You make flight arrangements for your AP from any one of the 3 big NY airports. Any flight that leaves at 6 p.m. or later on the day she is coming to you (usually Thursday). Send flight info to the orientation staff.  You may also email the info to your AP, but orientation gets what she needs to her.  Then they take them to the proper airport.

• Did the office send you a fresh copy of “Guidelines…for a successful year”?  Please be sure you have one and review it before you AP comes. When your AP questions you, the answer will be in print to show her. Let me know if you don’t have one.
• In making her room “hers”, some families have copied a photo from the au pair’s application and framed it and put it in her bedroom with some flowers or a small plant.
• Mark her birthday on your calendar.  This is a big day for homesickness; make it good.
• Ask her to mark her country’s special occasions (like our Thanksgiving and Fourth of July) on the calendar- then let her cook and teach you about it on that day. It will be emotionally helpful to her, and a great cultural learning experience for your family.
• I suggest you send a welcome package to her at orientation. (Include a picture of your family so she will recognize you at the airport). If you need ideas, give me a call or shoot me an email.  Some people like calling Laura Blersch at Orientation and buying her the NYC Tour ($65) the au pairs can take on Wednesday night of their orientation.  Her direct line is 203-399-5042.  The address at their orientation is: Her Name, c/o APIA, c/o Sheraton Hotel, 700 E. Main St., Stamford, CT 06901. Put her NY arrival date on the bottom left corner of the envelope.
• BE SURE SHE KNOWS YOUR CELL PHONE NUMBER and that she knows that to use a pay phone, you must dial a “1” before the area code and number.  Sometimes flights are delayed or they have gotten lost at the airport (one rematch missed her flight) and they need to know how to contact you if you aren’t at home.
• Don’t talk about work the first night- just about her and her family and you and your family and how was your flight and how was orientation and all that…
• Let her sleep late the first day.
• Remember she cannot be alone with your children for the first 3 days.
• Inside your orientation folder, there is a Child Care Questionnaire.  Please go through this with your new au pair during the three day training period.  It will help her a lot and remind you of things she need to know.
• Remember she doesn’t know America. She might not know how to use the shower or toilet or stove or the alarm clock or anything… make no assumptions.  In France, they keep the milk on the shelf. If your current au pair is still there, let her show her these things.  Dish detergent doesn’t go in the dishwasher.  Teach her to turn the water off if the toilet is leaking or overflowing. (and tell her how important it is to tell you if it is)
• Remember she might be very homesick at first… or she might not be homesick for 3 months.
• Take her for a drive the first weekend and show her around town.  Later, let her drive you somewhere and see how she does.  If she is drives well enough, let her start driving with you in the car or by herself (but not with kids yet) to the store or school or other places.  She needs to know her way around somewhat before she drives with your kids. (FYI- APs love GPSes for obvious reasons)
• Make some rules.  Car rules. Your gas plan. House rules. Company rules. Family rules. Tell her these rules will be in effect for the first two months, and then the two or three of you will sit down and talk about them and adjust as needed (like 2 or 3 months) RULES ARE EASIER TO TAKE AWAY THAN TO ADD.
• Remember you are responsible for allowing time and gas money to cluster meetings and school.
• She has to have been in the US for two weeks before she can apply for a social security card (so that APIA will have let the Department of State know she’s here).  Whether or not your AP gets a license is up to you and/or your insurance company.
• Speaking of SS, the US is now keeping a closer watch on having au pairs pay income tax (not SS). This is their responsibility, not yours
• If you just really loved and are losing ‘the perfect au pair’, remember, this new au pair won’t be perfect- she’s new- it’s all strange- she has to learn it all.  The ‘old’ girl wasn’t perfect at first either. Give it a couple of months. (It’s hard to follow up a really great au pair).