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Welcome toCultural Care Au Pair

Dear future au pair,

Welcome to Cultural Care Au Pair! Over the past 25 years we have placed more than 85,000 au pairs from over 50 countries in American families for the experience of a lifetime. We at Cultural Care Au Pair are happy that you have applied to our program and are ready to embark on the adventure of being an au pair in the USA. You will have the chance to experience many exciting new things—living in another country, making friends from across the globe and improving your English. Most of all you will experience living and working in an American family. Working with the children in your host family will be a challenging, yet rewarding way to spend your days. At the end of your term you will find that you have grown in many ways. In addition to becoming more independent and mature you will have gained new skills and experienced things that will carry you to a better future.

This handbook is the next step towards becoming an au pair. It is designed to give you important information that will help you prepare for your time in the USA. Please read this handbook thoroughly before you travel. It contains important rules, guidelines and advice and therefore you will be responsible for knowing and following the information it contains. We also suggest you bring it to the USA as it will be a valuable resource during your au pair stay.

The best of luck!Yours sincerely,

The Cultural Care Au Pair Training Team

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Table of contents

My important contacts 5

Cultural Care Au Pair 6

The matching process 8

Preparing to depart 16

First stop: New York 27

Your host family 30

The Cultural Care Au Pair team 41

Driving in the USA 48

Studying 51

Vacation and traveling 54

Remaining successful 58

When your year is ending 60

Erika Travel Insurance 66

Practical information about the USA 68

Au Pair regulations in detail 77

2013 International Care Ltd.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior permission of the publishers. Rules and guidelines in this handbook do not replace those in the au pair agreement. Information in this handbook may be replaced at any time.

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My important contacts

Home office in my country Local contact in my home areaPhone: Phone:

Email: Email:

My host family My LCCName: Name:

Phone: Phone:

Email: Email:

Cultural Care Boston Au Pair Training SchoolOne Education Street St. John’s University

Cambridge, MA 02141 500 Montauk Hwy.

Toll-free number: +1-800-333-6056 Oakdale, NY 11769

Or +1-800-448-5753 for Au Pair Services Emergency phone: +1-631-433-0137

Email: aupair.operations@culturalcare.com

** Note: The 800 phone number listed above

for Boston can be used for emergencies

24 hours per day.

Erika Travel Insurance Aetna Student Health www.erikainsurance.com +1-800-783-7447

For information and claims forms For general questions

www.aetna.com/docfind/erika

To find a doctor near you

You can always find the updated contact information for your host family, LCC and Program Director in

Boston by going to your Online Account at www.culturalcare.com/login.

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Cultural Care Au PairCongratulations on taking the first step to living and working in the USA as an au pair. This will be a time filled with challenges, adventures, successes and yes, even some difficult times. You’ve been selected because we believe that you will gain from this experience, and also because we believe that you have much to offer the children you’re about to care for.

Au pair expectationsThere will be times during your term when you will need to remind yourself of the reasons why you chose to become an au pair. This handbook is designed to help you prepare yourself for the experience and to ensure that your expectations will be met by our program. Through experience we have found that a successful au pair stay begins with the right expectations for all of our participants.

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What you should expect:

• Helpfulinformationthroughoutyourexperience.• TheopportunitytoexperiencetrueAmericanlife.• Thechancetogrowinmaturityandindependence.• SignificantimprovementinEnglishskills.• Supportwhenyouaskforhelp.• Newfriendshipsandexperiences.

What you should not expect:

• Yourstaytobeavacation–beinganaupairisafull-timerole.• Someonetocheckonyouconstantly.Youwillbesupportedwhenyouaskforhelp.

However,youhavechosentotraveltobearesponsiblechildcarehelperandwillbetreated as such.

• Forthingstobeeasyrightaway.Everymajorlifechangetakesanadjustmentperiod.

Host family expectationsWhat they will expect:

• Responsible,safecarefortheirchildren.• Upto45hoursperweekofchildcareandchildcarerelatedduties.• Anaupairwhotakestheirroleseriously.• Anaupairwhowillalsowanttohavefriendsandexperiencesoutsideoftheiraupair responsibilities.• Opencommunicationwiththeiraupair.• Someonewho is respectfulwhile living in their home (cleaning up after themselves,

caringfortheirbelongings,etc.).

What they should not expect:

• Fortheiraupairtoworkover45hoursperweek.• Fortheiraupairtoknoweverythingondayone.• Fortheiraupairtoneverneedhelporsupport.• Fortheiraupairtobeahousekeeper.

You may be thinking that you’ve heard this all before. However, we find that manydifficulties arise from inappropriate expectations once the au pair and host family come together.Familiesarelookingforqualitycarefortheirchildrenandliketheideaofculturalexchange.AupairslookforwardtotheexperienceoflivinginAmericaandknowthattheywill be caring for children. It is important that both the host family and au pair understand eachother’sprioritiesinorderfortheprogramtobesuccessful.

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The matching processOnce your application has been accepted we will start to look for a host family for you. This section will describe the matching process.

How our au pairs are selectedBythistimeyouknowthatthereisasignificantamountofonlinematerialandpaperworkinvolved inbecominganaupair.Thismaterial serves twopurposes.First, itprovides thelevelofscreeningappropriateforsomeonewhoisgoingtocareforchildren,asoutlinedbytheUnitedStatesStateDepartment.Aupairs are responsible fora family’smostvaluablepossesion: their children.As such,CulturalCare takes extreme care to ensure that all aupair applicants are properly screened. The second purpose for the material is to provide a prospective host family with enough information on you to allow them to determine if your skillsmatchtheirchildcareneeds,andifyourpersonalitymatchestheirfamily.

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Inadditiontomeetingthebasicrequiredhoursofchildcareexperience,CulturalCarewantsto choose candidates who have the maturity and personality that will make them successful on our program. It is a big decision to spend up to two years away from family and friends. We want to choose candidates that we believe have a good chance at success while on the program.

How host families apply to the programOurhostfamiliesgothroughanapplicationprocess,justlikeyou!Allfamiliesmustsubmitacompleteapplication,includingreferences,afamilyessayandpictures.Oncewereceivea host family’s application, the Local Childcare Consultant (LCC) contacts the familyandarrangesadateforapersonalinterview.AtthistimetheLCCmeetsallhostfamilymembers,anddeterminestheirreasonsforwantinganaupair.TheLCCinformsthemofwhatitmeanstobeahostfamily,givesareviewoftheprogramguidelines,andinspectsthehost family’shome, including theaupair’sbedroom. An in-homeevaluationof thehostfamilyiscompletedbytheLCC,thisisgenerallydoneatleast30daysbeforeanaupair arrives.

Why families choose to have an au pairAmerican familieschoose theCulturalCareAuPairprogramforanumberofdifferentreasons,themainonebeinganeedforflexiblechildcare.Ourfamiliesalsohaveaninterestinculturalexchange.Themajorityofhostparentshavefull-timejobs.Asaresult,thereisadefiniteneedtofindsafeandqualitycarefortheirchildrenwhiletheyareatwork.Hostfamilies are also very interested in giving their children access to other cultures.

Needsareverydifferentforeveryfamily.Somefamiliesonlyneedsomeonetosupervisetheirchildrenwhentheycomehomefromschool.Someparentsneedsomeoneavailableall day long—from the time they leave in the morning until they return from work in theevening.Inotherfamilies,oneparentmaynotworkfull-time,butneedsadditionalchildcare to assist in the daily needs of the family.

Having someone tocare for thechildrenathome isaflexibleandattractiveoption forthemajorityofCulturalCare’shostfamilies.Mostothertypesofchildcare, likedaycarefacilities,havestrictdropoffandpickuptimes,forinstance.So,havinganaupairwithaflexiblescheduleisagreatbenefitofthisprogram.

The‘perfectaupair’bydefinitiondoesnotexist.However,nomatterwhatthereasonsforchoosinganaupairoverothertypesofchildcare,allofourhostfamiliesplaceatremendousamountoftrustandresponsibilityintheaupair,appreciatingthefactthattheirchildrenare being taken care of and provided for in the comfort of their own home instead of at a family day care or childcare center.

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Your au pair applicationYouraupairapplicationwillbereviewedbytheCulturalCarematchingteam.Theyaretheexpertsinmatchingaupairsandhostfamiliestogether.Afterreviewingyourapplication,it will be presented to host families during the matching process. What are host families lookingforwhentheyreviewanapplication?Mosthostfamilieshaveanideaofthetypeofaupairtheyfeelwoulddowellwiththeirchildren.Sometimesthesefactorswillinclude:• Drivingexperience(manyaupairsdriveaspartoftheirregularduties).• Thetypeofchildcareexperiencetheaupairhashad(howmanychildren,agesofchildren).• Aupair’sinterests.Manyhostfamiliestrytomatchtheinterestsoftheirchildrentotheir

aupair.Forinstance,ifthechildrenlovesoccer,thehostfamilywillenjoyreviewinganapplicationofasoccer-playingaupair.

• The au pair’s language and cultural background. Some host families have particularinterests in certain cultures.

Hostfamilieswillalsospecifycertainotherdetailsthatareimportanttothem,suchaswhethertheyneedanaupairwhoisastrongswimmer,etc.

Onceourmatchingteamhasasenseofahostfamily’swishesandrequirementstheywillreview au pair applications. This is why it is especially important that your application be well thought through and complete.

Afteryouhavebeenacceptedintotheprogram,youhavethepossibilitytoupdateyourapplication with an addendum through your online account. The changes may be very helpfulinfindingmorepossiblehostfamilymatchesforyou.

Hereareafewthingsthatwillbeveryhelpfulforyoutotellusaboutafteryourapplicationhas been submitted:• Contactandpersonalinformation.• Additionalchildcareexperiences.• Additionalchildcareinformation.• Additional qualifications such as more driving experience, information on English

coursestaken,orupdatesonyourswimmingability.• Healthupdates.• HostFamilymatchrequirements:askingtobeplacedwithaspecifictypeofhost family will seriously limit your options for a placement. We encourage you to be as open as possible. It is helpful to remember that successful au pairs always say that the most importantpartoftheiryearwasgettingalongwiththeirhostfamily,notwheretheylived.

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Your Online Account – www.culturalcare.com/loginCulturalCareAuPairhasaspeciallydesignedAuPairOnlineAccountjustforyou.Upongettingacceptedtotheprogram,youshouldhavereceivedinformationonyourusernameand password. This account has been designed to be a resource tool for you throughout your au pair experience. Keep your log in information handy and check your account often,especiallyduringthematchingprocess.

Personalized matchingCulturalCareAuPairhasdevelopedauniquepersonalizedmatchingprocess.Thisprocessmeansthatwewilllookthroughyourapplicationandapotentialhostfamily’sapplicationto see if your interests, background and childcare experience “match” their interests,background and childcare needs.The process begins approximately 4-8months beforeyourdesiredarrivaldate.Ourstaffevaluatesallaupairapplications,takingnoteofeachaupair’squalificationsandinterests.Atthesametime,wearereviewingthehostfamilyapplicationstodeterminetheirrequestsandneeds.

Atthispointweaskforyourunderstanding,andtorememberthatitisyouwhoisapplyingforaplacement,hencehostfamilieshavemorechoice.Ourmatchingprocessisbasedonthe idea that both the family and the au pair have a chance to view information about each other,speakwitheachotherandthen,whenbothsidesarehappythattheyhavefoundtherightmatch,finalizeaplacement.

Host Family Search and SelectHost familieshaveactive involvement in thematchingprocessbyusingtheSearchandSelectfunctionalityonline.SearchandSelectisanaupairprofilereviewerwhichallowshostfamiliestoseesomedetailsfromanaupair’sapplicationandtheycanthenexpressinterestinspecificcandidates.Whenthishappensyouwillseesomeinformationaboutthehostfamily.Then,ifyou’reinterestedinspeakingwiththefamily,youcanletthemknowwhenandhowyou’dliketobecontacted.

CulturalCareandourplacementteamoverseetheSearchandSelectprocessbehindthescenes,thebenefittoyouasanaupairisthatitprovidesyouwithmoredynamicmatchingby linking you with host families before formally matching you with one another. The matchis temporaryandautomaticallyreleasedafter48hours ifneitherhost familynoraupairareinterestedinmovingforward.It’simportanttonotethatnotallfamilieswhoreviewyourprofilewillreachouttospeakwithyou.Itisnormaltoseeseveralfamiliesgointo your account before one contacts you.

Thebestthingyoucandoisremainopen-mindedthroughouttheprocess,makesureyourfullapplicationisrepresentingyouinthebestway,keepallofyourpersonalinformationupdated, allow the matching team to work on your behalf and stay connected withCulturalCarealongtheway.Remembertocheckyouremailregularlyashostfamilieswillbegettingintouchviaemail!

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Review of the matchAt this time, the host family will review your qualifications. They will discuss with thematchingteamifyourskillsandbackgroundmatchtheirneeds.Again,theremaybetimeswhenyouseeahostfamilyinyourOnlineAccountandthenthatfamilywill“disappear”soonafter.Trynottobetoodisappointedortakethispersonally.Usuallythismeansthatyourskillsorbackgrounddonotmatchthehostfamily’srequests.Forinstance,perhapsthehostfamilywouldpreferanaupairfromacertaincountry.Orperhapstheyhaveapoolattheirhouseandneedtheiraupairtobeastrongerswimmer.Inanycase,ifthisoccurs,donotworry.Wearecontinuingtoworktofindthebestmatchforyou.

WhenahostfamilymatchisinyourOnlineAccount,youhavesomeinformationonthehostfamilytoreviewaswell.Weurgeyoutobeasopen-mindedaspossible.Perhapsthishostfamilylivesinastateyouhavenotheardoforisadifferenttypeoffamilythanyouimagined.Trytoremainopentothisandlearnmoreaboutthehostfamily’spersonalityandinterests.Ifyouhavequestionsaboutthehostfamily,youarewelcometocontactourstaffinyourhomecountry.Pleasenotethatsomehostfamiliesmighttakeseveraldaystodecideif they will contact a match or not.

The telephone callIfthehostfamily,uponreviewingyourapplication,feelsthatyoucouldbeagoodfitfortheirfamily,theywillplaceatelephonecalltoyoutohaveatalkwithyou.Manyfamiliescallduringtheweekend,intheafternoonorevening.Normally,youwillhavereceivedanemailthatthisfamilyisreviewingyourapplicationbutifyoudonotfrequentlycheckyouremail,bepreparedforacallatanytime.Duringmatching,itisveryhelpfultocheckyouremailregularlyandtocheckyourOnlineAccountforupdatesonmatches.Itisalsoveryimportantthat you update us if your telephone number or email changes so a family can reach you.

We recommend that you spend some time thinking about a potential telephone call beforeithappens.Theofficeinyourhomecountrymightofferatrainingtelephonecallsothatyoucanpractice.Youshouldtreatthislikeajobinterviewbecause,thatiswhatitactuallyis!Youshouldthinkaboutwhatquestionsyouwouldliketoaskandwhatthingsareimportantforyoutoknow.However,youshouldkeepinmindthatthehostfamilyisalsogoingtobelookingforcluestoyourpersonalityandmotivations.Forinstance,ifyourfirstquestionisaboutthecoolplacestovisitintheircity,theymightthinkthatyouare not interested in their family or the children. Be thoughtful about the impression you makebutalsomakesureyouaskenoughquestionstomakeagooddecisiononifthisisthe family for you.

Oncethecallcomes,youmightbealittlesurprisedsoitmightfeelveryawkwardatfirst.This is normal. Try to relax as much as possible and remember that it is important for you tobeanactiveparticipantonthephone.IfEnglishisnotyournativelanguage,weknowthat itcanbeverydifficulttospeakinanother language,especiallyoverthephone.Do

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notbeafraidtotell thehost familythatyouarehappytotalktothem,butneedsometimeto feelcomfortable speakingEnglish.Youcanalsoask themto speakmore slowlyandremember,thefamilyisprobablynervousaswell.Pleasenotethatwhenthefamilycalls,youmaynothave received their completeapplication,butyou shouldhave someinformationonthemfromyourOnlineAccount.

Questions to ask on the phoneMaking a goodfirst impression during the phone interview is important for both youand your host family and a nice way of getting to know more about each other. Try to be yourself,relaxandenjoytheconversation!Belowaresomeideasforgoodquestionstoask:

About the children:

• Howoldarethechildrenandwhataretheirnames?• Whatdotheyliketodo?• Whataretheirpersonalitieslike?• Whataretheirfavoritegamesandtoys?• Ifthechildisinschool,howfarawayistheschoolandhowdotheygetthere?• Ifthechildisababy,isshe/hewalkingand/ortalkingyet?• Whatisyourapproachtoraisingyourchildren?

About the parents:

• Whatisyourprofession?• Whyareyouinterestedinhostinganaupair?• Whatmadeyouinterestedinmyapplication?• Haveyouhadanaupairbefore?• Whatareyourhobbies?• Dofamilymembersorrelativeslivenearby?• Haveyoueverbeenoverseas?• HaveyoueverbeentothecountrythatI’mfrom?• Whatqualitiesdoyoufindimportantinanaupair?• Whatisyourlifestylelike?(activeorrelaxed,etc.)

About your duties:• WillIberesponsibleforanyhouseholddutiesthatrelatetothechildren?• Whatkindofactivitieswillyouexpectmetodowiththechildren?• Whatwillmyschedulebelike?• Arethereotherdutiesyouexpectmetodo?• Whatkindofruleswouldyouaskanaupairtofollow?

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About their area:

• Tellmeabouttheareawhereyoulive?• Arethereotherfamilieswithchildrennearby?• Arethereanyotheraupairsinthearea?• Whatthingsaretheretodowiththechildrennearyourhouse?• Whatkindofstudyopportunitiesareofferedinyourarea?

After the phone conversationOnceyouhavespokenwiththehostfamily,weaskyoutocalltheCulturalCareAuPairoffice to discuss the match as soon as possible. We want to know what you think about the familyandifyoufeeltheywouldbeagoodmatchforyou.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsthatneedclarification,wewilldoeverythingpossibletogettheanswersyouneedtohelpyoudecide whether this is the right family for you.

Selecting each otherAfterthephoneconversationitusuallytakesacoupleofdaysforthehostfamilytodecideif they feel you are the right au pair for them. They may ask to either email or call you a fewmore timesbeforemaking afinaldecision.Aftermaking theirdecision theywillcontact theMatchingTeamwith their response. It is also important that you feel thatthisistherightfamilyforyou,soifyouhaveanyquestionsorconcernsaboutthefamily,please call the office immediately. We do advise you to consider your priorities at this time. Remember,makingsureyoufeelcomfortablelivingwiththisfamilyisthemostimportantthing.Ourformeraupairsalwayssaythatgoodchemistrywiththehostfamilyismuchmore important than things like the state you live in so make sure you are being open and keeping the right priorities.Themainquestion you should ask yourself is: “Will I feelcomfortablelivingwiththisfamily?”

Eachfamilyandaupairisuniqueinwhattheybringtotheprogram,soitmighttakeafewcalls or emails to get the best match. If you are turned down by a host family or if you turn downahostfamily,itdoesnotmeanthatyouareabadcandidate,andcannotbeplacedasanaupairintheUSA.Youmightjustbetheperfectmatchforthenexthostfamilythatcallsyou.

Staying in touch with Cultural CareThroughout the matching process it is very important that you are in regular contact with theCulturalCareofficeinyourhomecountry.Itisextremelyimportantthatyouupdateus with any changes to your phone number or email. If you have plans to go on holiday orotherwisebeoutofreach,pleaseletusknow.Mosttimes,ifafamilytriestocallandcannotreachyou,theywillasktobematchedwithadifferentcandidate.Also,ifatanytimeduringthematchingprocess,youchangeyourdeparturedateorchangeyourmindaboutbeinganaupair,youmustcontactCulturalCareimmediatelysowecannotifytheCulturalCareofficeintheUSA.

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Final matchAfterreceivingwordfromthehostfamilythattheywouldlikeyoutobetheiraupair,youwillreceiveanotheremailnotifyingyouofthis.Wecallthisbeing“final”.Atthistime,ifyouhaveanyremainingconcernsorquestions,youshouldnotifyusimmediatelythroughthestaffinyourhomeoffice.

Once you and your family have selected each other, we can confirm your travel date.CulturalCareinyourhomecountrywillthenbeginhelpingyouwithvisapreparationsandstartsendingyouimportantinformationtohelpyouprepareforyouraupairstay.Atthistime,itisimportanttoreviewallmaterialswesendyouasthiswillensurethatyoutravelsuccessfully. Be sure to check your online account for updated information and documents. Keep in touchWe strongly recommend that you stay in contact with your host family before you arrive intheUSA.Sendthemapostcard,writethemanemailorgivethemacalltoletthemknow how you are doing, how your preparations are coming along and that you arelooking forward to meeting them. Getting to know them better in this way will make the adjustmenttoyournewhomeeasier.

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Preparing to departNow that you have chosen your host family, there is still a lot to do to get ready for the au pair program. Between now and when you fly to the USA, you will need to start preparing to be the new “responsible adult” in your new home. One important step is to carefully read our “Prepare for your year Handbook” which you will receive before departure. It contains helpful information about some of the adjustment issues you can expect. We also have other details that will help you get prepared for your time in the USA.

What to expectThe Prepare for your yearHandbook and email updates you will receive are designedto assist you with the mental and emotional preparation you will go through as you get readyfortheexperienceofbeinganaupair.However,becausethistransitionissuchanimportantone,wewillalsooutlineafewimportanttipshere:

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1. Making the transition to “responsible adult”Upuntilnow,youmayhavebeeninschoolandmaystillliveathomewithyourparents.Evenifyouarelivingonyourown,youhaveonlybeenresponsibleforyourself.However,onceyougetontheplanetotheUSA,youaremakinganimportanttransition.Yourhostfamily and the host children will look to you to be a responsible adult in their home. This meansyouwillbeexpectedtomake independentdecisions,ensurethechildren’ssafety,and take care of yourself as well as the children. It is important that you understand the responsibility you are taking on.

2. Be ready for cultural adjustmentIt is natural to feel out of place when you arrive in the USA. Many of you will beadjusting to adifferent language andall of youwillbe adjusting to adifferent culture.Thiswillsometimesbefun,sometimesfunny,butsometimeschallengingaswell.Don’tbeconcernedifyoudon’tfeelcomfortablerightaway!Thisiscompletelynormal.Giveyournewsurroundingsandyourhostfamilysometime.After4-6weeks,mostofouraupairsarefeelingrightathome.Ifyoufeeloverwhelmedorextremelyunhappy,pleaseletyourhostfamilyorLCCknowthatyouneedsomehelp.

3. Discuss this important transition with your parentsIt is important that your parents encourage you to work through the difficult times that will surelycome.Discusstheprobabilityofhomesickness,difficultiesadjustingandthesadnessthatmight come frommissing events at home.Yourparentswillworry about youbutmakesuretheyunderstandwhatyouarehopingtogainfromthisexperience.Sometimesaworriedparentwillencourageanaupairtocomehomeifhe/sheisfeelingsadorhomesick.Unfortunatelythisisadecisionthatcannotbereversedsodiscussthisinadvanceandletyour parents know that you are committed to working through the hard times.

4. Cultural Care in the USASince the application process is long and complex, Cultural Care staff in your homecountryhaveprobablybeenincontactwithyouquiteabit.However,onceyouheadtotheUSAyouwillfindthatyourmainsupportwillbeyourhost familyandyourLocalChildcareConsultant(LCC).YourLCCisthefaceofCulturalCarewhileyouareontheprogramandwillbethemainsupportpersonforyourstay.FormoreinformationonhowoursupportstructureworksintheUSA,gotothesectioncalledTheCulturalCareAuPairTeamonpage41.

5. Part of an au pair groupYour LCC will introduce you to the other au pairs in your area and give you contactinformationforthem.Thisisafantasticresourceforyou.Theseaupairswillbeatalldifferentpointsintheirprogram.Theymighthavejustarrived,likeyou,andknowexactlyhowyouarefeeling.Or,theymightbegettingclosetotheendoftheirstay.Theseexperiencedaupairscanreallyhelpyouifyoufeelhomesickorarehavingahardday.Don’thesitatetocontactotheraupairsinyourregionintheUSA.Theyhavebeenthroughthesamethingsasyouandcanalsogiveyouvaluableadviceonhowtheyhandleddifferentstepsalongtheway.

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ItiseasytobeexcitedandlookforwardtothegreatexperiencesyouwillhaveintheUSA.However, itisjustasimportanttoberealisticandknowthattheremaybesomehardtimesaswell.Infact,mostworthwhileexperiencesinlifearenotalwayseasy.Ifyouhaverealisticexpectations,yourchancesatbeingsuccessfularemuchhigher.So,takesometimetothinkbeforeyoutravel.Considerhowyouprocesschangeandhowyouplantoovercomethechallenges ahead.

Don’t forget your Online Account: www.culturalcare.com/loginAfteryoufinishthematchingprocess,thereisstillmoretoseeinyourOnlineAccount.Hereyou can find information on your host family, your LCC (LocalChildcareConsultant),andmanymore importantdetails.Here is anoutline of some things youwill findhere: • Flightinformation.• Programinformationincludingprogramregulations.• DetailsontheAuPairTrainingSchoolinNewYork.• InformationonyourEducationalComponent.• ImportantguidelinesontravelwhileintheUSA.• Insurancerelatedforms.• InformationonUStaxes.• Andmore!

PleasetakesometimetothoroughlyreadthrougheverythinginyourOnlineAccount.Itis all there to help ensure you have a smooth transition and a successful time with your host family.

About your au pair visaOnce you have a confirmed host family, you will receive a form called Certificate ofEligibilityforExchangeVisitor(J-1)StatusoralsoDS-2019form.ThisformprovesthatyouareparticipatingintheCulturalCareAuPairprogramandareauthorizedtoapplyfortheappropriatevisa.TheDS-2019isawhiteletter-sizeddocumentandyouwillbringthisformtotheAmericanembassytoapplyforyourvisa.

Pleasefollowthespecificinstructionsonhowtoobtainyourvisa.ItisimportantthatyoustarttheprocessassoonasyoureceivetheDS-2019inordertoavoiddelays.MakesureyouhaveatleastoneAmericanstandardsizedpassportpictureofyourselftoattachtotheform.YouareallowedtostayintheUSAfor30daysafterthefullcompletionofyouryearasanaupair.PleasenotethatyourDS-2019willindicatea12monthperiod-theadditionalmonthgraceperiodwillnotshowonyourvisaorDS-2019formbutisautomaticallyincluded.Thisform is extremely important and you must keep it for the duration of your program term.

When you receive this form you will also receive information from your home country office on how to get a visa appointment and what you will need to bring with you to the

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visaappointment.YouwillbeapplyingforaJ-1CulturalExchangeVisaunderthestatusofaupair.AllaupairsmustvisittheAmericanembassyforaninterviewinordertogetavisa.TheAmericanembassywilldeterminewhetheryourvisaapplication is approved.OnceyouhavereceivedyourpassportandvisabackfromtheAmericanembassy,checkthatallinformationiscorrectandkeeptheDS2019forminyourpassportatalltimes.

MoreindepthinformationaboutyourvisaandgoingtoyourvisaappointmentcanbefoundinyourOnlineAccount.

PassportYourpassportshouldbevalidforthewholeperiodyouwillbeintheUSAplusatleastsixextramonths.Ifthereisanychancethatyouwillextendyouryear,pleasemakesureyourpassportisvalidforatleast2.5yearstoavoidhavingtorenewitwhileintheUSA.

Your visa appointment

IMPORTANT: Beforegoingtoyourvisaappointment,checktheinformationsenttoyoubyyourhomeofficetoensureyouhavealltherequireddocumentation.

Duringyour appointment youwillhave an interviewwith a visaofficer representing theAmericanEmbassyorConsulate.TheinterviewwillbeatleastpartlyinEnglish.Thepurposefor the interview is to assess your suitability to participate in the au pair program and to assessyourmotivationstotraveltotheUSA.Itisimperativethatyouarehonestwiththevisaofficers.Also,eventhoughitcanbeastressfulexperience,trytoremainascalmaspossibletoensurethatyoufullyunderstandandfullyrespondtothevisaofficer’squestions.

Dependingontheproceduresattheofficeyouvisit,youwilleitherreceiveyourpassportwith visa at the time of your visit or you will receive it by mail.

TheactualvisawillbeissuedbytheAmericanembassyandisastamp/labelinyourpassport.Youshouldreceiveamultipleentryvisawhichallowsyoutoleaveandre-entertheUSAduringyourfirstyear.Pleasemakesureyourvisahastheletter“M”.Ifyouhavetheletter“S”,theembassygaveyouasingle-entryvisaandyoucannotleavetheUSAduringyouryearandre-enter.Whenyourvisahasexpired,youcannolongerleavetheUSAandre-enterwithoutrenewingyourvisa.YoucanonlyrenewyourvisaattheAmericanembassyinyourhomecountry.

IMPORTANT: Yourhomecountryofficewillgiveyouproceduresonnotificationoftheresultsoftheinterview.Pleaseensurethatyoucontactthemimmediatelyiftheyrequestyoutodoso.Yourflightisdependantuponyoursuccessfullyobtainingyourvisa.

Final paperworkYour Cultural Care home office will inform you of all the required paperwork toparticipate in our program. In addition to your application and references we require

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otherdocumentationsuchasacopyofyourdriver’slicense,CriminalBackgroundCheck,diploma,etc.Pleaseensurethatyousubmitthispaperworkinatimelymanneraccordingtotheinformationyoureceive.Pleasenotethatyouwillnotbeabletodepartifallrequiredpaperwork is not complete and approved. There are no exceptions.

International driver’s permitYoumustbringanInternationalDriver’sPermitaswellasyourhomecountrylicensetotheUSA.Inmoststatesthisservesasatranslationofyourlicenseandmanycarinsurancecompanieswill not insure youwithout one.Youmust bring thiswith you in order todrivelegallyintheUSAand/ortobeincludedonyourhostfamily’scarinsurance.Onceacceptedtotheprogram,youshouldcontacttheappropriateorganizationinyourhomecountrytoarrangeforanInternationalDriver’sPermit, sincepermitsmustbeobtainedwhileinyourhomecountry.Insomestates,youwillalsoberequiredtogetastatedriver’slicense,butregardlessofthis,CulturalCarerequiresallaupairswhowillbedrivingintheUSAtogettheInternationalDriver’sPermit.

Insurance CoverageAllaupairsreceivebasicmedicalandaccidentinsurancecoverageaspartoftheCulturalCareprogram.However,medicaltreatmentintheUSAisveryexpensive.Forexample,astandardsurgerycosts$20,000US.Therefore,itishighlyrecommendedthatallaupairspurchase the extended insurance coverage policy.

ErikaTravelInsurancehasputtogetheracustom-designed,comprehensivetravelpolicyforaupairs,tocomplementthebasicinsurancecoverageandtoensurethatyouhaveadequatecoverageduringyour12-monthstay.IfyoudecidetostayintheUSAfortheadditionalmonth to travel, you must either purchase additional insurance coverage from ErikaTravel Insurance before your last working day or provide proof that you have appropriate insurance coverage from another provider. You can purchase Erika’s additional monthinsurancecoveragefromyourCulturalCarehomeofficeor, ifyouarenowintheUSAbycallingtheOperationsdepartmentat1-800-448-5753.Rememberthatyoumusthaveadditional insurancecoverageinorderforCulturalCaretobookareturnflightforyouafter your last working day.

Ifyouhavepurchasedtheextendedinsurancecoverageandhaveanaccidentorgetsick,youwillhaveextendedcoverageforallnecessaryandreasonablecosts,includingmedicineandprescriptions.Transportationtoyourhomecountry,inanemergency,isalsoincluded.In addition, the extended insurance coverage includes the cost of a trip for two familymemberstovisityou,ifyoubecomeseriouslyillorinjuredandmustremainhospitalized.Thereisalimitof$200USmaximumcoverageperpolicyyearforanyacuteandnecessary(non-accidental)dentaltreatmentundertheextendedinsurancecoveragepolicy.Shouldyou need to return home due to a serious illness or accident, or if a parent or siblingbecomesseriouslyillorinjuredandishospitalized,yourflighttickethomewillbecovered.

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Theextendedinsurancecoveragealsocoversstolenpropertyupto$5,000US,andincaseyourbaggageisdelayedfromyourhomecountry,youmaybereimbursedupto$200USfor necessary out of pocket expenses.

Activities & Sports PackageAupairswhowishtoparticipateinriskyactivitiesneedtopurchaseasportsupplementcoveringsuchactivitieswhichnormallyarenotcovered,suchasridingoff-roadvehicles,whitewater rafting or jet-skiing.The sports supplement is sold through theCulturalCareAuPairofficesbeforedepartureorwithin2weeksafterarrivalintheUSA.

The Aetna NetworkErikaTravelInsurancehasbeengivenaccesstotheAetnaNetwork,whichisthelargestprovidernetwork in theUSA. If youvisit adoctor in theAetnanetworkandhave theextended coverage, youwill pay a deductible of $35US;with the basic coverage, thisdeductibleis$75US.To find an Aetna-affiliated doctor or hospital in your area, you can search the Aetna web site at www.aetna.com/docfind/erika.ShouldyouchoosetovisitadoctororhospitaloutsideoftheAetnaNetwork,youwillberesponsiblefora$125USdeductiblewiththebasiccoverageand$95USdeductiblewiththeextendedcoverage.WheneveryouvisitadoctorintheAetnanetworkyoushouldnothavetopayanycostsupfront,sobesuretomentionthatErikaTravelInsuranceispartneredwithAetnaifthedoctor does not seem to be aware of this partnership. The deductible should either be paid up front or you will be invoiced for this part later.

ID card and claim forms Before departure from your home country, youwill receive an insurance identification(ID)card,andyoucanfindinsuranceclaimformsinyourOnlineAccount.Ifyoupayfortreatmentoraprescriptionout-of-pocket,youmustcompleteaclaimformandsendittothe insurance company in order for you to be reimbursed.

FormoreinformationontheinsurancewhileyouareintheUSA,gotopage66tothesectioncalledErikaTravelInsurance.

Your flight to the USAUponfinalizing your host family, youwill have received your confirmed departure date.Closertothisdateyouwillreceivepreliminarydeparturedetails.MostofouraupairsflyonMondays,dependingonflightavailabilitysomeaupairswillalsotravelonaSunday.YouwillbeflyingintoNewYorksinceyouwillattendtheAuPairTrainingSchoolbeforetravelingtoyourhostfamily.TheprogrambeginsonMondayevening.

Wewillconfirmyourflightoncewehaveconfirmedreceiptof1)allrequireddocuments 2)fullpaymentofallprogramfeesand3)thatyouhavesuccessfullyreceivedyourvisa.Yourflightdetailswillbevisible inyourOnlineAccount. If youhavenot receivedyourflight

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informationinyourOnlineAccountafewdaysbeforeyourdeparture,orifthereareanyproblemswithyourticket,pleasecalltheCulturalCareAuPairofficeinyourhomecountry.

All flights are submitted by electronic ticket (e-ticket).Donot forget to bring the e-ticketconfirmationtotheairport.

Youshouldcalltheairlinethedaybeforeyourflighttoconfirmyourreservationandtomakesurethedeparturetimehasnotchanged.Ifyoufollowaspecialdiet,arevegetarianorhavefoodallergiespleasecalltheairlineandalsoyourlocalCulturalCareAuPairofficeassoonasyougetyoure-ticketsotheycanpreparetheappropriatemeal foryou.Youritinerarywillhavetheflightdepartureandarrivaltimesonit.Allthetimesarelistedinlocaltime.“A”meansa.m.(morning),“P”meansp.m.(evening)and“12:00N”meanstwelveo’clocknoon.

Your luggageLuggage restrictions are specific to each airline and Cultural Care cannot change orinfluenceairlinepolicyon luggagerestrictions.Youshouldcontact theairline,orchecktheirwebsite,assoonasyoureceiveyourflightdetailstochecktheirregulationsregardingluggageandluggagerestrictions.Restrictionshavebeenchangingrecently,somakesureyouknowthecurrentpolicy.OneimportantthingistochecktheairlinesbothforyourflighttotheUSAandthenyourflight(ifapplicable)fromtheAuPairTrainingSchooltoyourhostfamily.Sinceoneflightisaninternationalflightandtheotherisadomesticflighttheywilllikelyhavedifferentrestrictions.Theairlinesareverystrictandyouroptionsaretoeither bring only the allowed baggage or to budget to pay for the additional bags or weight you bring with you. This is a cost you should consider when preparing for your program.

IfyouneedmorethanyouareallowedtocarrywithyouontheplanetotheUSA,lookintoshipping some clothing to your host family home directly.

Remembertokeepyourvaluables,passportandvisainyourcarry-on.Incaseyourluggageisdelayed,youshouldalsopackanextrasetofclothesinyourcarry-onluggage.

What to packIt is a little overwhelming to think about what to pack for a whole year away from home or maybeeventwo.Butwithsmartplanningit’sachallengeyoucanovercome.

First,checkoncurrentluggagerestrictionsontheairlines,andinparticularhowmanybagsyou can bring with you and their maximum weight. We encourage you to check with them before last minute packing.

Next,considerwhatyouabsolutelyneedtotakewithyou.ManyexperiencedaupairssaytotakeintoaccounttheshoppingthatyouwillsurelydointheUS.Youmightwantto

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restrictyourclothingtowhatyouwillabsolutelyneedinthefirstfewweeks.Checksiteslike www.weather.comtoseewhattheweatherislikeinbothNewYork(forthetrainingschool)andinyourhostcommunitybeforeyougo.Ifyouaregoingtoliveinacolderclimate,youmaywanttoconsidershippingbulkyitemssuchascoats,sweaters,etc.toyourhostfamily’shomesoyoudonotneedtocarrythemwithyou.

StylesofclothingcanbequitedifferentintheUSAtowhatyouareusedto.Onethingthatwerecommendisthatyoudonotbringanyclothingthatisquiterevealingsince,ingeneral,thisisnothowAmericansdressandyoumightattractunwantedattention.Also,yourhostchildren will see you as a role model and your host parents might not be comfortable with veryprovocativeclothing.Typesofclothingthatyoushouldleaveathome:T-shirtswithcursewordsorothertypesofoffensivemessaging,shirtsthatareverylowcutandrevealing(girls),andpants thatareextremely lowcut.Agood idea is toconsiderwhatyourgrandparentswouldsayaboutyouritemsofclothing.Iftheywouldfinditinappropriate,leaveitathome.

It is always nice and much appreciated if you bring a small gift from your home country tothehostfamilyoratleasttothechildren.Thisisagreatwaytobreaktheice.Candy,agamethatyoucanteachthechildren,somethingsmalltowear,orsmalltypicalitemsfromyour culture are a few ideas.

When you arrive at theAuPairTraining School, staffwill put your large luggage intostorage so you should keep a smaller backpack or other bag so you can separate out a few changesofclothes foryourdaysat the school.Youwillonlyneedclothesandpersonalitems,youwillnotneedtobringtowelsorsheets.ThereismoreaboutthisifyougotoyourOnlineAccountatwww.culturalcare.com/login. Go to the Infosource section and then checkthesectionabouttheAuPairTrainingSchool.

Here is a handy checklist that can help with your packing:

Your passport

Your DS2019 form

An ATM card or other access to money (do not carry large amounts of cash)

Enough clothing for the first few weeks (plan to ship or buy more later)

Copy of your clean driving record if you can obtain it (translated to English)

Emergency phone numbers for your Cultural Care home office, Boston office and Au Pair Training School (see page 5).

This handbook, your preparation handbook, and the other materials Cultural Care has sent you to prepare.

Some toiletries (keep it small, you can buy more later)

A small bag for your few days at the Au Pair Training School in New York

Gifts for your host children

A few photos of friends and family at home

Your Erika Insurance Card and information

Any necessary medication, including your prescription for customs

Your International Driver’s Permit

Color copy of your passport (in case you lose it)

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Pre-departure overview:4-6 weeks prior to departuren Receive final host family information (via your Online Account).

n Read through the information in your Online Account.

n Read through this handbook and your Prepare for your year Handbook.

n Make sure you have Erika Travel Insurance, if not contact your Cultural Care home office

to purchase it.

n Receive and read preparation emails.

n Talk to your parents about your goals and how they can best support you through tough times.

n Maintain phone or email contact with your host family to help get to know one another.

n Compile any remaining documentation to your home country office (if applicable).

n Make any final outstanding payments to Cultural Care.

n Sign and submit your 45 hour agreement which is available in your Online Account.

2 weeks prior to departuren All required documents are submitted to Cultural Care.

n Check your Online Account for flight information.

n Decide on how you will access money until you open a bank account in your host community.

n Get a few small gifts for the host children.

n Check with the airline on luggage restrictions by visiting their website.

n Make a list of what to pack and what to ship.

3 days prior to departuren Make any requests on special seats or meals directly with the airline and the

Cultural Care Au Pair office.

n Finish packing and weighing your suitcases to be sure you are not over luggage limits.

n Ship any other clothing or items to your host family home (and let them know it’s coming).

n Read the instructions in the next section before you fly on what to do in case of a missed or cancelled flight.

n Make two copies of your passport, DS-2019 form and visa and leave one with someone at home for safe keeping, and the other to carry with you separate from the original documents.

Day of your flightn We recommend online check-in which most airlines allow 24 hours before departure.

n Make sure you have your passport, DS-2019 form, and your flight confirmation/tickets.

n Make sure these items are in your carry-on luggage and not the luggage you plan to check on the flight.

n Be sure to be at the airport at least 2.5 hours before the departure time.

n Look out for other au pairs who may be on same flight. You can recognize them by the Cultural Care luggage tags!

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n Bring your bags to the check-in desk immediately to get your boarding pass which shows your seat number and the gate from which your plane leaves.

n Check the TV monitors for departure times and make sure you go to the gate in time–airlines do not always make boarding calls, and you don’t want to miss your flight!

n Have Cultural Care contact details handy and be sure to call if you experience any flight delays or changes.

What if I miss a flight?Ifyoumissyourflight,eithertoNewYorkortoyourhostfamily,youshouldimmediatelycontacttheairlinepersonneltoseeifyoucangetonadifferentflight,eitherthatdayorthenextday.Theairlineshouldbeabletoputyouonadifferentflight,butyoumighthavetobepersistentinmakingthishappen.Neverhesitatetoasktheairlinepersonnelforassistance.Havinglocalcurrencyandacreditcardforunexpectedtravelproblemslikethisisagoodidea.Don’tforgettocallCulturalCarewithyournewflightinformation.Youcaneithercallyourhomecountryoffice(ifyouarestillinyourhomecountry)ortheBostonofficeifyouareintheUSAat1-800-333-6056.

Also,keepthisnumberfortheAuPairTrainingSchoolStaffbyyou:+1-631-433-0137.Youcanreachtheschoolstaffatthisnumberatanytimeaswell.

What if my flight is canceled?Contacttheairlinepersonnelsotheycanputyouonanotherflight.Theyarerequiredtorebookyou.CallCulturalCareAuPairassoonasyouhavethenewflightinformation.

What if my flight is delayed?Ifthereisalongdelay,andyouareonyourwaytoyourhostfamily,itisimportanttocallthem.Ifyouareonyourwaytotheschool,contactCulturalCaretoinformthemofyournewflightinformation.Ifthereisagroupofaupairs,staytogether.Ifitwillbealongdelay,asktheairlineiftheycangiveyoua“foodvoucher.”

If the new flight is not until the next day ...Ifyourflightisdelayedorcanceleduntilthenextday,youshouldasktheairlinetoputyouupinahotelandgiveyouafoodvoucher.Inmanycasestheywilldothat,butifnotandiftheairlinetakesnoresponsibilitythenErikaTravelInsurancewouldreimbursethiscost.In this case you must keep your receipts for hotel and food to submit for reimbursement. Remember,mostairportshavefreelocalhotelshuttlesandbuses.Trytosharearoomwithanother au pair to reduce expenses.

If there is a change in your flight arrival information...Assoonasyouhaveyournewflightinformation,youmustinformtheappropriatepeople:• IfyouareonyourwaytoNewYork,callyourlocalofficesotheycaninformtheAuPair

Schoolaboutyourflightchange.

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• Ifyouareonyourwaytoyourhostfamilycallthemimmediately.Ifyoucannotreachthem,callyourLCCortheUSAofficeat1-800-333-6056.

Callassoonasyouhavethenewinformationtogivespecificdetailsonthenewflight.Givethemallofthenewflightdetails,includingtheairline,flightnumber,arrivalairport(somecitieshavemorethanone)andarrivaltime.

Arrival in the USAWhenyoufirstarriveintheUSAyouwillgothroughimmigrationwhereyourpassportwillbestampedwiththedateofentryintotheUSA.ItisimportanttopresentyourJ-1visaattheUSborderandtelltheCustomsandBorderPatrolofficerthatyouareenteringtheUSasanexchangevisitor.Afterinspectingallyourdocuments,theofficerwillstampyourpassportwiththedateofentryandclassofadmission.Beprepareditmighttakequitealongtimetogothroughimmigration!

Important Documents and the I-94Duringyourflight to theUS, theflightattendantwillgiveyouaCustomsDeclarationFormtofillout.Ifyoucrosstheborderbycar,youwillreceivethisformatthelandport,inadditiontotheArrival-DepartureRecord(FormI-94).IfyouentertheUSthroughanairport,youradmissioninformationwillberecordedelectronicallyandyouwillbegivenwritteninstructionsbytheimmigrationofficeronhowtoaccessyourI-94informationandprintouttheformatthewebsitewww.cbp.gov/I94.

AllofthiswillbeexplainedattheTrainingSchoolbutitisyourresponsibilitytoprinttheform soon after arrival to the host family. The printed version will be used when traveling orwhenapplyingforaSocialSecuritycardanddriver’slicense.

Lost, delayed or damaged luggageIfyourluggageislost,delayedordamaged,youmustreportthisimmediatelytothestaffintheairportbaggageclaimarea.It is importantthatyoufileacomplaintbeforegoingthroughcustoms.Youwillhavetofilloutareport.GiveboththeaddressoftheCulturalCareAuPairTrainingSchoolinNewYork(seebelow)andyourhostfamilyaddress.Whileitisrareforluggagetobedelayedorlostforafewhours,itisimportanttohaveafewextraitemsinyourcarry-onincaseyourluggagedoesnotarriveontime.UsuallyitarrivesthefollowingdayattheAuPairschool.

Cultural Care Au Pair Training SchoolSt. John’s University500 Montauk HighwayOakdale, NY 11769

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First stop: New York!When you arrive in the USA and after clearing customs, you will be picked up by a Cultural Care representative and taken to our Au Pair Training School on Long Island, NY. You will spend your first days in the USA with other au pairs at our own Au Pair Training School. Here you will learn more about child development, get an introduction to the USA, and get to know other au pairs who will remain your friends throughout your stay.

The Cultural Care training schoolAllCulturalCareaupairsinitiallyflyintoNewYorktoparticipateinamandatorytrainingprogram at our own school facilities.Most of the year our au pairs are trained at theCulturalCareSchoolatSt John’sUniversity,Oakdale. Inourpeakmonthsof JulyandAugustwesometimesalsouseasecondarylocationforourlargestgroups.AllcampusesarerunbyCulturalCarestaffandclassesgivenbyourownCulturalCareteachers.Campuses

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arelocatedonLongIslandoutsideofNewYorkCity.TheCulturalCareSchoolwillprovidegreatpreparationforyourstay.Wegiveyoupracticalinformation on how to work with the children and communicate with your host family. Thecourseincludeslessons,groupwork,role-playandhands-onactivities.YouwillalsobeabletopracticeyourEnglishallweekwiththeteachersandotheraupairs.

During the week, youwillmake new friends frommany different countries.Togetheryouwill learn about infant and childdevelopment, health and safety andhow tobe agoodrolemodelforthechildreninyourhostfamily.Youwillreceiveyourownworkbookcontaininginformationonhealth,safety,nutrition,positiveguidance,communicationanddevelopmentalactivities.YouwillreceivecertificationinPediatricFirstAidandCPRfromtheAmericanRedCross.AllaupairsleavetheAuPairTrainingSchoolwithwell-rounded,practicalknowledgeofachild’sneedsateachstageofdevelopment.Theweekwillbeveryexciting—andintense!Youwillreceiveacertificateattheendoftheweekwhichshowsyousuccessfully completed your week at the school.

Discover New York CityOnThursdayafternoonthereisanoptionaltriptoNewYorkCity.YoucansignupforthetripwiththeCulturalCarestaffearlierintheweek(forasmallfee).ItincludesaguidedtourofNewYorkCitywithexperiencedtourguidesandsomefreetimeforshoppingandenjoyingthebuzzofthisexcitingandvibrantcity.Ifpossibleyoushouldbringsomepocketmoneytoschoolinordertobuysouvenirs,payfortheNewYorktouretc.

Thesightseeingtourwillalsogiveyousomefreetimetovisitfamouslandmarks,shop,eatand hang out with your new au pair friends in one of the most exciting cities in the world.

Training school scheduleMostaupairsarriveattheschoolonMonday,theprogrambeginsMondaynightandclassestakeplaceTuesdaythroughThursday.OnFriday,youwilldeparttoyourhostfamily.BygoingontoyourOnlineAccountandcheckingouttheinformationpostedabouttheschoolyouwillbeabletoseemoredetailsonthescheduleandclassesyouwilltakeattheCulturalCareSchooltrainingweek.Pleasekeepinmind,dependingontheweekthisschedulemaychange. It is very important to use the schedule you receive at the school as your reference. Beingontimeisveryimportant!Attheschool,youwillreceiveyourownworkbookwhichyouwilluseinyourclasses.Youwillbeabletokeepthisworkbookwithyournotesfromclass to refer back to during your au pair stay.

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FacilitiesOurschoolfacilitiesarelocatedintypical,thoughsmall,Americancollegecampuses.ThedormitoriesanddiningfacilitiesaresimilartowhatAmericancollegestudentsexperience.Someaspectsofthefacilitiesmightbedifferentthanyouareusedto.Forinstance,youwillsharethebathroomswiththerestoftheaupairsonyourfloor.Thetoiletstallshavedoorsthatdonotreachthefloor(thisiscommonintheUSA).Thefacilitiesareinlargebuildingsanditiscommonthatsomeroomswillfeelquitewarmbutotherscoolerintemperaturesobepreparedinyoursmallschoolbagwithsomelayersofclothing.RememberthatthisisyourfirstchancetoexperiencethedifferencesinAmerica.Hereiswhereyouneedtostartpracticingyourflexibility.

Photos and information on the schoolWanttoseephotosoftheAuPairTrainingSchoolbeforeyouarrive?YoucanfindsomeinyourOnlineAccountintheInfosourcesection.

Traveling to your host familyIfyourhostfamilylivesoutsideofNewYorkCity,orinanotherstate,youwilleithergettherebybusoradomesticflight.Ifyouareflyingdomestically,youshouldhavecontactedtheairlinepriortoarrivingintheUSAtocheckonluggagerestrictions.Seepage22formore information.Yourhost familywillgreetyouat the localairportorbus station. IftheyliveinthegreaterNewYorkarea,theywillmostlikelypickyouupattheschool.Yourtravel costs to your host family are at no additional cost to you and are covered by your hostfamily’sprogramfees.

Don’tforgettoaccountforallofyourluggagewhenleavingtheschoolandwhenleavingthe bus or airportwhen arriving at your host family.With somany au pairs traveling,everyonemustensurethattheyareeachresponsiblefortheirownluggage.Unfortunately,CulturalCarewillnotacceptresponsibilityforluggagethataupairsleavebehindattheAuPairSchooloratabusorairport.

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Your host familyOur host families live all over the USA and have different lifestyles but they all share two things—the need for responsible childcare and an interest in other countries and cultures. They are looking forward to welcoming you into their home and having you become a part of the family.

Arriving to your new homeMeetingyourhostfamilyforthefirsttimeisanexcitingexperience—itcanbemixedwithanxiety andnervousness, butwill also bememorable. Even if you are a nativeEnglishspeaker, itwill take you a littlewhile to adjust to yournew family and community. IfEnglish isnot yournative language, a commonoccurrenceonce you arrive is that youmightbehesitanttospeakwithyourhostfamily.Youmightfeelafraidtomakemistakes.Challengeyourselfandstarttheconversation,evenifyourisksomeembarrassment.Youshouldn’tworrytoomuch,yourhostfamilywilllikelystrikeupaconversationwithyouveryquickly.YoucanalwaysstarttellingthemaboutyourtriptotheUSAandyourweekattheschool.Remember,yourhostfamilyisnervoustoo!Theywanttobesureyouarefeelingcomfortable in your new environment so keep communication open.

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ExpectationsYour time with Cultural Care Au Pair is a wonderful cultural exchange and learningexperience.Onelearningopportunity-andperhapsthemostimportant-willbelivingwithyourhostfamily.AllCulturalCarehostfamiliesagreetowelcometheiraupairintotheirhomeasamemberofthefamily.Pleasekeepinmind,however,thatyourhostfamilyintheUSAwilldiffergreatlyfrombothyourownfamilyandotherfamiliesintheUSA.Eachfamilyhasitsownculture,setofrules,interests,andwaysofcommunicating.Thoughcomparisonisanaturalprocess,westronglyrecommendthatyougowithanopenmind!Thebeginningofthis handbook covers in more detail some of the general expectations of host families.

Trusted childcare providerAsaparticipantintheCulturalCareprogram,youareexpectedtocarryoutyourchildcaredutiestothebestofyourability.Thisrequiresthatyouuseyourcommonsenseandactasacaringandresponsiblechildcareprovideratalltimes.Youmustneverdoanythingthatmayintentionally,orunintentionally,endangerthechildrenwhiletheyareinyourcare.Youareexpectedtomaketheirwelfareandsafetyyourtoppriority.Keepinmindthatyouarecaringforyourhostfamily’smostvaluableasset:theirchildren.

Childcare responsibilitiesYourprimaryresponsibilitywhileanaupairintheUSA,istocareforyourhostchildren.Providingchildcareupto45hoursperweekisaseriousresponsibilityandcommitment.Whilethereistimeforoff-dutysocializing,andenrollingineducationalcourses,youmustremember that the main focus of your au pair stay will be childcare.

Ahostfamilywillexpectthatwhileyouarewiththechildrenyoukeepsomethingsinmind:• Yourattentionmustbeonthechildren.Whileyoushoulddiscussthiswithyourhost

family,formostfamiliesthismeansthattheywillexpectyounottousetheInternetorhaveprolongeddiscussionsonthephonewhileyouareresponsibleforthechildren.Youshould be with them at all times.

• Neverleaveachildunattended.Onethingwefindisthatideasonwhatis“OK”intermsofleavingachildunattendedisdifferentintheUSAthaninsomeothercountries.Forinstance,anAmericanparentwillalwayskeepachildinastrollerrightbythem.Onedoesnotleavethestrollerinoneaisleofagrocerystoreandgotoanother,forinstance.Babiescanneverbeleftonachangingtableevenforaminute.ManyparentsintheUSAwillnolongerallowtheirchildrentobikeorwalktoafriend’shousealone.Americanparentswouldneverleavetheirchild in the car when they run into the house for something. It is extremely important that you and your host family have an open and detailed discussion on what is ok and what is not ok for their kids regarding time alone to avoid misunderstandings.

• Becreativeandinteractive.Ourhostfamiliesarelookingforchildcarethatiscreativeand interactivewith the children. If youhavebabysat in thepast,maybeyouwouldwatch a movie with the children until they went to bed but primarily your duties were

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to make sure they did not hurt themselves while the parents were away. Being an au pair isdifferent.Sinceyouarewiththemallday,hostparentswillexpectthatyouplaywiththechildrenandinteractwiththemduringtheday.Takingthemtoapark,engaginginlearningplaygames,doingsportingorartsactivitiesareallgoodoptions.AhostfamilywillexpectthatyouwillnotsimplysitthechildreninfrontoftheTVwhiletheyareinyourcare,sotalktoyourhostfamilyaboutideasforageappropriategamesandactivities.

• Ifyoucareforthechildrenearlyinthemorning,youareexpectedtobealertandwell-rested.So,sometimesyourhostfamilywillaskyoutobehomebyacertaintimethenightbefore.Thiswillhelpensurethechildren’ssafety.

• Donottextorusethephonewhiledriving.

Whenyouarrivetoyourhostfamily’shome,mostlikelyyouwillspendthefirstfewdaysgoingovermanyrulesandregulationsofthehome.Althoughthiscanseemoverwhelmingand“nofun”atfirst,itisthebestwaytobesureyouandyourhostfamilydonothaveanymisunderstandings about the care of the children. If any aspect of this is not clear or you donotunderstand,itisveryimportantthatyouaskandgetadetailedanswer.Thisisthebestwaytostartoffsmoothlywithyourhostfamily.

Language difficultyThereisa lot totalkabout inthefirst fewdayswithyourhost family!IfyouarenotanativeEnglishspeakerandyouhavetroubleunderstandingyourhostfamily,politelyaskthem to speak slower. It is more important to the host parents to know that you fully understandthemsodonotworryaboutoffendingthem.Youmighthavesomedifficultyunderstandingthechildren,andthechildrenmightnotunderstandyouatfirsteither.Thisis very common and every au pair experiences some language difficulty initially. In a couple ofweeks,itwillfeelmucheasier.Trytobepatient,andmoreimportantlyremembertolaughandmaintainagoodsenseofhumor!

Weekly scheduleYourworkweekwillbebasedprimarilyupontheneedsandplansofyourhostfamily.Eachweekyouwillhaveaschedulethatyourfamilyandyouwillgoover.Insomehostfamiliesthescheduleisthesameeachweekwhileinothersitisdifferentfromoneweektothenext.Thebestadviceissimplytobeflexible.Thismeansthatsomeaupairswillhavedaytimeoffwhilethechildrenareinschool,andotherswillhavetheeveningsoffwhentheparentsarehomefromwork.Youwillmostlikelyalsobeaskedtoworkduringsome weekends. We recommend that you get a calendar so that you and your host family canwritewhenyouarerequiredtocareforthechildren.Beginusingthiscalendarrightawaytokeeptrackofyourschedule,yourhostfamily’splans,yourdaysandweekendsoff,yourvacationplans,etc.YourfamilywillalsoreceiveaDailyCommunicationLogwhich is a good tool to communicate information to the host family.

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HoursUnder the U.S. Department of State guidelines, you are legally allowed to provide amaximumof45hoursofchildcareperweek,withalimitof10hoursperday.Pleasekeepin mind that your host family can ask you to work at any time as long as it stays within the hourregulations.Undernocircumstancesmayyouworkmorethantheregulatednumberofhours.Incaseyourhostfamilyasksforadditionalhoursofchildcare,pleaseinformyourLCCorCulturalCareat1-800-333-6056immediately.

Youareentitledtoone-and-a-halfconsecutivedaysoffperweek.Youarealsorequiredtoreceiveonefullweekendoffpermonth,whichisFridayeveningtoMondaymorning.Inadditionyouwillhavetwoweeksofpaidvacation.Keepinmindthatthevacationmustfitinwiththehostfamily’splansaswell.Discussingvacationearlyisagoodidea.

Formoredetailontheregulationsoftheprogram,seethechapterattheendonProgramRegulationsinDetail.

Household dutiesInadditiontochildcare,youwillmostlikelydosomehousekeepingrelatedtothechildren.Thisispartoftheaupair’sresponsibilityandalsooneofthebenefitsthathostfamiliesreallyappreciateabouttheprogram.Somethingsthatyoumightberesponsibleforincludedoingthechildren’slaundry–yourhostfamilymightneedthisdonetwiceperweeksoyoumighthavethreetofourhoursoflaundryworkinaweek.Youalsomightbeaskedtodogroceryshopping,cleaningupthechildren’sbedroomsand/orplayroomandevenkeepingtrackofwhat supplies like shampoo or coloring paper that the children are using up.

Being a member of the familyWhileregularhousekeepingdutiessuchasvacuumingthelivingroom,ordoinglaundryforthehostparents,arenotpartoftheaupair’sduties,yourhostfamilywillexpectyoutobeconsiderateandcleanupafteryourself.Youarelivingwiththemasanequalmemberofthefamilyandshould,therefore,havetheresponsibilityandconsiderationthatgoesalongwiththat.Forexample,ifyouusethelastpapertowelontheroll,youshouldreplaceitfromthecupboardwithanewroll.Sinceyoueatmealsandusethekitchen,youshouldoccasionally empty the dishwasher.Think of it as the normal “give and take” that youprobablyhavewithyourownfamilywhenyou’reintheirhome.

Role modelYouhaveaninterestingroleinthehomeasanaupair.Youarenotquiteaparentbuthavemoreresponsibility than a big brother or sister might. The best way to think about your role in the home is that the children should consider you a role model. This is why we ask that you take care of things you say and do around children and why host parents will not want you to smoke or sweararoundthem.Usuallythechildrenlovetheiraupairandeverythingtheydoisconsidered“cool”.Takethisresponsibilityseriouslyandkeepinmindhowtheyviewyou.

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Household rulesHostfamilieswilllikelyhavesomerulestofollow.Somecommononesinclude:• No overnight guests without their permission (most host families will not allow a

boyfriend/girlfriendtospendthenightunderanycircumstances).• Nouseofthecarfornon-dutyusesor,ifuseisallowed,restrictionswillbeset(distance

traveled,etc).• Ifyouhavetogetupwiththechildrenearly,mosthostparentswillaskyoutobehome

by a certain time the night before. This is to ensure that you are rested enough that you can care for the children responsibly.

Rulessuchasthesearenormalandtobeexpected.Soonafteryouarrive,youshouldaskyour host family to discuss the household rules with you to avoid any misunderstandings. Agoodideamightalsobetohavetheruleswrittendownsothatyoucanrefertothemwhenneeded.Itisimportantthatyoufollowyourhostfamily’sinstructionscarefullyfromthe beginning. Building trust between you is important so show them they can trust you.

DisciplineEachparentdefinesthelevelofdisciplinethattheywanttheirchildrentohave.Whenyouarrive,gooverhowtheywouldlikeyoutohandlemisbehaviorinthechildrenandfollowtheirguidelines.Forinstance,ahostparentwillnotfeelcomfortableifyouarestricterwiththeirchildthantheyare.Althoughyoumaynotagreewiththelevelofdisciplinethattheparentshavewiththechildren,youshouldfollowalongwiththeirwishes.Ofcourse,underno circumstances should you ever hit or physically discipline the children.

DrivingInmanycases,partofyourdutieswillbetodriveyourhostchildrentoandfromschoolandactivities.DrivingintheUSAisanewexperienceformostofouraupairs!Carsandhighwayswilllikelybemuchbiggerthanyouareusedto.Youshouldthinkaboutmakingtimetopracticeandbecomfortablebeforestartingtodrivethekids.Youshoulddiscussthis with your host parents.

Manyhostfamiliesdonotgiveaupairsaccesstothecarduringoff-dutyhours.Withgascostsandinsurancecostsrising,manyfamiliesarenotcomfortablewiththis.However,ifyourhostfamilydoesallowyoutousethecaroutsideofworkinghours,pleasekeepinmindthatthisisaprivilege,notaright.Yourhostfamilywilllikelyoutlineafewguidelinessuch as how far you can take the car and how often.

Formoredetail,seetheDrivingsectiononpage48inthishandbook.

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Questions to ask your host familyWithin the first few days, we recommend going through ”Questions to ask your hostfamily”whichyouwillfindbelow.Itisanexcellentwaytogettoknowmoreaboutyourfamily and to avoid potential misunderstandings.

Certainlynotallofthesequestionswillapplytoeveryfamily,butthesequestionsshouldgive you an idea of the type of information you might want to know about your host family. Yourhostfamilymightassumethatyoualreadyknowsomeoftheseanswers.Remindthemthatyouareinanewfamilyandinanewcountry.Youshouldnotbeembarrassedtoask“simple”questions.It’sagoodideatobringanotebooksoyoucanwritedowninstructions.

The house

• Couldyoupleasegivemeacompletetourofthehouseandyard?Arethereanyhousekeys hidden outside or with a neighbor that I should know about?

• Couldyoupleaseshowmehowtooperatesomeoftheappliances(thewashingmachine,dryer,dishwasher,stove,microwaveetc)?

• Aretherecertainroomswhichareofflimitstomeorthechildren?• Pleaseshowmewhereallthetelephonesare.Does911workfromthisarea?• Pleaseshowmealltheexits(includingemergencyexits,ifany).• Pleaseshowmewhereyoustorehouseholdchemicals/cleaners,aswellasmedicines(to

makesurethechildrendonotgetatthem).• Pleaseshowmewhereyoustoreanyhazardous(dangerous)objects,toolsetc.• Pleaseoutlineyourrulesoncomputerandphoneuse,bothfortimesIamworkingand

duringmyoff-hours.

The neighborhood

• Couldyoupleaseshowmearoundtheneighborhood/town?• DoyouhaveamapIcanborrow?• Whereisthenearestplayground?• Arethereareasthechildrenliketovisit?• Pleaseshowmethenearestpostoffice.• WhichbankshouldIusetoopenanaccount?• Pleaseshowmethenearesthospital.• Whatisthenameofthenearestmainstreetorroad?• WherecanIfindpublictransportationandwheredoesitgo?

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The children

• Pleasereviewthechildrens’medicalhistorieswithme.PleaseshowmewhereIcanputthis information so it is in a prominent place and near a phone.

• CouldwediscussanyotherusefulinformationyouthinkIoughttoknowaboutthechildren?• Pleasereviewwithmesomeofyourspecificchildsafetyrules,bothforwhenweareat

home and when out of the house.

The meals

• Atwhattimesdothechildrennormallyeat?• Dothechildrenhaveafavoritefood?• Dothechildrenhaveanyfoodallergies?• Pleasereviewhowtosafelypreparethechild’sformulaandfood• Howmuchshouldthechildeatateachmeal?• HowcanItelliftheformulaorfoodistherighttemperature?• HowdoIsafelyusethehigh-chair?• Pleasereviewgeneralnutritionguidelinesforthechildren.

Play dates

• Canthechildrengotoafriend’shousetoplayandmustIgetpriorpermissionbeforearranging this?

• Canthechildrengoonlytocertainfriends’houses?• Canonlycertainfriendscomeover?• CanIbringthechildrentoplaygroupswithotheraupairs?

Bath time

• Pleaseshowmetheproceduresforbathingthechildren.• Whattemperatureshouldthewaterbe?• Whichtoyscangointhewater?• WhichtowelsshouldIuseforthechildren?• Pleaseshowmethefullprocessofhowyouwantmetochangethebaby.• Pleasereviewthesafetyproceduresduringchanging.• Pleaseshowmewhereeverythingisstored(extradiapersetc).

Playing indoors and outdoors

• Aretheresometoyswhichrequiremorestrictsupervisionthanothers?• Aretheresometoysthataredangerous,andshouldn’tbeplayedwith?• MustIgetpriorpermissioneachtimeIbringthechildrenoutside?• Canthechildbeleftaloneinaplaypen?• CanItakethechildrenforawalk?

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• Arethererestrictionsastowherewecango,whenandforhowlong?• PleasereviewhowIproperlyusethestrollerorcarriage.• Whichtoyscanthechildhaveinthestrollerorcarriage?• CanItakethechildforbikeridesinabicycleseat?Pleaseshowmehowyouproperlyuse

the seat and helmet.• Howlongcanthechildrenstayoutside?• Whatdothechildrenliketodo?• Whataretheirfavoritetoysandgames?

Proper clothing

• Pleaseshowmewhereyoukeepallthechildren’sclothes.• Whichoutfitsarepreferableforthistimeofyear?WherecanIfindclothesincaseof

unseasonable temperatures or rainy days?• Pleaseshowmehowyouwoulddressthechildrenwhengoingoutside.

Putting the children to bed

• Dothechildrennap?Ifso,whenandforhowlong?• Whattimedotheygotobed?• Pleasereviewtheproceduresforputtingthechildrentobed.• Whichtoysarethechildrenpermittedtobringtobed?• Howdoyouproperlyraiseandlowerthesidesofthecrib?• WhatdothechildrenweartobedandwherecanIfindtheclothes?• HowdoIoperatethebabymonitor?• Dotheyhaveafavoritebedtimestory?• Anysuggestionstohelpthechildrenfallasleep?

Driving

• DoIhavepermissiontousethecar?• CanIdriveusingmyInternationalDriver’sPermitinthisstateordoIneedastatelicense?• CanweleaveacopyofmyDS-2019inthecar?• ArethereonlycertaintimeswhenIcanusethecar?• Can you confirm you have full auto insurance coverage for me? How much is the

deductibleandhowmuchamIresponsibleforpayingincaseofanaccidentduringoff-hours? Is the insurance information in the car?

• AmIpermittedtodrivewiththechildrenandmustIgetpriorpermissioneachtimeItake them in the car?

• Arethererestrictionsonwhere,whenandforhowlongIcantakethechildreninthecar?• Pleaseshowmehowtousethecarseatproperly.• Whichtoyscanthechildrenplaywithwhileinthecar?

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General

• Whatarethehouseholdrules?Couldyoupleasewritethemdownformeonaseparatepiece of paper?

• Whataremyresponsibilities?CouldyoupleasewritedownaclearlistofthingsIwillberesponsible for?

• CanIusethetelephone?WillyougivemethephonebillonceamonthsoIknowhowmuch I owe you?

• DoyouhaveanyrulesregardinguseoftheinternetthatIshouldbeawareof?• IsthereanAetnanetworkdoctorthatyou,oryourpreviousaupairshaveused?

Sick daysDayswhenyougetsickandcan’tworkarenotconsideredvacationtimeandwillnotbedeductedfromyourweeklystipend.Keepinmind,however,thatyourhostfamilyreliesonyou for their childcare. Be responsible in taking care of yourself to avoid getting sick. In the eventyouareseriouslyillorinjuredforalongperiodoftime,yourLCCshouldbenotified.

Weekly stipendEach week your host family will give you your weekly stipend (pocket money). Thisamountmustbepaidtoyoueachweekinfull.Discusswithyourhostfamilywhichdayof the week you will be paid on and talk about a receipt system with your host family to confirm the payments you receive.Youmay receive your stipend in cash or a personalcheck that the family writes to you. It is very common to set up a bank transfer so that your stipendgoesdirectlyintoyouraccountatthesametimeeachweek.Ifyouhavequestionsonhowandwhenthisstipendisbeingpaid,discussthiswithyourLCC.

Thismoneyisyourstodowithasyouwish.Gotothemovies,meetfriendsatStarbucks,saveitfortravelingattheendofyourterm.Ourreturnedaupairssaythatthiswasalsoagreatwaytosavemoney.Sinceyourhostfamilyprovidesyouwithyourroomandmealswhileyouareathome,thismoneycangoalongway!

PleaserememberthatyourweeklystipendissubjecttoUSincometaxeswhicharepaideachyearinApril.Werecommendsettingaside$10to$15perweektocoveranytaxesyoumightowe.Youcanfindoutmoreabouttaxesonpage75.

Family memberOnceyouarrive,youwill start to integrate intoyourhost family. Justasyour family isdifferent than the one next door, sowill your host family be different than the familyyougrewupwith.Ingeneral,youshouldacceptyourhostfamilyinthespiritofculturalexchange,astheyshouldacceptyouinthesamespirit.Thismeansthatyoushouldnotunfairlypassjudgmentonyourhostfamily’shabitsorlifestyle.Mostofourhostfamilieslook forward to spending time with you as part of the family. It is nice to occasionally spend

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freetimewiththemeatingmeals,playinggames,etc.Itisalsofineforyoutomakeplanswith friends. It might be helpful to discuss with your family what they have in mind in terms of family time versus independent time. While you may not have exactly the same ideas,youcanuseopencommunicationtodiscussthebestmixoftimewiththemandtimewith your friends.

Privacy ConcernsYouwillprobablynoticeafterawhileintheUSA,thatAmericansaremorecautiousaboutprivacythanmostothercountries.Unfortunately,therehavebeenmanycasesinthemediaof children and youngpeople being victimized through the internet andother channels.Therefore,neverpostphotosofyourhostchildren/hostfamily,ortheirhome,onanyonlineaccounts(blogs,Facebook,etc)withouttheirpermission.Andneverpost theiraddressorcontactdetailsonline.Whilethismayseemalittleextremetoyou,thisisanunderstandableconcern for parents who worry about maintaining the privacy of their family.

Changing host familiesYoumightbeworriedaboutwhetherornotyouandyourhostfamilywillgetalong.Itisquitenormalforaupairsandhostfamiliestocomeintosituationsofminorconflictandmisunderstanding.Somenormaltypesofconflictincludethefollowing:• Differentattitudesonwhat“clean”meansregardingthechildren’splayroom.• Differentattitudesonhowtocorrectmisbehavior.• Typicalissuesrelatedtolivingtogether(leavingtubeoftoothpasteonthesink,howto

foldtheclothes,etc).• Culturaldifferences.Perhapsinyourcultureittakeslongerorlesstimetobeopenwith

newpeoplethanwithAmericans.• Adjustment issues relating to being away from your familiar network. Maybe you

wonderwhyyourhostfamilydoesn’teatdinnertogetherlikeyour“real”familydoes.• Hostfamilycorrectionsonsomeofyourchildcarehabits.• Misunderstandingsabouttheschedule.

You should expect to experience some differences andminor “conflict”.These are notreasonswhyyouwouldbemovedtoanewfamily,simplybecauseyouwillexperiencethesamethingsinanewfamily!So,getreadytopracticeopenandrespectfulcommunication!

If you have conflict with your host family or otherwise feel uncomfortable in yoursurroundings,CulturalCarepolicyistotakethefollowingsteps:1.Askyourself ifyoucanchange thesituationwithsomeflexibilityandadjustments in

your expectations.2.Ifthisdoesnotworkafteraperiodoftime,speaktoyourhostfamily.Remembertobe

sensitive yet clear about your difficulties. This does not mean announcing to your host family that you need to move.

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3.Ifyoufeelyouarenotgettingresults,contactyourLCCandaskforhis/heradvice.4.Ifnecessary,yourLCCwillscheduleafamilymeeting,alsocalledamediation,tosee

what kind of resolution can be reached.5.After a period of time, if the issues cannot be resolved although both parties have

genuinelytried,achange(calleda“transition”)willbeconsidered.

Atransitionwillalwaysbethelastresorttoanissue.Atransitionwillnotbeconsideredunlesseachpartyhasmadetrueeffortstoworkoutanissue,or inthecaseofaseriousemergency level issue. It is important that you try to maintain a good relationship with your host family before and during any transition process because your prospective new hostfamiliesmaywanttohaveagoodrecommendation,orexplanationofthesituation,from your current host family. There is more information about the logistics of a transition in the next section.

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The Cultural Care Au Pair TeamYou have been selected to be an au pair becasue we believe you are ready and able to be an independent, responsible caregiver. At the same time, our team is ready with help and advice if you need it.

Cultural Care Au PairCulturalCareAuPairisthelargestaupairagencydesignatedbytheU.S.DepartmentofState.ThisdesignationallowsustolegallyplaceaupairswithAmericanhostfamilies.TheU.S.DepartmentofStateoverseesCulturalCareandtheotheraupairorganizationswhoall follow the regulations set up regardingworking hours, pocketmoney, vacation andmanyotherthings.Acopyoftheseregulationsisincludedattheendofthishandbook,butwe have listed some of the most important regulations in this chapter. These regulations makesurethatallorganizationsrunwellstructuredprogramsthusensuringasuccessfulyearforhostfamiliesandaupairsalike.Since1989,CulturalCarehasplacedmorethan

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85,000aupairs in theUSA.Wehaveoffices and staff (or representatives) in theUSA,Europe,Australia,AsiaandLatinAmerica.CulturalCarehastrainedrepresentativesinallof our countries throughout the world who recruit au pair candidates.

Cultural Care in your home countryInyourhomecountry,youwillhaveworkedwithaCulturalCareoffice.UntilyoutraveltotheUSA,mostofyourcontactwillbewiththeCulturalCareofficeorwithourlocalcontact.Theofficestaffistheretohelpyouwithanyquestionsyoumayhave.TheyareinregularcontactwiththeofficeintheUSAregardingyourapplication,yourflightandvisa.TheywillremainincontactwiththeUSAofficethroughoutyourstayandyouarealwayswelcometocallthembefore,duringandafteryourstay.

Cultural Care in the USAIntheUSA,thereisanetworkofpeoplereadytohelpyouifyouneedit.Inthissection,wewillgooverthevariousCulturalCarestaffmemberswhowillassistyouonceyouarrivetotheUSA.

Local Childcare Consultants (LCCs)EachCulturalCareaupairandhostfamilyhasanassignedLocalChildcareConsultant(LCC).Theprimaryroleofthislocalrepresentativeistoprovideyouandyourhostfamilywith direct personal contact, support and information throughout the program term.Someotherresponsibilitiesinclude:recruiting,interviewingandscreeningpotentialhostfamilies,andholdingmonthlyaupairmeetings.YourLCCwillbeyourprimarycontactintheUSAandyoushouldfeelfreetocallhim/herwithanyquestionsorconcernsyoumay have.

ManyofourLCCsworkwithCulturalCareonapart-timebasis.Theyallhaveastronginterest in cultural exchangeandchildcare.TheLCCsare in regular contactwith themainCulturalCareofficeandarededicatedtomakingsurethatboththeaupairsandthehostfamilieshaveasuccessfultime.SincemostLCCshaveotherjobstootheymaynotbeavailableatalltimes.WhencontactingyourLCC,alwaysleaveaclearmessageaboutyourissue.YourLCCshouldreturnyourcallwithinadayorsofornon-emergencyissues. If youcannot reachyourLCCandyou require immediate assistanceor if youwouldliketotalkwithsomeoneotherthanyourLCC,pleasecontacttheBostonofficeat1-800-333-6056.

YourLCCwilllivewithinanhour’sdrivingdistancefromyou.Sincewebelievethatthebestsupportislocalsupport,yourLCCwillbethefaceofCulturalCareduringthestayforbothyouandyourhostfamily.Asmentionedearlier inthishandbookandinourothermaterials,youhavebeenchosentoparticipateinthisprogrambecauseyouhavedemonstratedthewillingnessandabilitytospenduptotwoyearsabroadprovidingfull-

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timechildcareforyourhostfamily.Youshouldbereadyandabletostandonyourownandworkthroughnormalday-to-daychallenges.However,ifanyproblembecomestoobigforyoutohandlealone,yourLCCistheretoassistyou,asisyourhostfamily.LCCsmake themselves available to you in a number of ways:

Welcome CallYourLCCwillcallyouandyourhostfamilywithin48hoursofyourarrivaltoyourhostfamily’shome.ThepurposeofthiscallisfortheLCCtointroducehim/herselftoyouandwelcomeyoutothecommunityandtoansweranyimmediatequestionsyoumayhave.

Welcome OrientationYourLCCwillmeetwithyouandyourhostfamilywithin2weeksofyourarrivaltothehostfamily’shome.Thisistogiveyoualittletimetosettleinandstarttogettoknowyournewhostfamilyandcommunityandtostarttoexperiencelifeasanaupair.Afteryouhavesettledinabit,yourLCCwillvisityouandyourhostfamilyandprovideamoredetailedorientationforyou.Hereyouwilldiscussadviceonsettlinginandadjusting,discusssomelocal informationonyour area, andgoover informationon the aupair group in yourLCC’sarea.YourLCCwillprovideyouwithalistoftheotheraupairs intheareaandtheircontactinformation.Youcanalwaysreachouttothemaswellforsomepeersupport.

Monthly au pair meetingsYourLCCwill arrangemonthlymeetings for youand theother aupairs in thegroup.Sometimes themeetings are very informal anddiscussion-oriented; other times a guestspeaker is invited or a social event is planned. There may be times when you all go out to arestaurant,orattendasportsevent.Bepreparedthatyoumayberequiredtocontribute$5-10USforameetingifanactivitylikethisisarranged.Thisisagreattimeforsocializing,meetingotheraupairsandagoodopportunityforyoutogettoknowyourLCCbetterandtalk about any problems or concerns you may have.

Youarerequiredtoattendallmeetingsduringyourstay,andtheonlyexceptionstothisruleareifyouaresick,onvacationorifthereisahostfamilyemergency.Ifyoudonotfulfilltherequirementsyoumaybeconsideredinviolationofthetermsofyourvisa.

AlloftheabovestepsaremeanttostarttocreatearelationshipbetweenyouandyourLCC.YouwillhavethephonenumberandemailofyourLCC.Ifatanytimeyouneedsupportoradviceorneedtotalktosomeone,youcanreachouttoyourLCC.SeetheoutlineonChainofCommunicationlaterinthischapterformoredetail.

Boston office supportIfyouryeargoessmoothly,youmightonlyhearfromCulturalCareintheformofyourLCC.Actually,thisisthewayitissupposedtowork!However,ifyouhaveproblemsthatcannotbelocallysolved,CulturalCarehasasafetynetofsupportpeoplewhocanhelp.

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Each regionof theUSAhas adesignatedProgramDirectorwho is responsible for thatspecificgeographicarea.She/heisresponsibleforsupervisingallaupairplacements,andoverseeing and directing a group of LocalChildcareConsultants (LCCs) in their area.ProgramDirectors are in frequent contactwith theLCCs in their region andworkonensuringthattheprogramisrunningsmoothly.AftertheLCC,theProgramDirectorisyour next line of contact if you have a serious issue that needs attention from the Boston office.ProgramDirectorscanbereachedbythetoll-freeBostonline1-800-333-6056(itisafreecallwithintheUSA).YouwillbeabletoreachyourProgramDirectorfivedaysaweek during normal office hours.

Ifyoudon’treachyourProgramDirectorimmediately(theydomostoftheirworkonthephonesotheymayalreadybeonanothercall),itisimportantthatyouleaveamessageforthem including:• Yourfullname.• Thestateyoulivein.• Yourfulltelephonenumber,includingareacode.• Thereasonforyourcall.

Ourgoalistoreturnallnon-emergencycallswithina24-hourtimeframe.Ofcourse,inany emergency we will return your call right away.

TheOperationsteamisthedepartmentinBostonresponsiblefor issuesregardingvisas,flights,insurance,andothersimilardetails.ThisteamalsoprovidesbackupsupportfortheProgramDirectorssoyoucantrytocallyourOperationsManagerifyoudonotreachyourProgramDirector.YoucanreachtheOperationsdepartmentintheUSAat1-800-448-5753(freecall)orbye-mailataupair.operations@culturalcare.com.

CulturalCare’sMatchingTeamismadeupofagroupdedicatedtomatchingaupairsandhostfamilies.Althoughyoumaynotspeaktothemdirectlyduringyourmatchingprocess,they are working to ensure that you get the best host family match.

CulturalCareemploystwoProgramCounselorswhoareon-calltoprovideextrasupportto au pairs in unusual circumstances. In cases of severe homesickness or a death in the family for instance,we can provide the service of speaking to a professional counselorspecificallytrainedontheaupairprogram.

Emergency answering serviceIncaseofanemergency(suchasaveryseriousproblemwiththehostfamily,severeinjuryoraccident,ordeathinthefamily)andyouareunabletoreachyourLCC,CulturalCarehasanemergencyansweringserviceavailable24hoursaday,sevendaysaweek.ThenumberistheregularBostontoll-freenumber:1-800-333-6056.Pleasenotethatifthereisanaccident

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or injury,fireorother similar emergency,you shouldfirst call911 to contact thepolice,ambulanceorfiredepartment.Ifyoucallafterofficehoursforanynon-emergencyissue,theservicewillpromptyoutoleaveamessageforwhenstaffreturnstotheoffice.

TransitionsIn theHost Family section on pages 30-40we discussed the process of changing hostfamilies(called“transitions”).Asweoutlinedthere,atransitionisalwaysconsideredthelastresortandwerequireallaupairstomakesincereeffortsintheirhostfamilytomakethings work in all but the most serious of cases. We ask the same of our host families. If you do,forsomereason,gointotransition,hereareafewdetailsonhowtheprocessworks:• Ifaftergoingthroughmediationbetweenanaupairandhostfamily,facilitatedbyyour

LCC,itisdeterminedthatthematchbetweenthetwowillnotworktheywilllookatthepossibility of a transition.

• TheLCCwillevaluateboththeaupairandthehostfamilytoseeiftheyarestillsuitablefor the program. Their behavior and motivations are reviewed. If either the au pair or thehostfamilyisnolongerconsideredsuitablefortheprogram,theywillberemovedfromtheprogram.Foranaupair,thismeansheorshewillneedtoreturnearlytohis/her home country at their own expense.

• Iftheaupairandhostfamilyaredeemedsuitabletocontinueontheprogram,theyarebothputintothematchingprocessandtheMatchingTeamwilltrytoworkonnewmatches.

• Theaupairwillstayintheiroriginalhostfamilyhomeforuptotwoweekswhileintransition.• Duringthosetwoweeks,ifanewhostfamilyisfound,theaupairwillmovetotheirnew

home.• Ifnonewhostfamilyisfoundfortheaupair,she/hemayneedtoreturnhomeearlyto

the home country.• Ifyouopttoreturnhomeearlyratherthantransitiontoanewhostfamily,youwillbe

responsibleforyourreturnflighthome.

Duringthematchingprocess,aupairsmustremainflexibleintermsofgeographicalareaandrequirements.Ifanaupairrequestsveryspecificcriteria,he/shelikelywillnotbeableto be matched again and this will result in needing to return home early.

Whenever possible, Cultural Care recommends working out disagreements within theexistingmatch. IfCulturalCare staff feels thatanaupairhasnotcommitted to tryingtoworkoutdifferencesandmaintainflexibility,theymayoptnottopursueanotherhostfamilyforthataupairandendtheprogram.Sinceallofourplacementsrequireflexibilityonbothsides,thisisanecessaryelementinremainingontheprogram.

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Chain of communicationAsweoutlinedinthissection,thereisalargesafetynetincaseyouhaveproblemsduringyouryear.However,sincethisisasafetynet,itisnormalnottospeaktoanyonefromtheBostonstaffifyouryeargoeswell.Thisgraphshowshowdifferentexperiencesmightgoduring an au pair year:

Au Pair has a smooth year with normal adjustment issues:

Au Pair has a difficult experience needing to escalate the issue past the LCC:

Au Pair Host Family

LCC(Local Cildcare Consultant)

Program Director

Program Counselor(if extra support is needed)

Matching Team(if transition is needed)

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A word about your parentsDuringthisyear,youwilllikelyhavefrequentcontactwithyourparentsathomebyinternetor phone. When you go through difficult times it is natural to want to share this with your parents.However,pleasekeepinmindthatyourparentswillbesuretoworryaboutyoubeing far fromhome.Consider trying to take some time thinking about an issue beforediscussingwithyourparents.Manytimes,ahomesickaupairhascalledhermotherwhileupset and cried in a weak moment. The next morning the au pair feels better but her mom isnowextremelyworriedandperhapstriestocalltheCulturalCareofficetofindouthowtohelpherdaughter.Ofcourseyouareabletotalktoyourparents,justrememberthattheytoo are having a hard time with you so far from home and try not to worry them too much.

Also, since you are our customer, except in cases ofmedical emergencywe are unableto discuss the details of your program yearwith other parties, including your parents.Therefore,wewillnotbeabletodiscussissuesyouarehavingwithyourparentsorfriendsathome.Updatesonyourprogramyearshouldcomefromyoudirectly.

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Driving in the USADriving in the USA can be both fun and challenging. The highways are big with many lanes. The cars are usually bigger than the average car in other countries, and they take a while to get used to. Be sure you are ready for this new experience.

Driving licenseBeforetravelingtotheUSA,allaupairsmusthaveanationaldriver’slicenseaswellasanInternationalDriver’sPermit.Inaddition,somestatesandinsuranceagenciesintheUSArequirethat,inorderforyoutodrivelegally,youmustobtainadriver’slicensefromthatparticularstate.Onceyouhavesettledinwithyourhostfamily,askthemtohelpyoucontacttheRegistryofMotorVehicles(insomestatesalsoknownasDepartmentofMotorVehicles)formoreinformationonhowtoobtainthestatedriver’slicense-thecostisusuallyaround$50US.YourLCCcanalsoletyouknowifyouneedone.YoumustalwayscarryyourvalidDriver’sLicensewithyouanytimeyoudriveacar.

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International Driver’s PermitInadditiontoyourhomecountrylicense,youshouldhavebroughtanInternationalDriver’sPermittotheUSAwhichisvalidfortheentirestay.ThisPermitmustbeobtainedinyourhome country. In many states this serves as a translation of your license and some car insurancecompanieswillnotinsureyouwithoutone.YoumustbringthiswithyouinordertodrivelegallyintheUSAand/orforyourhostfamilytoincludeyouontheircarinsurance.Asnotedabove,insomestates,youwillberequiredtoalsogetastatedriver’slicense.ThiswillvaryandyourhostfamilyandLCCcanhelpyouprocessthenecessarypaperwork.

MakesureyourhomecountrydrivinglicenseandtheInternationalDriver’sPermitwillbevalidforthedurationofyourprogramtermandwillnotexpireinthenextyearortwo(incaseyoudecidetoextendyourstay).

Driving privilegeNotallaupairswillhaveaccesstoacar.Ifyourhostfamilywillhaveacaravailabletoyouforpersonaluseand/orfordrivingtheirchildren,besuretoaskforpermissionbeforetakingitanywhere.Letthefamilyknowwhereyouaregoingandwhenyouwillbebacksothattheywillnotworryaboutyou.Pleaseremembertobecareful—itistheircar,notyours!

Car insuranceIfthehostfamilyplanstoletyoudrivetheircaratanytime,thehostfamilyMUSTaddyoutotheirautoinsurancepolicy.Itisthehostfamily’sresponsibilitytoaddyoutotheirinsurancebutyoushouldalsomakesuretheyhavedonethisbeforeyouusetheircarthefirsttime.Keeptheinformationhandyinthecarincaseofanaccident.PleasebeawarethatthebasicandextendedmedicalandaccidentinsurancepoliciesDONOTincludecarcoverage!

Becauseyourhostfamilywillputyouontheirinsurancepolicytodrive, it isextremelyhelpfulifyoucangetacopyofyourdrivinghistorytranslatedtoEnglish.Ifyoucanobtainproof from your home car insurance company or driving authorities that you have a good driving history then this might help your host family get a better driving policy for you.

Financial obligationsYourhostfamilywillpayforgas,andfortheentiredeductibleresultingfromanyloss,forthevehicle(s)usedbyyouwhenyouareondutyorwhendrivingto/fromyourmeetingsand/orclasseswhicharerequirementsoftheprogram.Incaseofanaccidentwhileyouareoff-duty,youwillberequiredtopaythedeductible(nottoexceed$500US)andforgasyouuse.Westronglyadvisethatyouconfirm(inwriting)yourfinancialobligationswithyourfamilybeforeusingtheircar(s)thefirsttime.Remembertoaskwhatyourobligationsareintermsofpayingandfillingupthecarwithgasafterusingitinyourfreetime.

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Getting accustomed to drivingIn thebeginningyoumightfind it challenging todrive in theUSA,as therearemanydifferenttrafficrules,andthepacecanbequitehecticinmajorcities.Askyourhostfamilyif you can go for a drive together so that you can get accustomed to the car and traffic before startingtodrivethechildrenaround.Americancarsandhighwayswilllikelybebiggerthanyouareusedto,andmostAmericancarshaveautomatictransmissionwhichmaybenewtoyou.Therefore,werecommendthatyoupracticebeforedrivingthecarwithchildren.Ifyoudonotfeelcomfortablewhiledriving,explainthistoyourhostfamilyandaskthemtoworkwithyoutofindsomepracticetime.Itisbettertobehonestwiththemthantopaythe price of a car accident later.

Rules of the roadEvenifyoudonotneedtogetastatelicense,youshouldstillobtainacopyoftheDriver’sManualforyourstatefromtheRegistryofMotorVehicles.TheDriver’sManualwillgiveyouallthenecessaryinformationontherulesoftheroadforyourstate.Youwillbeexpectedto obey all the local and federal laws regarding driving in your state. Below we have listed a fewofthethingsthatmaybedifferentfromyourcountry.Itistheresponsibilityofeachaupairtofamiliarizethemselveswiththerulesoftheareasinwhichtheydrive.PleasebesuretoreviewallinformationprovidedonyourlocalDepartmentofMotorVehiclesorRegistryofMotorVehicles(DMV/RMV)website.

Seat belts and car seatsAlmostallstateshavelawsrequiringtheuseofseatbeltsandcarseats.Alwaysrememberto use the car seat for young children and make sure that older children use their seat belts properly.Youwillbeexpectedtowearaseatbeltwhendriving.Askyourhostfamilyformore advice and for instructions on proper use of the car seat.

Drinking and drivingDoNOTdriveifyouareundertheinfluenceofdrugsoralcohol.Inallstatesyourdrivingprivilegeswillbesuspended,andyoucanalsobeputinjail.Inmoststatesthereisevenasevere penalty for driving with containers of alcohol in the car if you are under the age of 21.Rememberthatsomemedicationssuchassomecoughsyrups,allergymedications,etcmay cause you to become sleepy and driving while using those medications is not advised. Itismostimportanttorememberyouwillbejeopardizingyourlifeandthelivesofothersifyoudriveundertheinfluenceofdrugsoralcohol.

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StudyingAre you interested in learning more about America during your stay? When you travel as an au pair you must take college or university classes, which is a good way to learn more about America and also to get new friends! Make the most of this and learn about something you have always been interested in.

Educational componentTheU.S.DepartmentofStatewhichregulatestheaupairprogramswantstoensurethatyou have an opportunity to study during your au pair stay. Included in the regulations is aneducationalcomponentbywhichallaupairsandhostfamiliesmustabide.Attendingcourses will give you an invaluable experience and you are expected to take full advantage of the opportunities in your new community. Also, it will give you the chance tomeetAmericansyourage!YourhostfamilyandyourLCCwillhelpyouinfindinganappropriate school and in selecting and signing up for the courses. Take this opportunity

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tostudysomethingyoucanuseinyourfuturecareer,andhavefunwhiledoingit.ThisisyourchancetoexperienceAmericancollegelife!

Partoftheaupairprogramistofulfillyoureducationalrequirementof6creditsduringtheyear.Attendingalocalcommunitycollegeoruniversityisagreatwayofmeetingnewpeopleandgettinggoodeducationalexperience.Youarefreetoselectwhichcoursesyouwouldliketoparticipateinaslongastheyarewithintherequiredregulations.Asprogramregulationschangefromtimetotime,checkwithyourLCCorthemainofficeofCulturalCarebeforeconfirmingwhichclassesyouwilltaketomakesureyoureducationalrequirementwillbeadequatelyfulfilled.Youcanalsofindup-to-dateinformationinyouronlineaccount.Yourhost familywillcontributeupto$500UStowardsthesecourses.If thecoursesyouhavechosencostmorethanthe$500,youmustpayfortheextraamount.Ifyourcoursescostlessthan$500thenthehostfamily’sresponsibilityisonlyforthecostofthecourse.

Yourclasseswillneedtobescheduledaroundyourtimeworkingwiththechildren.Whenyouarrive,youandyourhostfamilywilldiscusseducationalopportunitiesinyourareaandwhenthiswillfitintoyourschedule.

Credit hoursDuringyouryear,youmustgetatleast6academiccredits.Acreditisbasicallyaunitthatmeasuresthenumberofhoursthatyouareinclass,andyourschoolwillassigncreditstotheclassesthatyoutake.Ifyoutakeanon-creditcourse,ingeneral,oneacademiccredithourequals12-15actualhoursofclasstime.Thereforeyouwillneedtocompletebetween72-90hoursofclasstimetocompletetheequivalentofsixcredits.CulturalCarewillonlycountclassroomhoursifyoutakeanon-creditcourse.

Ifyou’rethinkingofextendingforasecondyear,youwillneedtohavecompletedyoursixcreditsbeforeapplyingfortheextensionprogramsoit’sagoodideatostartyourclassesassoon as it is convenient for you and your host family.

College or universityYou may fulfill your education component in a post-secondary accredited college oruniversitysetting.Thisalsoincludescommunitycollegesinyourlocalarea.Hereyoucanstudyavarietyofsubjects,forexample:Media,GraphicDesign,Languages,Photography,AmericanHistory,TVcourses,Drama,andJournalism.YourLCCisagreatresourcetofindoutaboutgoodcost-effectiveoptionsinyourarea.

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Educational Component documentationIt is your responsibility to submit documentation proving that you have successfully fulfilledtherequirementsoftheEducationalComponent.AstheeducationalcomponentisarequiredelementmandatedbytheU.S.StateDepartment,failuretoattendclasseswilljeopardizeyourparticipationintheprogram.Ifyouwishtoextendforanadditional6,9or12monthsyourcomponentmustbefulfilledbytheendofyour11thmonth.

Ifyouhaveanyquestionsorconcernsaboutfulfillingtheeducationalcomponent,contactyourLCC.

Continuing Safety Education ProgramCulturalCarehasdevelopedtheContinuingSafetyEducationProgram(CSEP),aseriesof seasonal units that provide youwith information to prevent unintentional injury tochildren.YourLCCwillbegoingthroughtheseatyourmonthlymeetings.Inaddition,theunitsincludefollow-uptotheTrainingSchoolinNewYork.YourLCCwilldedicateanumberofthe12monthlymeetingstotheCSEP.Thisisnotconsideredpartofyour6credits,butisavaluablepartofyourprogram.

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Vacation and travelingDuring your year as an au pair, you will have two weeks paid vacation plus one month to travel after you have completed your program term. Use this time to explore the USA with your new friends. Crossing state borders can be like visiting a whole new country!

Vacation & holidaysYouareentitledtotwocalendarweeksofvacationtime,whichisequaltoatotalof14dayspaidvacationduringoneyear,includingweekenddays.Thetwoweeksdonothaveto be taken all at once and should be taken at a time mutually agreed upon by you and your host family. The goal of vacation time is to allow you designated time to be able to gooutandexperiencetheUSA.Inthisspirit,it’snotmeanttobebrokenintosingledays,butwouldideallybetakenasoneweekatatime(whichwouldmean2weekenddaysand5weekdays).

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Regardlessofhowlongyouareplanningtotakeoff,werecommendthatyouwaitatleastthreemonthsafteryouarriveintheUSAbeforeschedulingyourfirstvacation.Besuretodiscuss your vacation plans with your host family before you make any travel arrangements.

Most au pairs take one week of vacation during the first six months and one weekduringthesecondsixmonths.SomefamilieswillwantyoutotakeyourvacationduringChristmas,whentheytravel tovisit relatives.Othersmight inviteyoualong.Ifyouarejoiningthefamilyontheirvacation,makesureitisveryclearwhetheritisyourvacationoryourworkingtime.Somefamiliesmightaskyoutogoawaywiththemandexpectyoutotakecareofthechildrenduringthattime.Inthissituation,youarerequiredtoworkupto45hoursperweek,andyourfamilyisresponsibleforpayingallyourtravelarrangementsand this would not be considered part of your vacation.

Ifyoudoworkforyourhostfamilywhileonvacation,youarestillentitledtoaseparatevacationinwhichyoudonothavetowork.However,trytobeflexibleaboutplanningyour vacation - the key is to find a time that is suitable to both you and your hostfamily! If you have any questions about traveling while in the USA, please contact aupair.operations@culturalcare.comorcall1-800-448-5753.

Traveling outside the USABeforetravelingoutsidetheUSA,therearesomeimportantdetailstoremembersothatyoucanre-entertheUSAwithoutproblems.ThetwomostimportantthingsarethatyoumustgetyourCertificateofEligibility(DS-2019)signed,andyoumustcheckifyouneedavisaforthecountry you are traveling to.

TheJ-1visashouldbeamultipleentryvisa,whichmeansthatyouarepermittedtovisitother countries during your time in theUSA (check your visa to see if it has an “M”indicatingmultipleentry.Ifitsays“S”,contactaupair.operations@culturalcare.com).Youmust check with the embassy of the country you are planning to visit to see if you need avisatovisitthecountry.WhentravelingoutsidetheUSAyourDS-2019formmustbesignedbytheCulturalCareofficeinBostonindicatingthatyouarestillwiththeprogramandallowedtore-entertheUSA,andyoumustcarryyoursignedDS-2019formwithyouduringyour travels.You should submit this formto theBostonofficeno later than sixweeksbeforeyourdateoftravelandincludethespecificdatesandlocationoftravel.Alwaysencloseaself-addressed,pre-paidexpressmailenvelopewhichtheBostonofficewillusetoreturnthesignedformtoyou.AlwaysbringyourpassportandtheDS-2019formwithyouwhentravelingoutsidetheUSA.IfyouareplanningtotraveloutsidetheUSAtowardstheendofyourfirstyear,orduringyour2ndyearifyouareextending,pleasemakesuretocontactCulturalCareforupdatedinformationasspecialrulesapply.

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Dates of American Holidays and Days of Observance

January

NewYear’sDay

MartinLutherKingDayiscelebratedonthethirdMondayinJanuary

February

President’sDayiscelebratedonthethirdMondayinFebruary

Valentine’sDayiscelebratedonFebruary14th

March

St.Patrick’sDayiscelebratedonMarch17th

April

Easter

AprilFool’sDayiscelebratedonApril1st

May

Mother’sDayiscelebratedonthesecondSundayinMay

MemorialDayiscelebratedonthelastMondayinMay

June

Summervacationbeginsandschoolsclose.

Father’sDayiscelebratedonthethirdSundayinJune

July

IndependenceDayiscelebratedonJuly4th

September

LaborDayiscelebratedonthefirstMondayinSeptember

October

ColumbusDayiscelebratedonthesecondMondayinOctober

HalloweeniscelebratedonOctober31st

November

Veteran’sDayiscelebratedonNovember11th

ThanksgivingDayiscelebratedonthelastThursdayinNovember

December

Chanukah(aJewishholiday)andChristmasarecelebrated.

NewYear’sEveiscelebratedonDecember31st

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Explore the USABask in thewarm sunofCalifornia’sbeaches, enjoy thebeautiful sunsetsof theGrandCanyon,visitvibrantcitiessuchasLasVegasandChicago,orwanderthefamedhallsoflearningat inspirationalHarvardUniversity inBoston.Thepossibilitiesareendless, thedestinationyourchoice.Butwhereveryouchoosetotravel,itiscertaintobeanadventurefullofdiscovery,interestingpeople,andmemoriestotreasureforever!

National holidaysThereisnosetruleregardingnationalholidays foraupairs.However, inthebeginningyoushoulddiscusswithyourhostfamilywhichholidaysyouwillhaveoff.SomeaupairsgetAmericanholidaysoff,particularlyifthehostfamilyhasthedayofffromwork.Ifyouwouldprefertohaveyourcountry’snationalholidaysoff,pleasediscussthiswithyourhostfamily ahead of time but keep in mind that if the host parents need to work they may need youtoaswell.Keepinmindthatthefamilyisnotrequiredtogiveyouholidaysoff,sotrynottoaskfortoomany.Anopendiscussionaboutholidaysinthebeginningcanpreventlargerproblemslater.Whenyouhavereachedanagreement,youshouldwritedownwhatholidaysyouwillbeexpectedtowork,sothereisnoconfusioninthefuture.

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Remaining successfulWe hope that your au pair stay is one of learning, growth and positive challenges. As we’ve described in the previous sections, our goal is to prepare you and support you to make this stay a success. However, it is important to understand the rules surrounding the program to ensure that you do not unnecessarily risk your program. For more information on this, make sure you thoroughly read your Au Pair Agreement form and the Program Regulations at the end of this handbook.

Keeping the right attitudeYouwillencountermanythingsintheUSAthatmayseemverystrangetoyou.Thebestthing is to remain open-minded and flexible. Youmay not think that certain ideas orcustomsare“right”butrememberthatyouhavechosentocometotheUSAtoexperiencewhatitisreallylike.So,trytoremember“It’snotright,it’snotwrong,it’sjustdifferent!”WehavemoresuggestionsthatmighthelpyouinthePreparationHandbook.

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Dive into your experienceAtfirst,youwillfeelnervousaboutalotofthings.IfEnglishisnotyournativelanguage,youwillfeelnervoustospeakinEnglish.Youwillfeelnervouswhilesettlinginwithyourhostfamily.Youwillfeelnervoustryingtomeetnewpeopleortrynewexperiences.Itwon’tbeeasybutthebestthingtodoistojumprightin!Startconversationswithnewpeopleandwithyourhostfamily.AskotheraupairsorAmericansyouragetomeetupforcoffeeoractivities.Afterthefirstfewtimesitwillgeteasierandnextthingyouknow,you’llhaveabusylifeandnotimetofeelhomesick!

Don’t give upTherewillbetimeswhenyouarehomesickorfindthisnewlifedifficult.Youmayeventhink about going home earlywhere things are familiar. If you return home early, thedecisioncan’tbechangeddue tovisa restrictions.Beforeyoumakeachoiceyoumightregret,gethelp.Talktoyouraupairfriends,yourhostfamilyorLCC.Difficulttimeswillpassbutchoosingtoleaveearlyisachoiceyoucan’tchange.Trytogethelpandkeepgoing!

Respecting the lawThere aremany fun andgreatnewexperiences tohaveduringyour stay in theUSA.However,itcanallberuinedbymakingabaddecision.Wewantyoutohavethebestexperienceofyourlifesomakesurethatyouareawareofthelawsinyourarea.Askyourhostfamilyand/orLCCifyouhaveanyquestionsonwhatmightbeillegalinyourarea.Belowarea fewofthe lawsthatcouldhavequiteserious implicationsforouraupairparticipants:• Drivingundertheinfluenceofalcohol–undernocircumstancesshouldyoudriveifyou

havehadanytypeofalcohol.Callacaborcallafriendtocomegetyou.Ifyouarecaughtbythepolice,theywillarrestyou.

• Usingillegalsubstances(drugsincludingmarijuana)–anyuseofsuchsubstancescouldresult in your immediate arrest and program termination.

• Shoplifting(stealingfromstores)–storesintheUSAmostlyhavea“notolerance”policywhich means that they will ask the police to arrest you and take you to court for stealing eventhesmallestofgoods.Donotriskit.

• Postingortakinginappropriatephotos–itmightseemfunnytotakeaphotoofthekidsinthebathtubbutphotolabsarerequiredtocallthepoliceiftheyseeanyphotosofnaked children which could be seen as exploitive.

• Drinkingalcoholundertheageof21–mostlikelythelawsinyourcountryaremorerelaxedbutthisisaseriouslawintheUSAandyoucouldbearrested.

Whilethisisnotacompletelistofthelawsyouneedtoconsider,itgivesyouanideaofsome of the ones that could most commonly impact our au pairs. Whether or not you are arrested,participatinginanyillegalactivitiescouldresultinyourimmediatedismissalfromthe program.

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When your year is endingA year goes by so quickly. Before you know it, you will already be on your way home again. The fun does not have to end here though! If you want, you can stay in the USA for an additional six, nine, or twelve months. It is all up to you. Before you travel home, we have a few tips for you to consider.

Stay longer—extend your stay!YoumaynowchoosetostayintheUSAasanaupairforuptooneadditionalyear!TheU.S.DepartmentofStatehasgivenCulturalCareAuPair theauthorization to requestprogramextensions.Underthisprogram,youcanchooseeithertocontinuetheaupairprogramwithyourcurrenthostfamilyortoexperiencelifeinanewhostfamily.YoucanalsochoosethelengthoftimeyouwishtostayintheUSAasanaupair.Wenowoffer6-,9-,and12-monthextensionprograms.InordertostayintheUSAasanaupairyoumustcompleteabrief“ExtensionProgramApplication”.Youwillreceivenecessaryinformation

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wellbeforetheendofyourfirstyear,andyoucanalsofindinformationinyourOnlineAccountatanytime.AllapplicationsmustbesenttoCulturalCareAuPairnolessthan60daysbeforetheendofyour12thmonth,or75daysbeforeyourfirstyearisupincaseyouchoosetogotoanewfamily.Pleaserememberthatyoumusthavecompletedyoureducationalcomponentbytheendofyour11thmonthinordertosubmitanextensionapplication.

A big decisionAs you consider extending your stay in theUSA, please speakwith your current hostfamilyopenlyaboutyourintentions.Someaupairsmaywishtoremainwiththesamehostfamilyandcontinuetheyearaheadtogether.Othersmaywanttoenjoyanewexperiencewithanotherfamilyinthesameoranewcommunity.Ineithercase,youwillneedtokeepthe lines of communication open with your current host family. We recommend a family meetinginwhichyouopenlydiscussyourthoughtsonthesubject.YourLCCwillalsobea great resource in this important decision.

How does it work?Youwillhavethesamebenefitsasyourfirstprogramyearincludingpaidvacation,yourweeklystipendandsupportduringyourstayfromyourLCC.WhenyoudecidetostayintheUSAonyourextendedprogram,6-,9-,or12-monthsyouarecommittingtothesame terms and conditions outlined in the au pair agreement form you signed before your departurefromyourhomecountry.Anon-refundableprogramextensionfeeof$367USpayable toCulturalCareAuPair is requiredtoprocessyourprogramextensionrequestthroughtheDepartmentofState.Pleasenote:thisfeeissubjecttochange.CulturalCarealsorequiresyoutosubmitacertificate,letterortranscriptfromtheschool(s)youattendedasproofthatyoucompletedtherequired6creditsfortheeducationalcomponent.Pleasenotethatyouneedtohavecompletedthe6creditsandsendproofofcompletionofthecredits toCulturalCare before the endof your 11thmonth in order to be allowed toextend.

Whetheryouchoosetostaywithyourcurrenthostfamilyorjoinanewfamily,verylittleadditional paperworkwill be necessary.You and your host familywill simply sign andreturn necessary forms and submit the program extension fee.

Insurance during your extended stayIf you decide to extend your stay as an au pair you have to purchase the extended insurance before your extended stay starts.Youwill automaticallyhave thebasic insurance if youdecide not to purchase the extended insurance. If you have already purchased additional monthinsuranceanddecidetoextendyourstayasanaupairwithus,theadditionalmonthinsurance can be delayed and used for the extra month after your extension stay is over.

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Your Additional Month in the USAUponsuccessfulcompletionofyouraupairprogramyouareentitledtoremainintheUSAfora“graceperiod”ofupto30days.Tobeeligibletoparticipateinthis‘TravelMonth’CulturalCarerequiresthatyouhave:

• AttendedallLCCmeetings• Remainedingoodstandingforthedurationofyourprogram• Fulfilledtheeducationalcomponentbycompletingatleast6academiccredits• Obtainedinsurancecoverageforthisperiod

Sincethisgraceperiodisonlyapplicableaftercompletingthefullprogramduration,itdoesnotapplytoapplicantswhochoosetoendtheirprogramearly.This30dayperiodcomesatthesuccessfulendofyouraupairprogram;eitherattheendofyouroneyearprogram,orifyoudecidetoextendyourstayasanaupair,your30daygraceperiodismovedtotheendofyour6,9or12monthextensionterm.

Duringthese30daysweencourageyoutotravelorvisitwithfriendsandfamily,butpleaserememberthatyouarenotallowedtowork.Inaddition,themultiple-entrystatusoftheJ-1visaisonlyapplicableduringthe12-monthprogramperiodsoyoumuststayinthecontinentalUSorHawaii(youcannottraveloutsideoftheUSortoAlaska).IfyouleavethecontinentalUSAduringthe30daygraceperiod,youwillbedeniedre-entryintotheUSA.CulturalCarereservestherighttomaketravelarrangementspriortothe30thdayofyour program grace period.

Insurance during your Additional MonthTheBasicInsuranceaswellastheExtendedInsurancehaveacoverageperiodof12months.IfyouchoosetotakeadvantageofyouradditionalmonthandremainintheUSA,youmusteitherpurchasetheadditionalmonthinsurancefromCulturalCarebeforetheendofyourprogram,orprovideproofofsufficientcoveragefromanotherinsurer.

Returning homeAfteryou’vesuccessfullycompletedyourprogramterm,CulturalCare isresponsibleforbookingadepartureflightbacktoyourhomecountry.Aboutthreemonthsbeforeyourlegaldeparturedate(yourlastworkingdaywithyourhostfamily)youshouldstartthinkingaboutyourflighthome.AroundthistimeaDepartureEmailwillbesenttoremindyoutoselectyourreturnflightoptionwithinatwoweekdeadline.Theremightbedateswheredepartureopportunitiesarelimited/notpossible,forexample‘blackoutdates’duringtheholidays.Also,wishestodepartfromalternativelocationsand/ordatesmaybemet,butanadditional fee will then be charged.

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Choosing your departure optionAspartoftheprogramyouareeligibleforfreetransportationhome*. Afewimportantthingstokeepinmindwhenconsideringyourreturnflight:-Yourvisawillexpire30daysafteryourProgramEndDatesoyoumusttravelbeforethen.FailuretodosomeansyouarestayingillegallyintheUnitedStates.-Yourbasicinsuranceendswhentheprogramends,soifyoustaypastyourProgramEndDateCulturalCarerequiresyoutohavepropercoverage.AskyourLCCorourBostonstaffaboutErikaadditionalmonthinsurance. Pleasespeakwithyourhostfamilyaboutyourpreferreddepartureoption,includingdaterangeoftravel,anddeparturegateway**. Below is an overview of the options available to you for your travel.Option1.FlyhomeimmediatelyfollowingyourProgramEndDate.CulturalCarewillbookaflightforyouononeofthe3daysfollowingyourProgramEndDate.Example:IfyourProgramEndDateisonaMondayyouwilltravelontheTuesday,Wednesday,orThursdaydependingonwhatflightweareabletoconfirmforyou.Sobereadyforanyofthose three days.Option 2. Fly during your “13th month”. Travel must be within 30 days after yourProgramEndDate.RefertosectionYourAdditionalMonthintheUSAtoseeifyouhavefulfilledtherequirementstostayforyouradditionalmonth.You’llbeabletochooseatraveldate range.Option3.FlyhomebeforeyourProgramEndDate.Pleasereadthiscarefullyasthisisanexceptionandcertainlimitationsapply:yourhostfamilymustagreetoallowyoutoflypriortoyourProgramEndDatesoyoumustdiscussyourplansindetailwithyourhostfamilybeforesubmission.Finally,pleaseknowthatthedateyouleavecannotbepriorto30daysbeforeyourProgramEndDate.You’llbeabletochooseatraveldaterange. Approximately3to4monthsbeforetheendofyourprogramterm,youshouldreceiveanemailremindertosubmityourdeparturerequestform.Onceyouhavemadeadecisionandyourdepartureplanhasbeenconfirmedwithyourhostfamily,pleaselogontoyouronlineaccounttobegintheprocess.TheDepartureRequestFormcanbefoundundertheFlightssectioninyouraupaironlineaccountas“RequestMyFlightHome”.Itisveryimportantthatyoureadtheentiredepartureflightrequestform,andfillitoutcarefully. *Your free transportation home is based on successful program completion, flexibility within theselectedtraveldaterange(weekendtravelwillincurafee),andtravelfromyourhostfamily’shomegatewayandtoyourhomecountrygateway(otherselectionsmayincurafee).**Gateway refers to any airport, train, or bus stationwithin the region youhave selected in yourdeparture or arrival options.

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Special requestsOftenyoumightwanttotravelonapreferreddate,airline,flight,differentgatewayorevenwithafriendorrelative.Pleaseunderstandtheremaybefeesforanyspecialrequestmadebyyouforyourtravelhome.Wewilldoourbesttoaccommodateanyspecialrequestmadeforyourreturnflighthomebutcannotmakeanyguarantees. Confirming your reservationOnceyourflighthasbeenconfirmed,(approximately4-6weeksprior toyourselecteddaterange)youwillreceiveaconfirmationemailtoletyouknowyourflightisready.Yourdepartureitinerary will be available in your online account. If your travel plans change after you have submittedyourrequest,youwillincurachangefeeofaminimum150USD,plusanyfeesfromtheairlines.CulturalCarerecommendsthatyoucalltheairlineaweekbeforeyourdeparturetoconfirmyourdepartureflightschedulehasnotchanged.Youcanasktheairlineatthattimeaboutanybaggagerestrictions,asyouwillberesponsibletopayallbaggagefees.Youshouldreconfirmyourreservation24hoursbeforeyourdeparture;onlinecheck-inisalsoagreatoptionatthistime.WhenleavingtheUSA,youshouldarriveattheairportapproximately3hoursbeforeyourinternationalflightdeparts. Getting to or from your gatewaysAskyourhostfamilyiftheywillbeabletotakeyoutoyourdeparturegatewayonthedayofyourdeparture.Ifnot,theymustmakeothertransportationarrangementsforyoutoensurethatyougettotheairportintimeforyourdeparture.Finally,donotforgettoarrangeforsomeoneto meet you on arrival to your home country.

Getting ready to leaveTherewillprobablybeanumberofthingsyou’llneedtodobeforeyourdeparture.Someofthesewillnecessarilyhavetowaituntiltheveryendofyourstay,butyoucandefinitelytakesomeofthestressoutofyourdeparturebyplanningahead.Hereareafewdetailstothinkabout:• You’lllikelyhavecollectedalotofnewthingsduringyourstaylikeclothing,souvenirs,etc.

Inordertogeteverythingbackhomeyou’llhavetothinkstrategically!Forexample,youmightbeabletosendthingsbackovertheyearifyouhavevisitors–ifyourfamilyvisitsinthespring,whynotsendsomeofyourwinterclothingbackwiththem?Aretherecurrentaupairsinyourgroupthatmightbeabletousesomethingsthatyou’llnotneedbackhome?

• Attheendofthestayyoumaywanttoshipsomebelongingshomeratherthancarrythemwithyou.Airlinesarecharginghigherfeesforbaggageingeneralandaregettingstricterwithoverweightbagsaswellasthenumberofpiecesyou’reallowed.TheU.S.PostalServicecansendboxesanywhereintheworld,withseveralcostandtimeoptionsavailable–justcheckatyourlocalpostofficeformoreinformation.

• Besureyouhavediscussedwithyourhostfamilyanycoststhatmaycomeinafteryouleave.Willtherebeafinalphonebill?Doyouhaveanyoutstandingcreditcardbills,etc.?Discusshowthesewillbepaidfororforwardedtoyou.

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• Do notwait until the lastminute if youwant to have anyonewrite you a letter ofrecommendationorgetacertificationofanyeducationalcourses,etc.Planthisahead.

• Thechildrenaregoingtobeanxiousabouthavingyouleave.Starttalkingaboutitandreassuring them in advance. Think about leaving them with some photos or something to remember you by.

Saying goodbyeOnthedayyouleave,expecttoshedafewtears.Itwillbeverydifficulttosaygoodbyetoyourhostfamilyaftersuchalongtimetogether.Youwillhavemanywonderfulmemoriestobringbackhome.Doeverythingyoucantoreassurethechildrenthatyouwillwritetothemand come back to visit them. The children need to know that they are not losing you forever.

Readjusting after your returnYouwillbevery excitedabout returninghome.However,beprepared for some reversecultureshockaswell.WhenyoucometotheUSA,youexpecteverythingtobedifferent,soyoucanprepareforit.However,whenyoureturn,thingswillseemdifferentonceagain.Youwillhaveanunusualfeelingthateverythingisthesame,butalsoverystrange.

Invaluable experienceWhenyougethome,trytomakeuseofalltheskillsyouhavelearned.Spendsometimeexamining all the challenges you have successfully faced over the past months. Write down all the things you have learned about yourself. Think of all the new skills you have developed, including perfecting your English. With a little time and reflection, you’lldiscoverthatyounowhaveincredibleanduniqueexperiencestoshareandawealthofnewknowledge!

Contact with Cultural CareAt the end of your term you will be asked to complete an online survey evaluation.We appreciate having your input, and we use the information to continually makeimprovementstoourprogram.Ifyouhavehadagreatexperience,youshouldtellothersaboutit!Wearealwayslookingfordedicated,responsibleandseriousaupaircandidates.Ifyouknowsomeonewhomightbeinterested,tellthemtocontactus.ManyaupairshelpustoinformprospectiveaupairsabouttheCulturalCareAuPairprogram.YoucanbeonalistofpeoplethatpotentialaupairscouldcalloryoucouldalsoparticipateinourScreeningandOrientationmeetingstotellcandidatesaboutyourexperience.ContacttheCulturalCareAuPairofficeinyourhomecountryformoreinformation.

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Erika Travel InsuranceWe hope that you have chosen to take the Extended Insurance coverage package with Erika Travel Insurance. This important insurance will supplement the Basic coverage included in your regular program to offer you much better protection. Here are some details on using the Erika insurance coverage and we also have information about Erika Travel Insurance in your Online Account.

Finding a DoctorToensuretheeasiestbillingandlowestcoststoyou,werecommendfindingalocaldoctorwithintheAetnaNetwork.TofindanAetna-affiliateddoctorinyourarea,youcansearchtheir web site at www.aetna.com/docfind/erika.There are doctors available inmost allregionsoftheUSAandinallmajormedicalspecializations.

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How to file a claimWhenyouvisitadoctor,makesuretobringyoursmallfoldedErikacard.WhenvisitinganAetnaaffiliateddoctoryouwillnothavetopayforthevisitupfrontifyoucanshowyourErikacard.Ifthedoctorasksyouforpaymentupfront,pleaseinformthemthatErikaTravelInsuranceisaffiliatedwithAetnaandhavethemcalltheAetnaStudentHealthphonenumberonyour card.However, if it isnot anAetnadoctor, youwill likelyhave topayfirst, thencompletetheclaimformandsendittoAetnaStudentHealth.Inturn,theywillreimburseyouwithachecklessyourdeductible.Pleasebeawarethatthereimbursementprocesscantakeuptotwomonths.Remembertosaveallreceipts.IfyouvisitanEmergencyRoomatahospitalthereisanadditionaldeductibleof$50US(extendedinsurance)or$150US(basicinsurance).Pleasenote:thiscostissubjecttochange.

Hospitalization and medical emergenciesErikaTravelInsurancepartnerswithtwoassistancecompaniesthatwillhelpyouifyouhaveaseriousmedicalemergency.Ifyouhavetohavesurgeryorarehospitalized,youmustnotifytheappropriateassistancecompanyassoonaspossible.YoucanfindyouremergencyassistancecontactonthebackofyourErikaInsurancecard.Theseemergencyassistanceofficesareopen24hours,andmustbeinvolvedinallcasesthatinvolvehospitalizationorsurgery.

Stolen propertyIfyouhavepurchasedtheextendedinsurance,youmaybeeligibleforreimbursementifanyofyourpropertyisstolenordamagedduetoexternalforces.Youmustreportthelossorthefttothepoliceimmediately.Contactthelocalpolicestationwherethelossordamageoccurred,andcompletetheappropriateforms.Theinsurancecompanywillnotreimburseyou without such a police report.

Insurance booklet and cardIt is recommended that you always refer to the insurance booklet for details on which conditions/situations are covered by the policy or call Erika’s claims agent in theU.S.,AetnaStudentHealthat1-800-783-7447,Monday-Friday,9:00-5:00pm.YourErikacardhasthecontactinformationforyourclaimsagentswhileintheUSandforemergencies.IfyouhavemisplacedyourErikacardorhandbook,youcancontacttheCulturalCareOperationsTeamat1-800-448-5753.

Personal emergency informationWerecommendthatyoualwayscarryasmallcardcontainingyourhostfamily’sandyourparents’name,addressandphonenumber(includingtheinternationalcodeforyourhomecountry). You should clearly list any allergies and/ormedical problems youmay have.Carry your insurance card along with this “Personal Emergency Information” in yourwallet.Intheeventthatyouareinanaccident,thisinformationwillbeveryhelpfulforthedoctor attending to you.

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Practical information on the USAThe USA is a diverse and fascinating country with many things to explore. You might feel you know a lot about America and its culture from watching TV or movies, or from visiting as a tourist. However, chances are that the realities of living in the culture will be quite different than what you expected. In this chapter, we will provide a general overview of the many aspects of your new home.

General informationThereare50AmericanstatesincludingHawaiiandAlaskacoveringanareaof9millionsquarekilometers.Togainanideaofthesize,AlaskaisthelargeststateandTexasisthesecondlargest.AlaskaistwiceasbigasTexas,andTexasislargerthanFrance!TheUSAstretches4500kmfromtheAtlanticOceanintheeasttothePacificOceaninthewest.Afastrailroadtrain,travelingat96kmanhour,takesmorethan45hourstocrosstheentirecountry.Byplaneittakesabout5hourstocrossfromEastCoasttoWestCoast.ThepopulationoftheUSAisexceededonlybythatofChinaandIndia.Arecentcensusfigure

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showsthatthepopulationisover300million.About75%ofthepeopleliveinurbanandsuburbanareas.NewYorkCityalonehasapproximatelythesamepopulationasSweden,sothecountryisquitelargeinpopulationaswellasinsize.

NewYorkCityisthelargestcityintheUSA,LosAngelesisthesecondlargestandChicago,thethird.WashingtonD.CisthecapitaloftheUSAandisthe19thlargestcity.

Banking servicesBanksoffer a variety of services to their customers and it is fairly easy to open abankaccountintheUSA.Yourhostfamilyand/orLCCwillhelpyoufindalocalbankandopenanaccount.Mostlikelyyouwillwanttoopenacheckingaccountorsavingsaccount.Mostbanksareopenfrom9:00a.m.to4:00p.m.MondaythroughFriday.ManyarealsoopenonSaturdaymornings,andsomemaybeopenlateThursdayorFridaynights.Mostbanksoffer24-hourbankingthroughanAutomaticTellerMachine(ATM).

Checking accountsPersonal checking accounts allow you to withdraw the money you have deposited bywritingchecks.PersonalchecksarestillcommonlyusedintheUSAformanybillssuchascellphonebills,etc.Besuretolookforanaccountthatincludesfreechecking(noservicechargeisdeductedfromyouraccountforprocessingchecks).Rememberthatifyouwriteachecktopayforapurchase,youwillneedproofofidentification-yourpassportisgoodforthispurpose,butthebestistogetanAmericandriver’slicense.

ClimateTheUSAisanextremelyvariedlandofforests,desert,farmlands,highflatlandsandmountains.Temperatures vary with some areas having cold snowy winters and warm summers while others arewarmthroughouttheyear.AlmosteverykindofclimatecanbefoundintheUSA.

Credit cardCarrying large amounts of cash canbe risky.Thereforewe recommend that before leavingyourhomecountryyoushouldalsoobtainacreditcardifpossible.CreditcardsarethemostcommonformofpaymentintheUSA.Trytousethecardforlargepurchasesandemergencies.VISA,MastercardandAmericanExpressarewidelyacceptedthroughouttheUSA.

EducationSchoolismandatoryuntilage16.About70percentofthenation’syouthchoosetofinishthelasttwoyearsofschoolingandgraduatefromhighschoolatabout18.Theliteracyrate in theUSA is among the highest in theworld. Following graduation fromhighschool,manychoosetoattendoneofthenation’sthousandsofstateandprivatecollegesanduniversitiesfortwo,fourormoreyears.Otherscontinuetheireducationfurtherandgraduate once their university studies are completed.

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FoodDue to the mixture of cultures in the USA, there is an incredible variety of cuisinesavailable,manyofwhichmightbefamiliartoyou(includingMexican,Chinese,Italian,Thai, Japanese, French, etc.).There are plenty of fast-food and “chain” restaurants likeMcDonald’sandHardRockCafethroughouttheUSA.Ineveryshoppingmallyouwillfindafoodcourtwithavarietyofrestaurants.Coffeehouses,likeStarbucks,arealsoverypopularplacestogettogether,drinkcoffee,eatetc.Youwillalsoenjoythevarietyandthenumberofrestaurantoptionsyouwillfind.Youmayfindthemealportionsquitelarge,butitisacceptabletoaskfora“doggiebag”tobringyourleftovershomewithyou.

GovernmentTheUnitedStatesisafederalunionof50states,withtheDistrictofColumbia(WashingtonD.C)astheseatofthenationalgovernment.TheConstitutionoutlinesthestructureofthenationalgovernmentandspecifiesitspowerandactivities.Othergovernmentalactivitiesaretheresponsibilityofeachoftheindividualstates,whichhavetheirownconstitutionsandlaws.Withineachstatearecounties,townships,citiesandtowns,eachofwhichhasitsownelectedgovernment.Unlikeinmanyothercountries,somemajorlawswilldifferfromstatetostate.ForinstancetherulesforgettingaDriver’sLicensecanbequitedifferentfromonestatetothenext.AllgovernmentintheUnitedStatesisdemocratic,“of,byandforthepeople”.MembersofCongress,thePresident,stateofficialsandthosewhogoverncountiesand cities are all elected by popular vote.

LanguageEnglishisthepredominantlanguagethroughoutthecountryandtheformiscommonlycalled“American”English.Variationsaboundinthespokenform.Forexample,thoselivinginthesouthernstateshaveanaccenteasilydistinguishablebya“drawl”,andthoseintheeasternareassometimeshaveanaccentidentifiedbyveryclipped,precisepronunciation.Inadditionmanyotherlanguagesarespokenbyover100otherculturesthroughouttheUSA.SpanishisthesecondmostcommonlyspokenlanguageintheUSA,andinsomeplaceslikepartsofFlorida,isheardmoreoftenthanEnglish.

Legal drinking ageThelegaldrinkingageintheUSAis21.Youarerequiredtoobeyallstate,nationalandlocallawswhile in theUSA.This includes laws regarding under-age drinking and driving afterdrinkingalcohol.Youareexpectednottoexcessivelyconsumealcoholicbeveragesorengageinanyillegaluseofdrugs.ItisimportanttonotethatpoliceintheUSAareextremelystrictinthelawsregardingbothunder-ageddrinkinganddrivingwhileundertheinfluenceofalcohol.

Letters, postcards and packagesYouwillprobablywanttowritealotoflettersandpostcardstoyourfriendsandfamilybackhome.Askyourhostfamilytoshowyouthenearestpostoffice.Thecostofmailinganinternationalletterwilldependuponitsweight,andyoucanaskaboutstandardcostsat

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thepostoffice.Besuretomarktheenvelope“AirMail”sothatitissentfirstclass.Donotforget to clearly indicate the country you are sending a package or letter to on the envelope. Youcansendpackagesbyregularmailthroughthepostoffice.Itusuallytakesafewweeksforoverseasdelivery.Inquireatthepostofficeformoredetailsandinformation.

TheU.S.PostalServiceoffersexpressmaildeliveryofpackagesoverseas.FederalExpress,DHLWorldwide,andsimilarcompaniesalsohavethisservice.Itcanbequiteexpensive,but it allows you to send packages overseas in as little as two days.

Living in the USAThere are a variety of different housing opportunities throughout the USA, includingsingle family homes, two-family homes, townhouses, condominiums, apartments, studioapartments, duplexes etc.Themajority of the population in theUSA is centered in andaroundcities.Although,themajorityofCulturalCarehostfamiliesliveincitiesorsuburbsofcities,wealsohavemanyfamilieswholiveinsmalltownsandvillagesaroundthecountry.

MoneyOnethingyoumayfindconfusingisthatallbillsarethesamesizeandcolor(green),soyouneedtoreadtheamountoneachbill.Commonbillsare$1,$5,$10,$20and$50.Somestoreswillnottakebillslargerthan$50,becausetheydonotkeeplargeamountsofcashonhandforsecurityreasons.Coinsareusefulformanythings-theyareusedinpublictelephones and for local bus and train fares.WhenpreparingtotraveltotheUnitedStates,werecommendthatyoukeepsomemoneyinabankaccountathomeanduseanAutomaticTellerMachine(ATM)untilyouopenabankaccountintheUSA.

Personal safety tipsRememberthatwhenyouareintheUSA,asinanyothercountry,itisimportanttobecareful.Asacourtesytoyourhostfamily,wesuggestkeepingtheminformedastoyourwhereabouts,particularlyifyouareusingyourhostfamily’scar.Whenyouaredrivingaloneatnight,especiallyinthecity,keepthedoorslocked.Ifyouarelost,trytofindabusyareatostopandaskfordirections.Alwayslockyourcar,evenifleavingitjustforaminute.Donotstoptoassistmotoristsstrandedonthesideoftheroad.Ifyoufindyourselfstrandedinyourcar,putthehoodofthecaruptoindicatethatyouarehavingenginetrouble,andthen remain inside the car with the door locked. Wait for the police to come to help you.

Americanskeeptheirhomes lockedwhengoingoutandsometimesevenwhentheyareinsidethehome.Werecommendthatyoureviewyourhostfamily’spreferencesforsafetypractices with them and follow the customs that they outline.

Manyofouraupairsenjoygoingoutwithfriendsatnight.Whenyougooutatnight,you should always go with another person. It is extremely important to remember to

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practicecautionatall times.Neveracceptarideorgowithsomeoneyoudonotknow.Unfortunately,manypartsoftheUnitedStateshaveahigherrateofcrimethanotherpartsoftheworld.Ifyouarecominghomelateatnight,askyourhostfamilyifitissafetotakepublictransportation,orifyoushouldtakeataxi.Itismoreexpensivetotakeataxi,butitisworthittobesafe.Ifyouarewalkinghomelateatnight,keepyourkeysreadysoyoucangetintothehousequickly,ifnecessary.Walkconfidentlyandalwaystrustyourinstincts,nomatterhowsillyitmayseem.Ifyoufeelnervousaboutsomeonewhoiswalkingnearyou,crossthestreetimmediately.Avoidtalkingonyourmobilephonetoremainalerttoyoursurroundings.Trytostayinbusy,well-litareas.Don’tevergohomewithsomeonethatyouhavejustmet,andnevergiveoutyourhostfamily’sphonenumbertostrangers!

Trynottocarrymorethan$50USincashatanytime.Ifyouneedmoremoneythanthis,carryyourcreditcard.InsomemajorAmericancities,streetcrimeiscommon,andthebestprotectionistobecareful.Womenshouldhavepurseswithstrongshoulderstraps,andmenshouldnotcarrytheirwalletsintheirbackpockets.Ifyouhaveajacket,carryyourwalletintheinsidepocket.Ifyouareeverinvolvedinanykindofstreetcrime,thebeststrategyissimplytocooperate.Rememberthatyouareonlylosingmoney.

Phone cardWe know that you will want to keep in touch with your family and friends back home duringyourtimeintheUSA.CulturalCarehasphonecardsthathelpaupairskeepintouch with friends and family in an inexpensive and easy way. With these phone cards you cancall fromanywhere—fromyourhost family’shome, fromyour friend’shome, fromaphonebooth-withnoneedforcash.YoucanpurchasethephonecardsfromCulturalCare at theCulturalCareTraining School, via yourOnlineAccount or by calling ourOperationsDepartmentat1-800-448-5753duringyourstayintheUSA.

PopulationTheUSAisatrue“meltingpot”ofmanynationalities.MostofthepeopleintheUSAaredescendants from settlers who came from all over the world to make it their new home. The firstimmigrantscamefromGreatBritainandtheNetherlands,andsincethenmanyothersfromdifferentcountriescamebecausetheyheardreportsofgreateconomicopportunitiesand religious and political freedom.Most immigrants arrived between 1880 and 1914and almost allAmericans claim ancestry of another culture or race.Themulti-culturalbackgroundofthosesettlingintheU.S.canbeseeninthenamesofcitieslikeManchester,NewYork,SanFrancisco,LosAngeles,Lafayette,NewOrleans,andPittsburgh.

Recreation and sportsAmericans liveverybusy lives.Ontheweekends,Americansoftenparticipate insports,watch movies, read, go dancing, attend cultural events, cook, and socialize with theirfriends.Many families also go to church, and their social life often includes attending

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activities organized by their church. American football, baseball and basketball are themajorspectatorsports;professionalandcollegiatecompetitionsareregularlywatchedinlargesportsstadiumsorontelevision.Otherpopularsportsaretennis,running,lacrosse,golf,bowling,cycling,skiingandracquetball.Soccer(Europeanfootball)ismorepopularwithschoolagedchildren.Afterschoolactivitiesarecommonandmostchildrenparticipateinactivitiesoutsideschoolsuchassoccer,pianoandballetlessons.

ReligionThere aremany religious groups, beliefs and practices in theUSA, and these differencesarepartofoneof thefoundingprinciplesof theUSA,freedomofreligion.Asyoutravelthroughoutthecountry,youwillnoticeavarietyofchurches,cathedrals,synagogues,templesandotherreligiousplacesofworship(inbothcitiesandtowns).ManydifferentreligionsarerepresentedintheUSA.Duetothisdiversityofpeople,itisoftensaidthatAmericaisthegreat“meltingpot”,wherepersonal freedomandequalopportunityforallareguaranteedregardless of race, color or creed.Themajority of Americans are Protestant although it’sinteresting to note that there are alsomany types of Protestantism such as Episcopalian,Unitarian,Lutheran,Baptist,andMormon.ManyotherAmericansareCatholicandJewish.However,therearealsosignificantnumbersofworshippersofIslam,Hinduism,andmanyotherfaithsintheUSA.Therearealsomanypeoplewhoarenon-religious.

SmokingSmokingintheUSAisasensitivepersonal,politicalandculturalissue.AlargemajorityoftheAmericanpopulationdoesnotsmokeandprefersnottobeinthepresenceofsmoke-filledareas.Infact,smokinghasbecomesomethingofatabooinmanypartsoftheculture.Culturally,thiscanbeasensitiveissueofwhichyoushouldbeaware.Ahostfamilywillexpect that you have been honest about smoking in your application. If the family asks for anon-smoker(whichisthecasewithmostofourhostfamilies),youwillnotbeallowedtosmokeinthehouse,inthepresenceofthechildrenorwhileonduty.Somefamiliesmayalsohaveamedicalproblemwithsmoke,andthereforeyouwillnotevenbeallowedtosmokewhenyouareoffdutyandawayfromthehousebecauseofthesmell.Itisextremelyimportantthatyouobeythehostfamily’srules!

Social security numberTo open a bank account you may have to get a social security number. This is an identificationnumberintheUSA.YourOnlineAccountwillhaveinformationforwhenyougettotheUSAonhowtogetyoursocialsecuritynumber.Onceyouarrivetoyourhost family you will receive a letter from the Boston office which you need to bring together withyourDS-2019formtotheSocialSecurityoffice.Ifforsomereasonyouhaveproblemsobtainingthesocialsecuritynumber,checkyourOnlineAccountforhelpfulinformationorcontactyourLCCortheBostonoffice.

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StoresRetailstoresgenerallyopenat10a.m.andcloseanywherefrom6to10p.m.,sixorsevendaysaweek.MoststoresareopenonSundays.Grocerystoresopenasearlyas7a.m.andcloseaslateasmidnight.Manyconveniencestoresandlargergrocerystoresareopen24hours a day, on Sundays andAmerican holidays.TowardsChristmas time,most storesopenforextendedhours,sometimesopeningasearlyas5a.m.Almostalltownsandevenmost rural areas will have some sort of small store section or mall area within a short drive.

TaxesTheU.S.InternalRevenueService(IRS)doesrequireaupairstofileataxreturnshowingtheir income received from their weekly stipend. Be sure to review Tax Information in the Infosourcesectionofyouronlineaccount.CulturalCareAuPairisnotabletoadviseaupairsandhostfamiliesontheirrequirementstofiletaxesatthelocal,stateandnationallevel.WeaskallaupairstocheckwiththeU.S.InternalRevenueServiceregardingfederaltaxfilingrequirementsattheirwebsitewww.irs.gov(searchterm“aupair”).PleasealsorefertoyourLCCwhocanalsobeagreatresourcefortaxrelatedquestions.

TelephonesIntheUSA,acompletephonenumberwouldlooklikethis:1-222-555-1111ortheycanalsolooklikethis(222)555-1111.The“1”isthecountrycodefortheUSAbutthe1isalsousuallyincludedwhendialingwithintheUSA.The“222”iscalledtheareacodeandindicateswhatpartoftheUSAorstateyoulivein.HowyouwilldialwithinyourlocalareacandependontheregionoftheUSA.Yourhostfamilywillclarifythisforyou.Somecallswithinthesameareacodearelong-distanceandrequirethatyoudialthe“1”beforethesevendigitnumber.Forcallsoutsideofyourareacode,youmustdiala“1”beforethethreedigitareacodeandsevendigitnumber.Whendialinglocally,usuallyyoujustneedtodialthesevendigitnumberbutsometimestheareacodeisrequiredevenlocally.Ifyouhavetroublewiththephonesystem,donotbeafraidtoaskyourhostfamilyforhelp!

Be sure to check with your host family on costs to call your home country. These costs can beextremelyhighintheUSAandyouareexpectedtopayforthesecalls.Mostallaupairswillhaveamobilephone,thisisaremindertonever,evertextanddrive.Notonlyisthisdangerous,itisalsoillegalinmoststates.

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TippingTippingintheUSAisdifferentthanalmostanyothercountry.Tippingisexpectedinrestaurants,barsandhotels,aswellasbytaxidrivers,hairdressersandbaggagecarriers.Unlikeelsewhere,inAmericanrestaurants,waitersarepaidlessthantheminimumwageandrelyupontipstomakealiving.Itisexpectedtotip15–20%.Nevertipinfastfood,take-outorbuffet-stylerestaurantswhereyouserveyourself.Normallyrestaurantswillnotitemizethetaxseparatelyonabillforgroupssmallerthan8peoplesoyouareexpectedtotipontopofthebill(youdonotneedtoincludethetaxeswhencalculatingyourtip).Taxidriversexpect10percentandhairdressersget15percentiftheirserviceissatisfactory.

The familyDuetotheincreasingnumberofsingleparentfamilies,somesociologistssaythatthestandardAmericanfamilyconsistingoftwoparentsandtwo-fourchildrenisquicklybecomingathingofthepast.Nonetheless,the“average”familyoftwoparentsandtwochildrenisstillthemostcommonamongourhostfamilies.

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TransportationMostfamiliesownoneortwocars(unlesstheyliveinthecenterofalargecity,e.g.NewYorkCity).Publictransportationvariesfromcitytocity,butoverallisnotcommonoutsidecityareas.Evenwithincitiesitrangesfrombeingexcellentinsomeareastobeingnon-existentinothers.Car,busandairtravelarethemostcommonformsoftransportation.Taxicabsarealsocommonincities,thoughtheycanalsobequiteexpensive.

WorkAlthough the 40-hourworkweek is still predominate, schedules now vary considerably from the traditionalMondaythroughFriday,8a.m.to5p.m.workday.ManyAmericanscurrentlyworkmorethanthetraditional40hoursaweek.Tocompensate,somecompaniesofferflexiblehoursthataccommodatetheemployee’stravel,educationalobligations,orotheractivities.WorkingsomehoursfromhomeisbecomingmorecommonpracticeintheUSA.

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Au pair regulations in detailAll au pairs should fully review and understand the rules of the program.

All participating au pairs will:

• Workupto45hoursperweekwithamaximumof10hoursperday.• Take educational classes at a post-secondary accredited institution for not less than 6 credits which is

approximately72-90classroomhours.• AttendmonthlymeetingswiththeirLCC.• Nottakecareofachildundertheageof3monthsunlessaparentorotherresponsibleadultispresent.• Not take care of children under the age of 2 unless the au pair has 200 hours of documented infant

experience.• Stayamaximumof2yearsintheUSA(plusyourAdditionalMonth).• Beplacedwithin1hour’sdrivefromanLCC.All host families will

• Interviewtheaupairbytelephonepriortotheaupair’sdeparturefromhis/herhomecountry.• Remaininthehomeforthefirst3daysaftertheaupair’sarrival,orhaveanotherresponsibleadultinthe

home during these days.• Notrequiretheaupairtoworkmorethan45hoursperweekandnotmorethan10hoursperday.• Paytheaupairaweeklystipendperstandardizedguidelines.• Providetheaupairwithaprivatebedroom.• Payupto$500fortheaupair’sclasses.• Givetheaupairaminimumof1.5daysoffperweekinadditiontoonecompleteweekendoffeachmonth.• Givetheaupairtwoweekspaidvacation.

Complete State Department regulationsU.S. Department of State Program Guidelines WAIS Document Retrieval[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 22, Volume 1] [Revised as of April 1, 2008] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 22CFR62.31] [Page 286-291]

TITLE 22--FOREIGN RELATIONS

CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF STATE

PART 62_EXCHANGE VISITOR PROGRAM--

Subpart B--Specific Program Provisions

Sec. 62.31 Au pairs.

(a) This section governs Department of State-designated exchange visitor programs under which foreign nationals are af-

forded the opportunity to live with an American host family and participate directly in the home life of the host family. All au pair

participants provide child care services to the host family and attend a U.S. post-secondary educational institution. Au pair

participants provide up to forty-five hours of child care services per week and pursue not less than six semester

hours of academic credit or its equivalent during their year of program participation. Au pairs participating in the EduCare pro-

gram provide up to thirty hours of child care services per week and pursue not less than twelve semester hours of academic

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credit or its equivalent during their year of program participation.

(b) Program designation.The Department of State may, in its sole discretion, designate bona fide programs satisfying the objec-

tives set forth in paragraph (a) of this section. Such designation shall be for a period of two years and may be revoked by the

Department of State for good cause.

(c) Program eligibility. Sponsors designated by the Department of State to conduct an au pair exchange program shall;

(1) Limit the participation of foreign nationals in such programs to not more than one year;

(2) Limit the number of hours an EduCare au pair participant is obligated to provide child care services to not more than 10 hours

per day or more than 30 hours per week and limit the number of hours all other au pair participants are obligated to provide child

care services to not more than 10 hours per day or more than 45 hours per week;

(3) Require that EduCare au pair participants register and attend classes offered by an accredited U.S. post-secondary institu-

tion for not less than twelve semester hours of academic credit or its equivalent and that all other au pair participants register

and attend classes offered by an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution for not less than six semester hours of academic

credit or its equivalent;

(4) Require that all officers, employees, agents, and volunteers acting on their behalf are adequately trained and

supervised;

(5) Require that the au pair participant is placed with a host family within one hour’s driving time of the home of

the local organizational representative authorized to act on the sponsor’s behalf in both routine and emergency matters arising

from the au pair’s participation in their exchange program;

(6) Require that each local organizational representative maintain a record of all personal monthly contacts (or more frequently as

required) with each au pair and host family for which he or she is responsible and issues or problems discussed;

(7) Require that all local organizational representatives contact au pair participants and host families twice monthly for the first

two months following a placement other than the initial placement for which the au pair entered the United States.

(8) Require that local organizational representatives not devoting their full time and attention to their program obligations are

responsible for no more than fifteen au pairs and host families; and

(9) Require that each local organizational representative is provided adequate support services by a regional organizational

representative.

(d) Au pair selection. In addition to satisfying the requirements of §62.10(a), sponsors shall ensure that all participants in a des-

ignated au pair exchange program:

(1) Are between the ages of 18 and 26;

(2) Are a secondary school graduate, or equivalent;

(3) Are proficient in spoken English;

(4) Are capable of fully participating in the program as evidenced by the satisfactory completion of a physical;

(5) Have been personally interviewed, in English, by an organizational representative who shall prepare a report of the interview

which shall be provided to the host family; and

(6) Have successfully passed a background investigation that includes verification of school, three, non-family related personal

and employment references, a criminal background check or its recognized equivalent and a personality profile. Such personal-

ity profile will be based upon a psychometric test designed to measure differences in characteristics among applicants against

those characteristics considered most important to successfully participate in the au pair program.

(e) Au pair placement. Sponsors shall secure, prior to the au pair’s departure from the home country, a host family placement

for each participant. Sponsors shall not:

(1) Place an au pair with a family unless the family has specifically agreed that a parent or other responsible adult will remain in

the home for the first three days following the au pair’s arrival;

(2) Place an au pair with a family having a child aged less than three months unless a parent or other responsible adult is pres-

ent in the home;

(3) Place an au pair with a host family having children under the age of two, unless the au pair has at least 200 hours of docu-

mented infant child care experience. An au pair participating in the EduCare program shall not be placed with a family having

pre-school children in thehome unless alternative full-time arrangements for thesupervision of such pre-school children are in

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place;

(4) Place an au pair with a host family having a special needs child, as so identified by the host family, unless the au pair has

specifically identified his or her prior experience, skills, or training in the care of special needs children and the host family has

reviewed and acknowledged in writing the au pair’s prior experience, skills, or training so identified;

(5) Place an au pair with a host family unless a written agreement between the au pair and the host family detailing the au pair’s

obligation to provide child care has been signed by both the au pair and the host family prior to the au pair’s departure from his

or her home country. Such agreement shall clearly state whether the au pair is an EduCare program participant or not. Such

agreement shall limit the obligation to provide child care services to notmore than 10 hours per day or more than 45 hours per

week unless the au pair is an EduCare participant. Such agreement shall limit the obligation of an EduCare participant to

provide child care service to not more than 10 hours per day or more than 30 hours per week.

(6) Place the au pair with a family who cannot provide the au pair with a suitable private bedroom; and

(7) Place an au pair with a host family unless the host family has interviewed the au pair by telephone prior to

the au pair’s departure from his or her home country.

(f) Au pair orientation. In addition to the orientation requirements set forth at §62.10, all sponsors shall provide au pairs, prior

to their departure from the home country, with the following information:

(1) A copy of all operating procedures, rules, and regulations, including a grievance process, which govern the au pair’s par-

ticipation in the exchange program;

(2) A detailed profile of the family and community in which the au pair will be placed;

(3) A detailed profile of the educational institutions in the community where the au pair will be placed, including the financial

cost of attendance at these institutions;

(4) A detailed summary of travel arrangements; and

(5) A copy of the Department of State’s written statement and brochure regarding the au pair program.

(g) Au pair training. Sponsors shall provide the au pair participant with child development and child safety instruction, as fol-

lows:

(1) Prior to placement with the host family, the au pair participant shall receive not less than eight hours of child

safety instruction no less than 4 of which shall be infantrelated; and

(2) Prior to placement with the American host family, the au pair participant shall receive not less than twentyfour hours of

child development instruction of which no less than 4 shall be devoted to specific training for children under the age of two.

(h) Host family selection. Sponsors shall adequately screen all potential host families and at a minimum shall:

(1) Require that the host parents are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents;

(2) Require that host parents are fluent in spoken English;

(3) Require that all adult family members resident in the home have been personally interviewed by an organizational repre-

sentative;

(4) Require that host parents and other adults living full-time in the household have successfully passed a background inves-

tigation including employment and personal character references;

(5) Require that the host family have adequate financial resources to undertake all hosting obligations;

(6) Provide a written detailed summary of the exchange program and the parameters of their and the au pair’s duties, partici-

pation, and obligations; and

(7) Provide the host family with the prospective au pair participant’s complete application, including all references.

(i) Host family orientation. In addition to the requirements set forth at §62.10 sponsors shall:

(1) Inform all host families of the philosophy, rules, and regulations governing the sponsor’s exchange program and provide all

families with a copy of the Department of State’s written statement and brochure regarding the au pair program;

(2) Provide all selected host families with a complete copy of Department of State-promulgated Exchange

Visitor Program regulations, including the supplementalinformation thereto;

(3) Advise all selected host families of their obligation to attend at least one family day conference to be sponsored by the au

pair organization during the course of the placement year. Host family attendance at such a gathering is a condition of program

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participation and failure to attend will be grounds for possible termination of their continued or future program participation;

and

(4) Require that the organization’s local counselor responsible for the au pair placement contacts the host family and au pair

within forth-eight hours of the au pair’s arrival and meets, in person, with the host family and au pair within two weeks of the

au pair’s arrival at the host family home.

(j) Wages and hours. Sponsors shall require that au pair participants:

(1) Are compensated at a weekly rate based upon 45 hours of child care services per week and paid in conformance with

the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act as interpreted and implemented by the United States Department of Labor.

EduCare participants shall be compensated at a weekly rate that is 75% of the weekly rate paid to non-EduCare participants;

(2) Do not provide more than 10 hours of child care per day, or more than 45 hours of child care in any one week. EduCare

participants may not provide more than 10 hours of child care per day or more than 30 hours of child care in any one week;

(3) Receive a minimum of one and one half days off per week in addition to one complete weekend off each month; and

(4) Receive two weeks of paid vacation.

(k) Educational component. Sponsors must:

(1) Require that during their initial period of program participation, all EduCare au pair participants complete not less than

12 semester hours (or their equivalent) of academic credit in formal educational settings at accredited U.S. post-secondary

institutions and that all other au pair participants complete not less than six semester hours (or their equivalent) of academic

credit in formal educational settings at accredited U.S. post-secondary institutions. As a condition of program participation,

host family participants must agree to facilitate the enrollment and attendance of au pairs in accredited U.S. post secondary

institutions and to pay the cost of such academic course work in an amount not to exceed $1,000 for EduCare au

pair participants and in an amount not to exceed $500 for all other au pair participants.

(2) Require that during any extension of program participation, all participants ( i.e. , Au Pair or EduCare) satisfy an additional

educational requirement, as follows:

(i) For a nine or 12-month extension, all au pair participants and host families shall have the same obligation for coursework

and payment therefore as is required duringthe initial period of program participation.

(ii) For a six-month extension, EduCare au pair participants must complete not less than six semester hours (or their equiva-

lent) of academic credit in formal educational settings at accredited U.S. post-secondary institutions. As a condition of par-

ticipation, host family participants must agree to facilitate the enrollment and attendance of au pairs at accredited U.S. post

secondary institutions and to pay the cost of such academic coursework in an amount not to exceed $500. All other au pair

participants must complete not less than three semester hours (or their equivalent) of academic credit in formal educational

settings at accredited U.S. post-secondary institutions. As a condition of program participation, host family participants must

agree to facilitate the enrollment and attendance of au pairs at accredited U.S. post secondary institutions and to pay the cost

of such academic coursework in an amount not to exceed $250.

(l) Monitoring. Sponsors shall fully monitor all au pair exchanges, and at a minimum shall:

(1) Require monthly personal contact by the local counselor with each au pair and host family for which the counselor is re-

sponsible. Counselors shall maintain a record of this contact;

(2) Require quarterly contact by the regional counselor with each au pair and host family for which the counselor is responsible.

Counselors shall maintain a record of this contact;

(3) Require that all local and regional counselors areappraised of their obligation to report unusual or serious situations or

incidents involving either the au pair or host family; and

(4) Promptly report to the Department of State and incidents involving or alleging a crime of moral turpitude or violence.

(m) Reporting requirements. Along with the annual report required by regulations set forth at §62.17, sponsors shall file with

the Department of State the following information:

(1) A summation of the results of an annual survey of all host family and au pair participants regarding satisfaction with the

program, its strengths and weaknesses;

(2) A summation of all complaints regarding host family or au pair participation in the program, specifying the nature of the

complaint, its resolution, and whether any unresolved complaints are outstanding;

(3) A summation of all situations which resulted in the placement of au pair participant with more than one host family;

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(4) A report by a certified public accountant, conducted pursuant to a format designated by the Department of State, attesting

to the sponsor’s compliance with the procedures and reporting requirements set forth in this subpart;

(5) A report detailing the name of the au pair, his or her host family placement, location, and the names of the local and regional

organizational representatives; and

(6) A complete set of all promotional materials, brochures, or pamphlets distributed to either host family or au pair participants.

(n) Sanctions. In addition to the sanctions provisions set forth at §62.50, the Department of State may undertake immediate

program revocation procedures upon documented evidence that a sponsor has failed to:

(1) Comply with the au pair placement requirements set forth in paragraph (e) of this section;

(2) Satisfy the selection requirements for each individual au pair as set forth in paragraph (d) of this section; and

(3) Enforce and monitor host family’s compliance with the stipend and hours requirements set forth in paragraph

(j) of this section.

(o) Extension of Program. The Department, in its sole discretion, may approve extensions for au pair participants beyond the

initial 12-month program. Applications to the Department for extensions of six, nine, or 12 months, must be received by the

Department not less than 30 calendar days prior to the expiration of the exchange visitor’s initial authorized stay in either the

Au Pair or EduCare program ( i.e. , 30-calendar days prior to the program end date listed on the exchange visitor’s Form

DS–2019). The request for an extension beyond the maximum duration of the initial 12-month program must be submitted

electronically in the Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Support-

ing documentation must be submitted to the Department on the sponsor’s organizational letterhead and contain the following

information:

(1) Au pair’s name, SEVIS identification number, date of birth, the length of the extension period being requested;

(2) Verification that the au pair completed the educational requirements of the initial program; and

(3) Payment of the required non-refundable fee (see 22 CFR 62.90) via Pay.gov.

(p) Repeat Participation. A foreign national who enters the United States as an au pair Exchange Visitor Program participant

and who has successfully completed his or her program is eligible to participate again as an au pair participant, provided that

he or she has resided outside the United States for at least two years following completion of his or her initial au pair program.

[60 FR 8552, Feb. 15, 1995, as amended at 62 FR 34633,

June 27, 1997; 64 FR 53930, Oct. 5, 1999. Redesignated at

64 FR 54539, Oct. 7, 1999; 66 FR 43087, Aug. 17, 2001;

71 FR 33238, June 8, 2006; 73 FR 34862, June 19, 2008]

United States Department of State

Office of Exchange Coordination and

Designation

ECA/EC/PS - SA-44, Room 734

301 4th Street, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20547

jvisas@state.gov

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