AuPairCare: December 2010

Welcome to Au Pair Care!

Welcome to AuPairCare!

AuPairCare understands that each family is unique. That's why our programs are customized to fit your childcare needs, budget, lifestyle, and timing. Our carefully screened au pairs provide the highest quality of in-home care to ensure that your children will be safe, happy, and healthy. AuPairCare offers you a dependable, flexible childcare solution. You'll have childcare that fits you.

Did you know that AuPairCare has an A+ Better Business Bureau rating! If you're looking for an au pair agency, this is an important consideration. Ask other agencies their rating.

Meet Our Au Pairs

AuPairCare has hundreds of carefully screened au pairs from around the world available for placement. When you welcome an au pair to your home, you gain superior childcare at a surprisingly affordable price. Meet some of our amazing au pairs at http://www.aupaircare.com/

February's Event for AuPairCare au pairs in Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Williamsburg

Hosted By Natsuko--Introduction to Japanese Food

Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant

721 West 21st Street, Norfolk, VA 23517 (757) 628-1025 ‎

RSVP by Tuesday, February 8th.

Reservation at 7:00 on Thursday, February 10th. Everyone needs to be on time, so plan accordingly with picking up friends.

Natsuko has promised to find the Japanese food each person will love.

Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Williamsburg, nanny, childcare, babysitter, sitter, live-in, au pair, provider, AuPairCare, nannies, children, child, kids, multiples, twins, triplets

Important information for Traveling Outside the US for Au Pairs in Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg

Below you will find important information for au pairs about traveling outside of the United States. Please review it carefully before making any international travel plans.

Click on each document name for links that show images of each document:
J-1 Visa
DS 2019
I 94 Card

1. Check the J-1 visa inside the au pair's passport to make sure it will not expire prior to the date the au pair plans to return to the U.S. The au pair will not be allowed to re-enter the United States if the au pair's visa has expired. The au pair will have to make an appointment at a U.S. Embassy outside of the United States to have a new J-1 visa issued.

Please contact AuPairCare at 415-434-8788 for more information about this process prior to the au pair's departure.

2. Check the J-1 visa inside the au pair's passport to make sure that it states "M" for multiple entries. This means that the au pair can enter and leave the United States multiple times as long as the au pair's visa has not expired, and the au pair's travel takes place during the dates listed on the au pair's DS-2019 form. If the au pair's J-1 visa is stamped "S" for single entry, the au pair will not be able to travel outside of the United States during the au pair's program.

3. Contact the local foreign embassy of the country where the au pair intends to travel. The embassy will provide the au pair with information about any special visas the au pair may need for travel to that country.
4. Send the au pair's DS-2019 form to AuPairCare in San Francisco to be authorized for travel outside of the United States. If the au pair does not have a signature and date in the “Travel Validation by Responsible Officer” box in the lower right corner of the DS-2019 form, please send the au pair's DS-2019 form along with a letter outlining the au pair's dates of travel to: AuPairCare, Attn: Responsible Officer, 600 California Street, 10th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108. If the au pair needs the form immediately, please include $20 so that AuPairCare can express mail the au pair's signed form to the au pair. The travel validation signature is valid for one year. **Please do not send the au pair's passport to AuPairCare. Only the au pair's DS-2019 form.

5. Travel with all of the au pair's important documents including the au pair's signed DS-2019 form, I-94 card, and passport. Please make a photocopy of each document and keep them safely stored with the au pair in case the au pair happens to lose any of these important documents. This will make it easier to obtain replacements if needed.
6. Do not travel outside of the United States beyond the dates listed on the au pair's DS-2019 form. AuPairCare recommends that the au pair completes all international travel prior to the start of the au pair's "30-day grace period" at the conclusion of the au pair's program. Remember the au pair's J-1 visa also has to be valid in order to re-enter the USA.
Should the au pair or host family have any questions, please contact AuPairCare at 415.434.8788.

What do you do when the kids have a snow day and you don't in Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg?

When you have an au pair, you relax and go to work knowing the au pair will handle everything at home.

This morning hundreds of families in Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg woke up to a snow day in school, but a work day for parents.

Fortunately for the families with an au pair, their children were completely situated. Families with an au pair are able to enjoy the snow and all the fun of snow days. Remember when you had a snow day? All I wanted to do was put on my snow gear and build a snowman.

Children that have an au pair can actually do this on snow days even if the parents need to go to work. Children being cared for by an au pair also don't have to get into a vehicle on icy roads to be delivered to a day care center or worry about a nanny or babysitter making their way to the families' home.

So from me to you, enjoy your life, enjoy the snow, and celebrate the day!!!

Recent News Stories about Child Care Costs in Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg

Across the country there are numerous news articles discussing the rising costs of childcare.

One of the reasons given by many is that the recession has played a role in the upward swing in childcare costs. The explanation being that with flex work hours, reduced schedules and odd hours- costs have risen, as these types of schedules are more expensive to staff for on a regular basis.

Around the country costs can easily top $12,000.00 per year- PER CHILD…
Financial savoy parents are realizing that to pay top dollar and adhere to the confines of a day care center’s hours and restrictions is not getting the most for your money. Couple this with the desire to positively influence the cultural experiences of our future adults and these same parents are looking toward hosting an Au Pair as a very exciting and rewarding solution to both issues. Another important financial benefit of an Au Pair as a childcare provider is the cost does not increase with the number of children.

Hosting an Au Pair provides the children and the family with a cultural experience of sharing traditions and experiences. Hosting an Au Pair also provides the flexibility to adapt to the ever changing needs and schedules of today’s family. Hosting an Au Pair helps the busy family of today keep on task with scheduled activities for the children and healthy eating and habits as desired by the host family. Last, but not least is the financial savings of hosting an Au Pair- the costs are essentially fixed and best of all the fee is PER FAMILY- not per child!!!! Couple this with the fact that the Au Pair is flexible, in the home, can work days or evenings to fit your schedule, provides direct interaction with your children, can assist with tasks in the home as they relate to the children and you have a winning combination.

Help Me Help You in Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg with your au pair & host family

Area Directors are here for YOU! We want to help you navigate the ins and out of your year, help you to form a strong and lasting bond with your au pair. To do this, however, we need to be in the 'know'. We need to be up to date on what in going on in your match. The way we do this is through our monthly contact calls.

Twice a month during the first two months and once a month for each month after, our job is to call you to check in. The calls need not be long, but can give valuable insight into the match. Area Directors usually call with their own questions geared toward where you are in your year, but you may also have questions or concerns that your Area Director can address. Look at these calls as an opportunity for growth in your match.

One way to make the most of these monthly calls is to provide your Area Director with the best phone number and time to reach you. Weekdays at lunch on your work line? Mornings on your cell? Let your Area Director know what is best and she will try to accommodate you. Another way to make these calls productive is to give her good feedback on the match. Just a simple "yes, things are fine" works, but doesn't give your Area Director much information on how the year is going for you. I have had several crisis calls where host families tell me details that they "didn't want to bother" me with before . Had I heard the information earlier, I would have been sure to address it with the family or au pair and possibly the crisis would have been averted. It's never a small issue, always mention it!

Finally, on behalf of Area Directors everywhere - call back! We won't take long, and we have your best interests at heart. Take a few moments to return our call (remember, a voicemail counts!) and let us know how things are going. We do want to know!

composed by Erika Clark

Rock Gym in January

January Au Pair Event

Rock Gym, January 8th, 2:00-Please RSVP to Darcy

Wear comfortable clothes and good shoes for scaling rocks and having fun.

From 264 / 44, take Witchduck Road Exit.
At end of exit ramp turn RIGHT (north) onto Witchduck Road.
Immediately after crossing railroad tracks, turn RIGHT onto Southern Boulevard.
Take first RIGHT off of Southern Boulevard (back over tracks) into the Rock Gym Parking Lot. Address: 5049 Southern Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23462

For our au pairs in Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg

Hi, au pairs,

I wanted to take the time to send all the au pairs a quick note of encouragement! It is one of my goals to provide all the au pairs with encouragement that will help you be the best Au Pairs that you can be! :)

Today I want to encourage you in the area of Respect and Honesty.

Most of you, if not all of you, received a list of "House Rules" from your Host Family when you first arrived in their home. These rules are very important to your HF and that is why they took the time to write them specifically for their au pair. In order to have a successful year and a healthy relationship with your HF you MUST respect these rules. Your Host Family has made the decision to welcome you into their home for an entire year. They are also trusting you with their most precious treasure, their children. Please keep this in mind, and remember how important it is to respect your HF's rules.

Another aspect of respecting your HF is being honest when you make a mistake or break a house rule. We all know that no one is perfect and all au pairs make mistakes. A sign of good character is admitting when we have made that mistake. So please be honest with your host family.

Respect and Honesty are very important and will play a huge role in whether or not you have a happy and successful au pair year with your host family.

Our hope at AuPairCare is that you will become more than just your HF's Au Pair, but that you will become a valued member of their family. In order to accomplish this wonderful goal, please remember to respect the house rules.

It is my hope that all of you will enjoy a wonderful relationship with your Host Family!

Remember that I am here to support each of you. Please feel free to call or email me if you ever have something that you would like to discuss.

Your current au pair is near the end of their year in Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg

Are you 3-4 months from the end of your program year with your current au pair? Here is the procedure for a host family who is nearing the ending their year with their au pair and either wishes to extend with their current au pair or have another au pair come join the family. The host family should go to http://www.aupaircare.com/ and then to the family room:

If the host family does not remember their password they can click on forgot password and an e-mail will be sent to them.

Then the host family needs to reapply on-line for a new program year. Once the host family has reapplied they will be placed into selections within 24 hours and sent a “ Welcome to the Family Room” e-mail.

Host families should start the process for their next program year approximately 3-4 months before their current program year ends. If you are selecting a new au pair, this will give you plenty of time for interviewing and reviewing the au pairs that are available.

Au Pair Holiday Traditions for au pairs in Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg

Here's a little history about Christmas traditions for the au pairs in Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg. History books refer to the United States as "the melting pot" where all nations and traditions blend together. Indeed, our Christmas celebrations would indicate just that. We have carols from England and Australia and trees from Germany. Santa Claus, or St. Nick. in a red suit originated in Scandinavia and his arrival through the chimney to fill stockings is reminiscent of the Netherlands. His sleigh drawn by reindeer began in Switzerland, and our parades may be a carry-over from Latin processions. Of course the traditional feasting is typical of all nations. We, in turn, have fattened up the jolly old man in the red suit and blended all the traditions until he comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve, leaves gifts and stockings filled with treats and departs in a sleigh drawn by eight tiny reindeer. The media has helped to make this a universal Christmas image.

I hope all the au pairs in Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg enjoy sharing in this "melting pot" of traditions this holiday season.

Au Pairs and Holidays in Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg

Do Au Pairs Have to Work on National Holidays?

Yes. Au Pairs do not automatically receive national holidays off. However, au pairs should talk with your host family about which holidays the au pair will have off. If the au pair would prefer to have their own country‘s national holidays off, discuss this with the host family. Keep in mind that the family is not required to give au pairs holidays off, so try not to ask for too many. When the au pair and host family have reached an agreement about holidays with the family, write them down so that there is no confusion in the future.

Au Pairs, although New Year's Eve falls on a Friday this year this does not mean that you will have that day off from work. Many host parents still have to work on this day and most host families will want to go out at night. Please discuss the au pair schedule with the host family prior to making any plans for this day/evening. An open discussion is the best tool to avoid any misunderstandings about the au pairs expected schedule for that day. I suggest having the au pair cluster celebrate New Year's on another night. Perhaps on Saturday night the au pairs could get together and have some fun.

Cultural Exchange with AuPairCare in Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg

When families are asked at their AuPairCare au pair interview what most appeals to them about the au pair program, many say, the cultural aspect of having an au pair, and exposing their family to someone from a different country as well as sharing their American heritage with their au pair. So have fun with this! Have your Au Pair teach their language to your children (even if English is her Native Language, there will still be different words/phrases that are fun to try out, for example in British English, do you know what “I am on the dog” could possibly mean?! It actually means “I am on the phone” in Cockney rhyming slang - an old London slang people used to avoid detection from the police!). Something else that people find especially fun to share and compare with their au pair is National Holidays and traditions - those from your Au Pairs home country and those we have in America. Many Au Pairs get a kick out of celebrating quintessential American Holidays like 4th of July, Halloween and Thanksgiving.

10 Tax Tips for Host Families and Au Pairs in Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg

Posted by Paula Boutwell

Every Au Pair Orientation I get a surprised reaction from host families and au pairs when I mention they both need to file a tax return. Below is some helpful information from Au Pair Care's tax pamphlet. Please ask your Area Director if you need more details. Always check with your tax advisor too as Au Pair Care and your Area Director are not licensed to provide professional tax advice.

1.) Your Taxpayer Identification Numbers are your au pair's social security number and Au Pair Care's Federal Tax ID number (your Area Director can provide you with this number). This means your au pair needs to get the social security card asap.

2.) Host Families are eligible to claim the au pair's stipend, cost of room and board, and program fees under the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (certain rules apply).

3.) Host Families can claim the credit by filing: Form 1040, Form 1040A, or Form 1040-T.

4.) Host Families are NOT required to withhold taxes unless your au pair requests this and the host family agrees.

5.) The au pair is responsible for declaring her own income. You can use the "Stipend Payment Receipt" given to you at your Au Pair Orientation or you can create your own.

6.) Au Pair Care will provide customized invoicing and payment documentation upon request. Check with your Area Director.

7.) An au pair should file using Form 1040NR-EZ (non-resident) or Form 1040 NR. These forms are simple and self-explanatory.

8.) Au Pairs who are in the country less than 4 months most likely will not owe taxes. For au pairs who do owe taxes, it is usually about $200.-$400. Save money from your stipend in advance at a local bank account. This is the au pair's responsibility to pay, not the host family's. An au pair should still file even if they do not owe money.

9.) Au pairs are not eligible for the: Earned Income Tax Credit, the Hope Credit, or the Lifetime Learning Credit. An au pair is not a student but here on a J-1 au pair visa.

10.) Au pairs who need to return home prior to the April 15, tax deadline may submit their tax returns early. Au pairs who do not submit a tax return may have difficulty extending or obtaining future visas.

Please consult the Internal Revenue Service at: www.irs.ustreas.gov or call them at: 1-800-829-1040.