Au Pairs

Health & Safety: Where are Ticks?

kids in woods

When the weather is nice, we spend more time outdoors with the children. Playing in the back yard, at the playground, or walking on nature trails are great ways to get fresh air and exercise. What are ticks? – Ticks are small mites that attach to the skin and suck blood. Click HERE to see examples of Read More

Holiday & Vacation Reminders

Holidays and vacations are a great opportunity to rest, recharge and explore the U.S. Memorial Day Weekend (May 23-25 this year) is the unofficial start of summer travel season. Here are some reminders about program rules regarding holidays and vacations. Holidays Host families are not required to give au pairs any specific holidays. Each host family will make Read More

Protecting Privacy & Personal Information Online

We live in a time of constant sharing through social media. We often share pictures, plans of somewhere we are going, or rants about problems, without thinking much about who will see it and what could be the consequences. Before clicking “post”, stop to think: Am I violating someone’s privacy? Am I sharing personal information Read More

National Cherry Blossom Festival 2026

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual event that celebrates springtime in Washington, DC as well as the 1912 gift of the cherry blossom trees and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan. This year’s festival will be MARCH 20-APRIL 12! This year the events are back in-person. The Read More

Big Kids Need Interaction Too

Just because a child is old enough to occupy themselves, doesn’t mean that they should be expected to do so the majority of the time.  Host families have a certain expectation of activity and involvement for their children. Get the kids engaged and active. You can be more fun than the TV or a video game. Problem:But, Read More

How to Handle Transportation Costs

Program rules dictate several situations when the host parents are required to cover an au pair’s transportation costs. Aside from those specific requirements there are some things to consider when deciding how to handle an au pair’s personal transportation. Situations when host parents are responsible for the au pair’s transportation costs: To/from cluster meetings To/from Read More

Helping Young Children Learn Language

Being an au pair is an important role in a child’s life. When you are caring for young children up to 45 hours per week, there are lots of opportunities to help them learn language. Many host parents are eager for their children to be exposed to more than just English. If this is true of Read More

Hints for Success – Handling Expenses

Host parents often ask for suggestions on how best to handle common expenses that occur as au pairs are caring for the children. Miscellaneous Expenses There are different ways to handle the little day-to-day expenses that come up.  Things like when an au pair takes the kids out for ice cream or picks up a gallon Read More

Avoiding Homesickness During the Holiday Season

Homesickness can be a problem during the holidays, even if it hasn’t been at any other time of the year. Au pairs often miss their friends and family, familiar places, and their own traditions and customs. The holiday activities in the United States seem, and may actually be, different just at a time when an Read More