Kelly Farling

Vacation Regulations

Posted by: kfarling on November 2, 2011

As the winter holidays approach, I want to remind you of the regulations surrounding vacation time during your employment as an au pair.

Au pairs are entitled to two calendar weeks (14 days) of paid vacation. This should be taken at mutually agreed upon time. If a host family requests that their au pair accompany them on a family vacation and she provides childcare, this does not count as her vacation and the family should cover all her expenses.

Please  discuss this  information with your host family and decide on dates for your vacation within the first couple of months  you are in the home.

You also receive one and a half days off in a row per week and one weekend per month.  Other American Holidays are not days off for au pairs although the families may not need you to work on days like Thanksgiving and Christmas.  If they do need your help on those days, remember that you have agreed to the terms outlined.

If you are planning to travel outside the USA, you will need to send your DS-2019 to Boston to have a 2019 completed before you go.  This can take several weeks so please do it early so you don’t encounter a problem.

Special Savings!!

Posted by: kfarling on September 12, 2011

$500 Discount!!!  September 9, 2011 through September 13, 2011-
Welcome date extended to December 31, 2011

To qualify for the $500 program fee discount, families must apply with promo code PCSWD2011, be new to Cultural Care Au Pair, apply from September 9, 2011 through September 13, 2011, and welcome an au pair by
 December 31, 2011. Selection fee of $275 must be paid upon final au pair selection. Offer cannot be applied retroactively and may not be combined with any other program fee discounts (excluding host family referral bonuses). Program fee discounts may only be applied to program terms of 30 weeks or more.

Host Family Survey Results are in

Posted by: kfarling on February 3, 2010

The results are in!

The results from the 2009 Host Family Survey are in … and the consensus is that our host families are overwhelmingly happy! To share a few of the stats:

- 96% of host families are satisfied with the quality of childcare that their au pair provides
- 95% are satisfied with the support provided by their Local Childcare Coordinator
- 97% are pleased with the choice they made to use the services of Cultural Care Au Pair
- 96% would recommend the services of Cultural Care Au Pair to other families

Thank you to our current host families for participating and for helping us to further improve our program! Host family feedback gathered through our customer satisfaction survey has contributed to several changes at Cultural Care Au Pair including an improved host family and au pair matching process, increased new and repeat host family discounts, new payment plan options, and better online and phone support for host families. In addition, host families are able to provide direct feedback to senior management at face to face meetings held throughout the country, and they may participate in an online forum (www.community.culturalcare.com) created just for program participants.

We’re thrilled with these results, which are certified by independent survey company Discovery Surveys, Inc. In fact, our participation rate (52% of active host families this time around) and the results themselves have improved each of the four times we have administered the surveys (spring and fall of 2008 and spring and fall of 2009). For more detailed survey information, visit our website.

Getting an au pair in New York is more affordable than ever

Posted by: kfarling on January 28, 2010

Our host families spoke, and we listened. The economy had an impact on everyone last year. Many families faced new financial challenges, but in the end, they still needed flexible, affordable childcare. As a result, Cultural Care Au Pair has created several new payment options that help lower the initial cost for welcoming an au pair into their home in the New Year. Along with this exciting new change, we are also keeping our prices the same for the second year in a row!

Now new families applying to Cultural Care Au Pair will have even more payment options available. Not only have we reduced our application fee, we have created several new payment plans for new and repeat families. As a result, they can continue to enjoy all the benefits they have enjoyed from Cultural Care Au Pair in the past - and even more!

Lower application fee, lowered payment plan options
How does it work? Now new families applying to the program will pay a $75 non-refundable application fee -a savings over our previous $350 application fee. Upon finding the right au pair, a $275 selection fee will be due so the au pair can finalize arrangements to come to the U.S. Offering this new payment structure not only helps secure the au pair for the family, it allows the visa process to begin moving forward.

In addition, families now have even more flexibility when it comes to making payments. On our regular payment plan, families now have the ability to pay the program fee 30 days prior to the au pair’s arrival, instead of upon selection of an au pair. This is great for families who select an au pair early, as it provides them with additional time to pay their program fee.

In addition, our Extended Payment Plan option now lowers the initial deposit to $2,395, plus a $200 payment plan enrollment fee. Families have the option of making a payment in three easy installments or they can log into their host family account at their convenience and pay weekly, bi-weekly or monthly - whatever works best for the family, as long as it’s within the Extended Payment Plan timeframe. Repeat and extension families enjoy all these flexible payment benefits as well, with the additional benefit of a waived application fee!

Along with keeping prices the same in 2010, and creating several new, lower payment plan options, we are also decreasing the cost for enrolling in our Extended Payment Plan, making it even easier to afford an au pair in the New Year. For more information about how to utilize these new options, contact me, your local childcare coordinator, and I will be happy to provide you with additional details about Cultural Care Au Pair’s exciting new payment options for 2010!

Join the cultural care community

Posted by: kfarling on September 24, 2009

We are very excited to announce a new communication tool and resource - an on-line community for host families called the Cultural Care Community.  Join the conversation through this new site where families can ask a question, share an idea, report a problem or give praise. Cultural Care staff, LCCs and other host families can all join the conversation by responding to any of the questions, ideas, problems or compliments or adding their own.  

You can access the site at  http://community.culturalcare.com.  This new community is not meant to replace the industry-standard customer service structure and systems that we already have in place but rather to give host families a public forum to share with us and each other.

The response to the community so far has been very positive and we hope that this social media site proves to be a valuable tool and that it demonstrates to our host families, present and future, that we value feedback and are committed to helping our costumers. Let us know what you think!

Current Savings

Posted by: kfarling on August 3, 2009

Back to School = Big Savings
Fall is just around the corner, so we are offering new families a $350 application fee waiver and an additional $300 program fee discount for a total savings of $650! Use promo code PCBTS2009 when you apply to take advantage of this offer. Host families must be new to Cultural Care Au Pair, apply by August 31, 2009 and welcome an au pair into their home by October 23, 2009.

“Repeat with us” and save up to $1,000!
We welcome families from other au pair agencies to repeat with us. As a family experienced with the au pair program, host families who switch to Cultural Care Au Pair are entitled to $1,000 in savings! These savings include a $350 application fee waiver, a $500 program fee discount and free overseas connections (a $150 value). Please call 1-800-333-6056 and select option 2 to receive the promotion code. Families must submit proof of payment of their agency’s program fees (proof of payment of application fee does not qualify). The $500 program fee savings will be applied upon receipt of proof of payment.

Cultural Care surveys are in

Posted by: kfarling on July 29, 2009

In the spring of 2008, Cultural Care Au Pair launched a new, bi-annual customer satisfaction survey in order to gather feedback from our host families in a systematic way. An average of 40% of all of our active families participated in the survey in Spring 2008, Fall 2008 and Spring 2009. Many of the suggestions shared by our families have been implemented, the result of which has been higher scores on each consecutive survey. Our new matching process, increased new and repeat family savings and better online resources and phone support are just a few of the improvements our families now enjoy.

New Updates for Traveling to Canda

Posted by: kfarling on July 29, 2009

What does this mean for Mexican and Czech APs wanting to travel to Canada for vacation?

Taken from press release: “This change means that nationals from Mexico and the Czech Republic [among many others] who want to travel to Canada will first need to apply for a Temporary Resident Visa and meet the requirements to receive one. It is up to the applicant to satisfy the visa officer their visit to Canada is temporary, they will not overstay their approved time in Canada, they have enough money to cover their stay in Canada, they are in good health, they do not have a criminal record, and are not a security risk to Canadians. These requirements are the same for anyone who wants to visit Canada.”
For more information on these new regulations please read the News Release on the Citizen and Immigration Canada website. For a complete list of countries needing a tourist visa to enter Canada as well as information on how to apply for a visa, please follow this link: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp
Rules regarding visas can change very quickly and Cultural Care will not be notified of any changes. It is therefore important that rather than telling an AP whether or not she/he needs a tourist visa to a particular country, that you always refer them to the consulate of the appropriate country to check by themselves. This ensures that they will receive the proper information.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or have your au pairs call Au Pair Services at 800-448-5753.