The au pairs of Elmhurst volunteered recently at a food pantry in Chicago, helping to put together food boxes for over 65 families.
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- Cultural Care au pair chosen "Au Pair of the Year" finalist! February 10, 2012German au pair Alex Krosse with his host children Ilo and Leon. The International Au Pair Association (IAPA) recognizes one young person each year who embodies the hard work, compassion and spirit it takes to be a great au pair. IAPA’s “Au Pair of the Year” is chosen from hundreds of host family submissions all over the world—so it is especially exciting for us to learn that a Cultural Care au pair—Alex Krosse, from Germany—was picked as one of their three finalists. Of course, it is no surprise that Alex caught their attention. Alex’s host dad, Ed Urbaniak, submitted a nomination that left our many readers here in the Cultural Care Au Pair office in tears. We congratulate Alex for a job well done and invite you to read Ed’s letter. In February, after several years counting on au pairs for our child care, it was time for us to select a new au pair. Our family was dealing with some challenges. So, I made sure to take extra care with our selection. Our sons are adopted. Our older son (Leon) has a learning disability. Our younger son (Ilo) would be starting kindergarten. My spouse (Erwin) had stage IV lung cancer. With a spouse ill with cancer, I knew how important it was to have a reliable au pair that could be flexible in with our changing needs. When we were introduced to Alex, he had finished a year with another family and was staying with his local coordinator in San Francisco. His previous family and the coordinator recommended him highly, but there is always concern when selecting a new au pair. After exchanging emails, phone calls and Skyping with Alex, we had a local friend meet him for a cup of coffee. Alex seemed like he would have the experience and personality that we needed. Alex arrived on an evening flight and I met him at the airport with the kids. We went out for a traditional German meal to give him a taste of home that he hadn’t had for a while. It was the weekend and I got him settled into his new room. Everything seemed about the same as our past au pair experience. He was polite and asked appropriate questions. The next day, I was going to the grocery store. This was my first of many pleasant surprises with Alex. He asked if he could join me—a first in my au pair experience. He was helpful at the store and even helped bring the groceries in and put them away. He immediately felt more like a long-lost relative than a stranger in our home. It was over the next several months with my spouse’s health failing that I realized how much a part of our family Alex was. Less than two weeks after Alex’s arrival, I awoke at midnight to Erwin having trouble breathing. I later learned that he was having a Grand Mal Seizure. I called 911. Alex had heard the commotion and came to see how he could help. Without my asking, he said, “Don’t worry about the kids. I have them—just text me with an update when you have one.” I was amazed how Alex just jumped in. He was so concerned. I don’t think he slept that night. Alex was with us less than 4 months when Erwin passed. During the Eulogy, I made a point to count the blessing God had bestowed upon our family. Alex is one of those blessings. I have checked his back for the wing-stubs that all aspiring angels must have. Over the next few months, Alex has done his duties without prompting. He has also pitched in to help in areas that I don’t consider the duties of an au pair. He took my kids to my Mother’s house to give me a much-needed respite from my new duties as single parent. He has helped with the shopping, cooking and cleaning. After Thanksgiving, Alex was excited to help with my extensive Christmas display. He pitched in on his time without my asking. Alex has not only become a true member of my family, he has also become a member of the community. He is a volunteer fire fighter in our community. He has also volunteered with meals on wheels. Certainly, there are many good au pairs out there. We have had several. This is my first nomination for an “Au Pair of the Year.” This nomination isn’t for someone who has done his job. It is for someone who has joined our family and became a true friend during a time of need. We also invite you to meet the rest of our “Au Pair of the Year nominees” including our own three finalists and state winners. After reading the praise of other host families across the U.S. you might agree they all deserve to win!
- What makes a successful au pair experience? February 8, 2012In a recent post on The Juggle, a Wall Street Journal blog focused on choices and trade-offs people make as they juggle work and family, one blogger dad (John J. Edwards III) wrote about his recent decision to switch from a full-time babysitter to an au pair. He has yet to begin the experience of hosting an au pair, while many of the post’s 162 commenters have second- or first-hand knowledge of what it’s like to welcome an au pair. While there are differing opinions on the subject, one commenter in particular understands what it takes to have a successful au pair experience. Her comments is as follows: Au pair is on par wrote: Hi John — Not enough time to read through all comments, but the smattering I did review prompted me to write my first-ever online comment. My husband & I are academic scientists—so that hopefully tells you that we care about education and we don’t have tons of money to burn. We started with au pairs 4 years ago since we wanted in-home childcare, didn’t have lots of money, wanted to raise our children to be globally aware, and wanted to open our home to a young person who really wanted to join our family….It is possible and (despite a comment I read that suggested that any host family with a college education would not learn anything new from the program) it has really been an exchange for us. In short, like many institutions or social programs, it is what you make it—both for host families and for au pairs. We have chosen to make our au pair a real part of our family, and for the past 3 years, each of them has done this, too! We have been exceedingly cautious in the selection process, describing in excruciating detail what our policies & philosophies about the program are, asking probative questions during the interview process, and going with our gut. No rematches, personality conflicts, and we’re looking now for au pair #4. We talk at dinner every night, we sit together in the family room after the kids are asleep doing independent projects or reading or just talking, we go on weekend trips to the grandparents’ house together. We never used an online guide to the selection process, didn’t blog with other host families, try not to compare ourselves to the Jones’s and frankly, it’s all worked out great for us so far. “Know thyself” and you’ll find an au pair who will be on par with your family’s values, routines, and lives. In essense, “Au pair on par” is saying that success has as much to do with how a family approaches the program and treats their au pair as it does with what candidate a family ultimately chooses. I think any host family who follows this philosophy is going to be in a much better position to have a great au pair year. Host families—do you agree?
- Au Pairs Learn Self Defense in Stamford, CT January 31, 2012Au pairs have fun learning how to protect themselves at an au pair safety meeting in CT. The Stamford, CT Patch ran a front page story featuring Cultural Care au pairs learning self defense at BreakThru Fitness, a family fitness center in town. In addition to safety training learned at Cultural Care Au Pair’s Training School in Oakdale, NY, local childcare coordinators (LCCS), who support au pairs and families during the year, teach au pairs three safety units per year. LCCs follow Cultural Care Au Pair’s Continuing Safety Education Program (CSEP) curriculum to help au pairs understand Household Poisoning Prevention, Water Safety and Drowning Prevention and Fire and CO Poisoning Prevention. In addition to this core curriculum aimed at protecting host children, LCCs may also incorporate other safety topics like self defense. Says Lina Helgesson, an au pair from Sweden: “It was really fun and I really learned a lot! Now I feel safer outside alone.” For more information about the self defense class, read the story on the Stamford Patch.
- Cultural Care office staff raise $148 for Kids First at SWEA Holiday Fair December 9, 2011Face painting at the Cultural Care Au Pair booth at the SWEA Fair and Holiday Celebration Nine staff members from the Cultural Care office in Cambridge, MA made their way to the Cyclorama building in the South End of Boston this past Saturday to attend the SWEA Yuletide Fair and to face paint and make balloon animals in order to raise money for Kids First. The Cultural Care booth was a huge hit with children lining up to have Swedish dala horses, tomtes and flags on their cheeks and to request a balloon. Altogether, $148 was raised for Kid First (yay!) and at least a handful of parents were interested in learning more about hosting an au pair. Thanks to all of our staff who volunteered!
- Top 10 holiday gifts for au pairs December 8, 2011Are you looking for just the right thing to put under the tree for your au pair? We asked some host parents to share their ideas for au pair gift-giving this holiday season and this is what they came up with… 1. Personalized gifts with kids photosChicago Mom on aupairmom.com says: “Urban Outfitters had blank snow globes last year where you could slip in two pictures—one on each side—so for a Christmas gift, I slipped in a picture of our house decorated for the holidays (of the outside, complete with the fallen snow and bows and lights), and a picture of the kids on the other side. [Our au pair] loved this (snow globes seemed the rage with her and the other au pairs – they don’t have many of these in Bolivia I guess).” You can also choose to create a photo book or frame her favorite photo. 2. Tickets to a local game or showLots of au pairs would love to experience a local game or show but won’t spend the money themselves to get there. Two tickets from you (so she can take a friend) is usually much appreciated. Says one host mom online: “We live in the NYC area, so we always splurge and give our au pairs two tickets to a Broadway show. Everybody loves this. I got the idea from a very experienced host mother with whom I work.” 3. Gift cardsWhile not very personal, gift cards are certainly practical and appreciated by au pairs who would love to do more shopping. “I either give a spa gift certificate or an iTunes gift card,” writes Annette McGloin, veteran host mom and Cultural Care staff member, when asked about her gift-giving traditions. Starbucks, Gap and iTunes are also safe bets. 4. Popular book seriesA host parent who doesn’t want to be named (in case her au pair is reading!) will introduce her au pair to the Twilight Saga Collection this year. She says her former au pairs have appreciated young adult books because it helps them improve their English comprehension skills at the same time. Two other good ones to consider: the Hunger Games and the Lorien Legacies Series. 5. Warm winter gearAu pairs who live with host families that get cold weather are rarely outfitted with the proper gear to keep them warm. Jenny Berryman Horne, a host mom from MA says, “We gave our au pair gloves and a scarf last year since she was from a warm country and needed them. We may do this again, too, as a stocking stuffer.” Ines Cortes, another host mom in MA shares, “Our gift to her will be something she has wanted but found too expensive: a down winter coat. She suffered a bit last winter, and knowing our sonJulian, she will be outside quite a bit and needs to be warm.” For hats, boot cuffs and cowls, I like what Kitty Dune on Etsy has to offer. I also love this hat from Prana (so cozy!) and the new gloves from Agloves that work with touchscreen cell phones. Lastly, this 100% down coat by DKNY is on sale. 6. Slippers/pajamasSince sizing and taste is more forgiving in the case of sleepwear, it’s often a safer gift for au pairs. Susan Robinson, our Au Pair Answer Mom agrees: “Anyone can use another pair of pjs!” These slippers from Urban Outfitters are very cool and inexpensive, and pajamas from Aerie are notoriously soft and in-style. 7. An extra suitcaseIf you’re after a gift that you know your au pair will use, it doesn’t get any more practical than an extra suitcase or duffle. She’s going to need it to get all of her stuff back home at the end of the year! This rolling duffle by LLBean is a great option. 8. JewelryIt might normally be risky to give au pair jewelry, but Alex and Ani bracelets are a sure thing. They are inexpensive, made out of recycled materials and all the rage right now with young women. The best part is that each bracelet has a different symbol or expression like: Statue of Liberty, “Thank you”, “Pursue happiness”, lucky clover. 9. Travel guidesIs your au pair planning a trip somewhere fun? A travel guide book is a great gift option. Says Samantha Janney—a host mom and Cultural Care staff member—”We have typically given our au pairs a guide book for a trip they’re planning and they love it.” Lonely Planet and Frommer’s books are good choices. 10. Stocking and/or ornamentIf everyone in your household has a stocking, your au pair should absolutely have one, too! (Just listen to what AuPairMom has to say about this.) Ornaments are also a popular gift according to Cultural Care Au Pair’s online community. Personalized stockings from Pottery Barn seem to be popular, and this personalized ornament is adorable. Hopefully this post will give all of you host parents out there some things to consider for au pair gifts this holiday season!
- Au pairs celebrate "big" American holidays December 2, 2011Cultural Care au pairs in Stamford gather together to decorate a tree for the Junior League of Greenwich’s Enchanted Forest holiday fundraiser. Many au pairs travel to the U.S. with the notion that Americans are big on celebrating the holidays. And according to the ones we’ve heard from, thais stereotype rings very true. Lee Anna Whitely, Local Program Director for Cultural Care Au Pair recently invited her group of au pairs to help decorate a holiday tree to support the local Junior League. During the event, she asked au pairs to give their take on what they think so far about the 2011 holiday season. Rikard Kreuger, an au pair from Sweden, said, “I didn’t expect that much at Halloween, but it was a big deal. There were so many decorations at my house — decorations inside, decorations outside, decorations everywhere.” Another male au pair, Daniel Prozmann from Germany, shared. “We know the holidays mostly from the movies, you think it must be really exaggerated on TV, but it really is kind of like that.” The American tradition of holiday-mania can actually be very helpful to au pairs prone to homesickness as it keeps the focus off of what is going on back home. Host families can also ease au pairs’ homesickness by including them in their traditions and encouraging them to share their own. Says Rachel Friedman, host mom to Colombian au pair Veronica Aristizábal, “It’s always hard to be away from your family this time of year, we’re doing what we can to make it special, we consider Veronica part of our family. It’s important for our kids to experience a different language, a different culture — but we get to share our culture too, it’s a different twist. It’s just a smorgasbord of events and holidays this time of year.” Au pairs: what holiday traditions will you share with your host families this year? Host families: what American traditions are you most excited to share with your au pair during the upcoming holiday?
- Au pairs celebrate American Thanksgiving November 15, 2011International au pairs celebrating Thanksgiving! Amy Brian, a Cultural Care Au Pair LCC in Delaware, invited her group of au pairs over to her house to participate in an early Thanksgiving celebration this past weekend. She says: “The au pairs all chose a recipe that reminded them of home—it could be a traditional ethnic dish, but it could just be anything that they would typically eat back home with their families and friends. They all shared some delicious starters, main dishes and desserts including Brazilian Ground Beef Pie and Chicken Fricassee and German Schupfnudeln (potato noodles). The recipes are included below. We suggest bringing a little international flair to your Thanksgiving table this season! Ground Beef Pie from Brazil INGREDIENTS: Dough 3 cups flour 1 cup olive oil 4 eggs 1 ½ glass of milk 1 tablespoon baking powder Salt 50 gr grated cheese Put everything in the blender, first the liquids, flour bit by bit, and at last baking powder. Add more milk if necessary. The dough has to be almost liquid. Stuffing ground beef 2 tomatoes cut into dices onion cut into very small pieces oregano peas corn salt pepper Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a pot, cook the ground beef, put salt, pepper, oregano, let it cool. Mix the onions, tomatoes, peas and corn. In a greased baking pan, pour half of the dough, place all the stuffing over the dough carefully and cover it with the rest of the half dogh left. Put in the oven for about 45-60 min. Schupfnudeln from Germany This dish is typical of the southwest region of Germany and this particular version comes from an old family recipe. INGREDIENTS: 400g flour 400g potatoes 1 egg 1 teaspoon salt DIRECTIONS:You have to cook the potatoes and let them cool. When they’re cool you can grate/shape them.Mix everything together. You have to do it with your hands till it’s a good dough. Put flour in your hands and form these noodles. After you formed them you can put them in boiling water with salt. They will sink and later they will come to the top of the water. Let them stay there for 5 more minutes and then you can take them out of the water. Put it into cold water. After you can roast it gently in a pan. And you need white cabbage. You cut it very small up. Put it in a bowl and put salt on it. You have to knead it till it’s softer. Then you put it in a pot and let it cook. You have to keep an eye on it, so that it won’t get black. And after you cooked it, you can put the noodles together with the cabbage. Chicken Fricassee from Brazil Although this is not traditionally Brazilian, it is a common dish that is prepared there. INGREDIENTS: 12 chicken thighs 2 (12 ounce) packages andouille sausage, sliced 5 green onions, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup all-purpose flour 8 cups water 5 stalks celery, chopped 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons ground black pepper 1 teaspoon minced garlic DIRECTIONS:Saute chicken and sausage in a large skillet for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove meat from skillet, add green onions and onion and saute until soft. Set aside. To make roux: In a small saucepan stir together oil and flour over low heat; cook until color is caramel and mixture is reduced to 1 cup of roux. Set aside. Put water in a large pot. Add the chicken, sausage, onion mixture, celery, seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt, ground black pepper and garlic. Bring all to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Add 1/2 cup roux and stir together; the mixture should have the consistency of chowder. If necessary, add the remaining 1/2 cup roux. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve hot over rice, if desired.
- Thanksgiving 101 for au pairs and host families November 10, 2011Contributed by Danielle Wood, Cultural Care host mom and editor at education.com Who exactly were the pilgrims? When was the first Thanksgiving, and why? What with prepping the turkey and dreaming of pumpkin pie, you may have forgotten that at least one member of your family is probably a little hazy on the details as to what Thanksgiving is about, and why we celebrate it. For a quick Thanksgiving cheat sheet, that will answer many of the questions kids and au pairs throw at you, click here . But in the meantime, here’s a quick recap of a few facts you may want to have at the ready: The pilgrims were a group of about 100 people who set off from Europe in 1620, many of which to seek more religious freedom. They settled in Massachusetts, in an area they dubbed Plymouth. The first Thanksgiving was a celebration they threw in honor of their first harvest. It had been a tough winter and many settlers had died. The survivors held a big feast with a group of Native Americans who’d helped them learn the skills to make it through the winter. Now that you’ve got the facts in hand, don’t forget to share a few. But most of all, be sure to share your own family’s traditions this holiday season. Getting a taste of our holidays and customs is part of what makes an au pair year more than just a year of babysitting. Maybe this year, you can have a dish on your table that comes from your au pair’s country, alongside the stuffing and sweet potatoes.
- Cultural Care Au Pair's Kids First Utensil Drive is on! November 4, 2011Ashley Matusiak, Director of Marketing, contributing to our Kids First utensil drive. This week, Cultural Care Au Pair’s Boston office started a utensil drive in support of Share our Strength, a Kids First partner organization. Share our Strength runs a program called Cooking Matters through which families learn how to select nutritious and low-cost ingredients and prepare them in ways that provide the best nourishment to their families. (What an awesome idea!) They use donated utensils during the classes as prizes for children and adults. We have 8 sets of utensils and measuring cups collected so far and we look forward to seeing our box fill up with many more!
- Au pairs act as cultural role models for families who adopt internationally November 3, 2011Gray and Josh Stewart with their au pair Marcela Peralta of Argentina Since November was officially hailed as National Adoption Month in 1990, it has become a time for families, adoption advocates, policymakers, judges and volunteers to come together and celebrate adoption in communities across the nation.For parents who adopt internationally, this holiday is also a reminder to support multi-culturalism and help children identify with their birth culture. There are many suggestions as to how to do this, but according to one of the largest studies of transracial adoptions, released by the Adoption Institute in 2009, “Positive ethnic identity development is most effectively facilitated by ‘lived’ experiences such as travel to native country, racially diverse schools, and role models from their same race/ethnicity.” Cultural Care Au Pair host parents LaClaire and Bobby Stewart of Spartanburg, SC—who adopted son Josh from Guatemala as an infant—have taken this to heart and make integrating his culture into their every day lives a priority. LaClaire, a fluent Spanish speaker, talks to Josh and her biological son Gray in Spanish regularly, and they are both bi-lingual as a result. The family is planning a trip to Guatemala next year. And, the Stewarts have hosted three au pairs from Central and South America since Josh’s arrival. Says LaClaire, “Having an au pair supports the effort Bobby and I make in bringing Latin American culture into our home. Our au pairs help Josh and Gray improve their Spanish because they only speak Spanish with them during the day. Our first au pair cooked tamales for us at Christmastime, and our other au pairs have brought fairytale books and games from home—ones that we might never come across in the U.S.”Sondra Hopmeier, the Local Childcare Coordinator for Cultural Care Au Pair in Charlotte, NC, has supported the Stewarts throughout their time on the program. “Seeing how impactful the program has been for Josh and Gray, I advocate for any adoptive family to investigate the au pair program.”Just weeks after host parents Kristi and Bob McKeown brought their adopted son Spencer home from Guatemala, their first Latin American au pair arrived to join the family in Raleigh, NC. They’ve hosted three additional au pairs since, all from Colombia. Kristi shares, “The au pair program has worked beautifully for us. Our au pairs have helped enabled ties to Spencer’s heritage and development in three ways: intellectually, socially and academically.” She adds, “When we are sitting at the dinner table, he speaks to his au pairs in Spanish and then turns to us and speaks English. It’s amazing to see him learning in this way. Hosting an au pair is not just childcare for us—it’s a gift of cultural immersion.” Their family also travels to Guatemala every year at Thanksgiving to celebrate their son’s culture and for what they are most thankful.“Transracially and transculturally adopted kids need more than loving parents, more than culture camps, more than ethnic art and books. They need people like themselves in their lives,” says Jana Wolff, bestselling author of Secret Thoughts of an Adoptive Mother, who adopted her multiracial son at birth. Jana adds, “Hosting an au pair gives adoptive families the opportunity to enrich their lives with a positive and personal multicultural experience.” Lara Peterson of Bellevue, WA is also an adoptive host parent—to three girls from China, Gwenn, 12, Ella, 9 and Lucy, 6. She has been a long-time host parent with Cultural Care Au Pair welcoming a total of 8 au pairs into her family’s home. Although one of those au pairs was from China, the rest have hailed from Finland, Poland, Sweden and Germany. Her current au pair is 19-year old Sophie from Berlin.Says Lara, “Having a diverse family has always been the norm for us and our au pairs have enriched our multi-cultural experience even further. Although it was exciting to host our one au pair from China, it’s just as important that my daughters see that we can welcome people from all around the world into our family, regardless of their race or cultural heritage.” To ensure her daughters are exposed to their Chinese roots, the Petersons are very involved in Families with Children from China, a support organization for families who have adopted children from China.The number of adoptive parents who are inquiring about au pairs is rising according to Melissa Fredette, the Executive Vice President for Cultural Care Au Pair. “We’ve had more and more interest in the program from adoptive families in the past few years. For them, hosting an au pair fulfills two needs: affordable childcare and exposure to a different culture.”
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