Au Pair in America held an International Taste Fest on Sunday Oct. 5, at Heritage Park in Farmington Hills. Over 30 au pairs from a variety of countries attended the event – most of them came with their host parents and children, making the crowd close to 100 people.

The au pairs each prepared a dish representative of their country. With delicious food from Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Hungary, Mexico, Namibia, Poland, S. Korea, South Africa, and Thailand, everyone could have a taste of traditional dishes from many different cultures.

For some au pairs, converting the recipes and measurements was a challenge but all of the food turned out flavorful and yummy. The au pairs from Germany and some other countries enjoyed having a big meal in the afternoon, much like they would at home. “So much food from so many countries” says Jieun (Jenny) Joo from S, Korea. “I believe our International Taste Fest was my favorite group au pair experience since I came to the US in June”.

Having an outdoor Fall picnic was lots of fun for the children, many of whom were adventurous enough to try the various dishes while they darted back and forth between the playground and the picnic area. To further the Global Awareness theme, when the children needed a break from the playground, they enjoyed coloring on Au Pair in America’s Global Awareness placements depicting a world globe surrounded by children. (Global Awareness is a unique educational program sponsored by Au Pair in America designed to promote multi-cultural understanding and appreciation in the schools.)

Since Au Pair in America is a child care/cultural exchange program, the au pairs also provided some interesting customs and facts about their country. These were compiled into a master list so they could be shared with their host families and with each other, too. Colorful miniature flags were displayed at the event as well as adding each country’s sticker flag to the take-home information.

Special guest, Ruth Ferry, Senior Vice President and Director of Au Pair in America, truly enjoyed meeting au pairs and host families from Michigan. Ruth says, “At Au Pair in America, we work hard at trying to help foster a partnership between host family and au pair that will support safe, loving care for your children and a secure environment for your au pair to experience life in America.”

Carol Benton and Linn Kereji, who organized and planned this special event for their two local cluster groups, have both been counselors with Au Pair in America for over 20 years. They are proud to be part of Au Pair in America’s team of over 180 counselors nationwide and to work for the most experienced live-in cultural child care program in the United States.

For those who may not know about our Au Pair in America program, au pairs are extraordinary young individuals between the ages of 18-26 who come to the US on a J-1 visa to acquire a better understanding and appreciation of American life while living with an American family and caring for their young children. Recruited from six continents, and over 60 countries, they represent diverse social, economic, educational and cultural backgrounds. They become full-fledged family members (“au pair” means “on par” or equal), sharing a cultural exchange experience that often leads to a life-long relationship with the host family. Au pairs provide in-home child care for up to 45 hours a week and while they come for one year, they are allowed to extend up to two years.

If you would like more information about hosting an au pair with Au Pair in America, please contact Au Pair in America.com or Carol Benton cbaupair@aol.com.

Au pairs at our next cluster meeting toasting to the great success of our International Taste Fest.