Welcome to the blog for three of the New England clusters that encompass many of the surrounding Boston suburbs including Cape Cod. We hope you will find this site informative and fun to use. It is for you so please let us know if you have any suggestions for it!
Happy Reading!
Welcome! My name is Patti Estabrook. I have been a Senior Community counselor for the North West suburbs of Boston since 1995. The basics of my life are rather simple: I am a baby boomer, raised in New York and New Jersey, our family migrating to Massachusetts in 1984. I have brought three children into this fast-paced world of ours, and am now the very proud grandmother of Brooke and Connor and Avery and Brielle. I do have another passion, which is understanding and interfacing with other cultures, nationalities, and ethnicities around the world. I suppose this interest was fueled after having lived for two years in Belgium, and traveling extensively around Europe. I rely on my au pairs to teach me about their countries and customs, and sometimes to share their important life experiences with me. Hopefully, you will find your time as part of the Au Pair in America experience just as rewarding as I do.
My name is Barbara Kahane. I am the community counselor for Boston’s South Shore, including Cape Cod. Welcome To My Cluster!
I live and teach in Hingham. Having been a counselor since 1997, my family and I have learned a great deal about other cultures and customs over the years. As a result, my own children love to travel and explore other countries. My daughter has lived with a host family in Costa Rica, and my son currently resides in London. The hundreds of young women who have been a part of my cluster have grown and matured during their time as an au pair. I enjoy being a part of that process. Over time, I have watched host families and au pairs bond and maintain lifelong friendships, proving that this program not only solves host family childcare issues, but brings a new family member into their lives. I have met so many brave young women from all over the world and numerous host families who are truly dedicated to the cultural aspect of our program. It has been a delight to see their children gain a better understanding of the world. I look forward to helping any family have a successful experience with Au Pair In America!
Last, but not least! My name is Melinda Brooks and I am the Community Counselor for the Boston suburban area that includes Winchester, Lexington, Concord and adjacent towns. The spirit of the Au Pair in America program is one of cultural awareness and it is gratifying for me to work with au pairs and their host families who come to know each other’s cultures so well. I also work in the field of educational psychology with children, adolescents, and their families so there is a synchronicity to these fields.
I grew up in New Jersey, but came to the Boston area for college and fell in love with it. I have lived in New York and New Mexico, but came back to Boston when I had the choice. I have enjoyed travel throughout the country and on four of this world’s great continents to gain a deeper appreciation of the beauty of other places and their cultures. My job as a community counselor is a more localized version of travel. It is a way to enjoy the diversity of the world every day!