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 Internet Access for 50% Less! Than: AOL, Compuserve, Prodigy, Microsoft Network and other Local Internet Service Providers • . v• • .• • • You Pay: $1 2.50/rr onth You Get: Unlimited Hours, Free Internet Software, 6 month or I year contract Includes: VVVVVV browsing, E-mail, RealAudio Newsgroups, Ftp, Telnet, Gopher, Shell accounts, Graphics, Text, etc. Services: Dialin, Leased Lines, WVVW Publishing, VVVVVV Site Hosting, Internet Seminars, Computer Product Reselling Call (8 0) 334-5492 11", SpeedLiiik A Division of Speed Net, Inc. http://wvnvspeedlink.net e-mail: meliho@speedlink.net 531/2 West Huron Street, Suite 211 Pontiac, Pal 48342 f■NIIMM■ At Republic Bank We Are Completely Dedicated to you. , We are Michigan's largest personal banking network, one of the nation's largest mortgage lenders and the number one SBA certified lender in Michigan. watch the world • Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal • water-resistant to 30 meters • stainless steel case and metal bracelet gold-plated PVD THE PERFECT GIFT FOR THE PERFECT MOM! (And Tell Her How You Feel With Free Engraving) REPUBLIC BANK = Southfield • West Bloomfield • Madison Heights • Pontiac • Mount Clemens Visit any branch or call today: TM 1 800 758 0753 - - MEMBER F.D.I.C. - Republic Information Center Hours: Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-7p.m. Saturday 9 a.m.-Noon ' lifricateiol, 74e, 1 40teiticcat ..ileaoi. 55