families
have reported trouble ranging
from difficulty communicating
with their au pair to severe cas-
es of homesickness. In more se-
rious cases, one au pair was
charged in the shaking death of
a 3-week-old infant, and anoth-
er was deported after taking
nude photos of his young charge.
Greta, who feels lucky with
her successful placement, said
she knows of others who have
faked references or exaggerated
their experience on resumes that
went unchecked.
"You could write anything
down, have a friend vouch for
you, and no one would check,"
she said.
Wayne Mates, deputy director
of Au Pair Homestay, a division
of World Learning Inc. in Wash-
ington, D.C., acknowledged that
problems occasionally arise be-
tween au pairs and their host
families. But, he insists, the great
majority of the families and au
pairs have had great experiences.
Tips For A Smooth Au Pair Experience
JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER
requirements. Some agencies
do not allow au pairs to take
care of children under the age
of 2 without at least six months
of child-care experience with
children of that age.
* Most agencies offer a
chance for the family to inter-
view the au pair by telephone.
Take that advantage to find out
if the match is a good one
"Discuss the opportunity
thoroughly," Mr. Mates said
"Does that prevent everything
from not going wrong? No But
it can help."
* During the interview
phase request the references
of the au pair and then check
them out yourself, Greta sug-
gested. Ask the referral sources
the names and ages of their
children as well as any prob
lems they may have experi-
rranging for competent,
reliable child care —
whether in-home or in-
stitutional --- can be a
trying experience for any fam-
ily.
Adding a young, foreign-born
caretaker looking for a cultur-
al experience to the equation
can be mind-boggling.
But it doesn't have to be, ac-
cording to Wayne Mates,
deputy director of Au Pair
Homestay, a division of World
Learning Inc. in Washington,
D.C.
To avoid the potential pit-
falls, Mr. Mates and Greta, an
au pair staying with a Detroit
area family, offer the following
suggestions:
* Before s-ubmitting to an ap-
plication fee that au pair agen-
cies require, check the
enced while the au pair cared
for the children.
"You want to make sure they
have the experience they say
they have," she said. "Don't
trust the agency to do it for
you."
* Once the au pair arrives,
try to make him or her as com-
fortable with the family as pos
sible, Mr. Mates said
Homesickness is a common ex
perience for many of the au
pairs in the first few months.
"Make the au pair feel a part
of the family. Don't treat him
or her as an employee," he said
* When a problem arises, ad
dress it as soon as possible with
the help of a regional coordina-
tor. "Maintaining open com-
munication is a key to a
successful experience," Mr.
Mates said D
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