The Chicago Area Blog

With Fourth of July coming soon, I wanted to remind everyone about program rules on holidays and vacations.

Holidays

• Host families are NOT REQUIRED to give au pairs any specific holidays.
• Each host family will make different arrangements on holidays, some au pairs will be off and others will be required to work.
• Au pairs should NOT make plans for holidays without checking with your host family FIRST.

Vacation

• Au pair earns 2 weeks of paid vacation during the course of her year.
• The host family can pick a week and the au pair can pick a week, if an agreement is not reached.
• All vacation should be preplanned (at least 4 weeks in advance.)
• All au pair’s friends and/or family visits/vacations should be pre-approved prior to purchasing a ticket.
• If an au pair travels with their host family, it should be discussed UP FRONT whether this is the au pair’s vacation or if she is working.
• If an au pair travels with the host family to work, the host family is required to pay for her transportation, lodging and meals.

Important: An au pair MUST have her DS2019 signed PRIOR to her departure from the US. More info. about this can be found on the right side of this page under “Travel Links for Au Pairs.”

March 30, the first day of  Passover, is also known as Pesach or Pesah,is a Holy Day, observed by several religions, begins Tuesday and lasts seven or eight days, depending on your beliefs.  It commemorates the exodus and freedom of the Israelites from Egypt.  It is also observed by some Christians to commemorate the deliverance from sin by the sacrifice of Jesus.