Au Pair in America – Rhode Island

Our November meeting was originally scheduled for Friday, the 20th – it was to be a special Thanksgiving Feast at the International House in Providence. However, since that particular date was inconveniet for many of our au pairs, we changed our plans. Instead, we met at the Cheesecake Factory at the Providence Place Mall. We skipped the Thanksgiving Feast and went directly to rich and creamy desserts! There was one au pair however, who opted for a healthy salad…. (Aylin, the next time I plan to follow your good example, since I felt very guilty after indulging in the Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake). We even had one of our host moms join us for this meeting. Jennifer, you were a great addition to our group – thank you so much for coming!

Happy Birthday to Lucille, who celebrated her 25th birthday on November 1, and to Danielle, who will celebrate her 24th birthday on the 21st of November.
We’ll all celebrate together when we meet at the Cheesecake Factory this month! Lucille and Danielle, if you are interested in what “the stars” have in store for you, read on…..

Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)
Your November Horoscope
This is due to be a dazzling month for you, for you have much going for you in many areas. Let’s look at your career first, for in November it’s clear you will be able to make quite a bit of progress. You will show even more gains in 2010, from mid-February through early June, but this month will be strong for you, too. You may think no one at the top has noticed all the good work you have been doing, but that’s not true. VIPs not only have noticed but are wondering how they can help you get ahead while they still manage to keep YOU in their corner. The idea is not to let a competitor get you!

Free, no obligation information sessions are being offered to Rhode Island parents in an effort to provide information and to answer questions that they may have about hosting an au pair. Program costs will be discussed and compared with other child care options, with emphasis on the benefits and cost-effectiveness of the au pair program. Reserve a spot at an upcoming session, or schedule another convenient option by contacting Barbara Fetta (BarbaraFetta@gmail.com). Information sessions can also be scheduled on-site for corporations, groups and community organizations.

In October (to help us to celebrate Halloween) we will be going on a Ghost Tour! It will be a walking ghost tour, led by lantern light, through the darkened streets of the historic East Side of Providence. The tour guides will share a lot of Providence history and some stories that are sure to send a chill down everyone’s spine! The guides are very knowledgeable about various murders and deaths spanning many years, as well as very interesting non-ghost history about the the East Side of Providence. It should be very interesting, spooky, and fun evening….

This blog has been created to bring you the most current information about Au Pair in America’s Rhode Island branch (referred to as the Rhode Island “cluster” in Au Pair in America terms). As the Rhode Island representative and counselor for Au Pair in America, my goal is to provide information and support to my current au pairs and host families, and to be a source of information to those families in the community who may be interested in hosting an au pair – an experience which should provide not just child care, but an enriching, memorable cultural exchange experience.

I work with a network of community counselors throughout the country (about 180 in all), each provides support to au pairs and host families in their community. In turn, all of us have the support of our U.S. Corporate headquarters in Stamford, CT.

I plan to post up-to-date information for au pairs and host families, and would also like this blog to serve as a forum for all of you to post questions and comments that may be of interest to others in the Au Pair in America community. My sense is that these collective questions, answers, and comments will become a valuable resource for all of us.

Barbara Fetta
Community Counselor
Au Pair in America – Rhode Island Office
401-949-2427
(U.S. Headquarters: 800-928-7247)