Tag Archives: after care

Halloween Safety Tips

halloween pic

Ghouls and goblins will take over the night. But even scary creatures need to be safe and celebrate Halloween right. Halloween’s greatest hazards aren’t vampires and villains, but falls, costume mishaps and automobile collisions. The Red Cross wantsyour family to have a safe Halloween so we’re providing these tips,

the Lucky 13:

  1. Map out the route that you plan to roam, so adults are assured you will find your way home!
  2. From the bravest of superheroes to the noblest of knights, everyone should remember to bring their flashlights!
  3. If you visit a house where a stranger resides, accept treats at the door and, please, don’t go inside.
  4. When you get ready to put on your disguise, use face paint instead of masks, which will cover your eyes.
  5. Always remember, before you embark, to wear light-colored clothing  to be seen in the dark! (And remember to use reflective tape, even on bikes, and brooms and the edges of your cape!)
  6. Whether you walk, slither or sneak, do it on the sidewalks and not in the street.
  7. As you roam through the neighborhood collecting your treats, please look both ways before crossing the street! (And speaking of streets, the corners are the place for trick or treaters to cross no matter their pace.)
  8. Wigs, capes and costumes are flammable attire, so avoid open flames to prevent a fire!
  9. Use a glow stick instead of a candle so your jack-o-lantern isn’t a  safety gamble!
  10. You may fly on a broom or a space ship from Mars, but please be on the lookout for drivers in cars! (Between parked cars is no  to hide, be sure that you’re seen whether you’re a clown or a bride.)
  11. Monsters and zombies should stay off the lawn, and only visit homes with their porch lights turned on!
  12. You may be dressed as a werewolf, a cat or a frog, but be cautious around strange animals, especially dogs.
  13. For additional information on how you and your family can be prepared for emergencies on Halloween or on any day of the year, please visit www.RedCross.org

First Steps to Becoming a Host Family

New to Au Pair in America?

Applying is fast and easy with Au Pair in America! First, create a free account at http://www.aupairinamerica.com/applying/  This will give you risk-free access search our pool of au pairs available now and start your application online. The first phase of the online application will only take approximately 15 minutes to complete. You can return at any time by logging into your personal account.

Already have an Au Pair in America account?

If you are currently hosting with Au Pair in America, or have hosted in the past, and wish to reapply, please login to your account at http://www.aupairinamerica.com/applying/

Choosing your au pair

Once your have registered, you will be matched with a personal Placement Coordinator who will help you select the best au pair for your family. You will also be able to browse au pair applications online!

Interview in your home with your Community Counselor

Once your have registered   Your Community Counselor will contact you to schedule an interview in your home.  The Counselor will ask and answer questions, discuss the program and how APIA can help you with your childcare needs, meet everyone in your immediate family, and see the room intended for the au pair.  It is the beginning of an important relationship that will continue throughout your time with APIA.

EduCare – Childcare for School Age Children

 

Weekly News June 9th 2011

       EduCare Works for Many Families!

The summer months bring many au pairs and the year’s highest concentration of EduCare arrivals.  While we all know that EduCare companions have a different work schedule and education benefits than  au pairs, what may not be so widely known is that they also participate in a unique orientation program while in Stamford.  Both the content and the delivery are tailored to the characteristics of the au pairs and their host families, specifically to working with older host children.  It is important that the EduCare au pairs attend these orientations. In general the EduCare orientation groups tend to be smaller than the standard groups and the participants almost always have a uniformly high level of English proficiency, both receptive and spoken.  These two factors contribute to more universal participation and to more nuanced and in depth group conversations.  There is often “give and take” between the participants around cultural and child care topics, rather than simply responding to the group leader.  In these groups, it is not unusual for the EduCares to question each other or to challenge the opinions of other group members.  The discourse is at a higher and more inclusive level and there are more opportunities for critical thinking and analysis. globe-book

stack-of-books-web

EduCare Host Family Profile

 Has school aged children and requires childcare before and after school hours

 Need no more than 30 hours of child care a week

 EduCares can be placed with families that have children in pre-school full time if alternative arrangements can be made for their supervision

2011 EduCare arrival dates:

Tuesday July 5th

Monday July 25th

Monday August 1st

Monday August 15th

Monday December 5th

 

 10tips_homework

Winter Fun For Au Pairs and Host Children

winter is fun

ABC’s of Winter Fun

A is for Art – try drawing, painting or gluing
B is for Baking – bake a dessert together for dinner
C is for Clay – Use non-hardening clay or play dough to shape and mold
D is for Dance – put on a lively tape
E is for Exercise – be sure to get some everyday
F is for Friends – invite some over
G is for Greenhouse – find a local greenhouse to visit to enjoy the sights and smells
H is for House – make a playhouse from a large appliance box
I is for Ice skating – take the children to a local rink
J is for Jigsaw puzzle – be sure to pick one that isn’t too difficult
K is for Kitchen science – try a safe experiment

tea partyL is for Library – borrow some new books
M is for Movie – make one with a video camera, or watch one
N is for Necklace – make one out of cereal or macaroni
O is for Origami – learn to make simple paper creations
P is for Puppets – socks make easy and fun puppets – put on a show!
Q is for Quiet Time – everyone needs some of this
R is for Reading aloud – choose a good book and a comfortable place to sit
S is for Seeds and Suet – put out food for the birds and watch them eat
T is for Tent – make one from old blankets and chairs
U is for Unplugged – do a day with no TV
V is for Variety – try something new everyday
W is for Walk – take one in any weather (be sure to dress appropriately)
winter playingX is for Xylophone – make your own with glasses, water and a metal spoon
Y is for Year – make a calendar or scrapbook to remember the year
Z is for Zoo – play zoo, pretend to be animals in the zoo, what noises do they make?


indoor playtime

Long Island Au Pairs at Bryant Park Ice Skating

AP ice skating 011

CitiPond in Bryant Park offers free skating, just rent skates and enjoy.  The rink is set up for the winter months and is the Long Island clusters of Au Pair in America met on a Sunday in January to skate and get together.  The Community Counselors arrange cultural activities for the au pairs each month with quarterly childcare safety meetings.  Lucky to be near enough to visit New York City several times a year, the Community Counselors try to plan an activity at least a few times a year in the city.

AP ice skating 013AP ice skating 012AP ice skating 010AP ice skating 008

Au Pair in America Celebrates 25 Years

scan0001

Au Pair in America was established in 1986 as the first federally approved au pair program in the United States.  We have established high standards of excellence, partnering with the U.S. government, international partners, our U.S. field network, AIFS staff and orientation team to provide a quality cross-cultural experience for over 87,000 au pairs from around the world and thousands of American families.  Join us in celebration…………….  From Ruth Frizell Ferry, Sr Vice President and Director, Au Pair in America aupairinamerica.com 

Holidays Around the World

On Monday, December 20th au pairs from China, Brazil, Thailand, Guatemala and Brazil visited the HELP Suffolk Homeless Shelter’s daycare center.   They did a Global Awareness lesson called “Holidays Around the World” for the children.  The class of 3 – 5 year olds loved the passports and stickers.  There were stickers for each country with a greeting of Happy New Year or Merry Christmas in the language of the au pair.  The kids learned how to say the greetings.  Marie from Germany told the kids about the Christmas tree and how the tradition began in Germany.  Then the children decorated foam trees with colorful decorations.  We ended with a story about Santa Claus and a lively round of” O Tannebaum” (O Christmas Tree)!

HELP decorating 022HELP decorating 021HELP decorating 019HELP decorating 030

Au Pairs Holiday Party

Suffolk Au Pairs celebrated the holiday season with an International Feast.  The au pairs all prepared something from their country for the feast.  A storm was raging outside with high winds and pounding rain, but in Cindy’s home the atmosphere was cheery and warm.  The feast was yummy and everyone enjoyed the bountiful desserts!

After dessert, the au pairs exhanged grab bag gifts they each brought.  Cindy handed out gifts and then it was time for pictures.  Everyone took turns modeling the Santa hats and posing by the Christmas trees.  We shared our plans for the season, some of the au pairs are traveling with their host families over the holidays, some are going off on vacations of their own, and some are taking day trip into to the city to see the holiday decorations, visiting Santa with their host families.  Everyone is enjoying the season!  Happy Holidays one and all!ap 2010 holiday 012