Sharing With Your Area Director
Many host families and au pairs view their area director as simply the agency representative who calls monthly. Yet Area Directors can and should be so much more. Confidante, resource, friend - these are all words I hope my cluster uses to describe me.
There are, of course, things you may not want to share. This is understandable! Yet there is so much that your Area Director should and wants to know! Planning a move, an illness in the family, change in a host parent's job - all of these are things your Area Director may be able to help you with and in some cases, she needs to know. She may have dealt with a similar situation in the past and have tips and tricks to help in your situation. She may also know just the right thing to say or do. It may also be an issue that requires her attention. One excellent example is when a new baby will join the household. Host parents understandably keep the news private at first, but keeping a secret for too long can be problematic. Since the Department of State requires a Under 2 au pair to be in any home with childcare under 2 (even if she is not caring for them!), host families have been in a situation where an au pair must be removed. While this situation may not have been avoidable, notifying your Area Director in a timely fashion might impact your selection process, or at least allow for a longer transition time with your new au pair.
The same goes for au pairs - let your Area Director know! Sick parents, break up with a boyfriend....again, things your Area Director wants to know about! All of these directly affect host families and au pairs and can have an impact on the success of your match. An au pair who has just ended a relationship may be depressed or sad. Sharing what is happening with both your host family and Area Director keeps those communication lines open, and alerts them to any issues you may be having.
Posted by Erika Clark
There are, of course, things you may not want to share. This is understandable! Yet there is so much that your Area Director should and wants to know! Planning a move, an illness in the family, change in a host parent's job - all of these are things your Area Director may be able to help you with and in some cases, she needs to know. She may have dealt with a similar situation in the past and have tips and tricks to help in your situation. She may also know just the right thing to say or do. It may also be an issue that requires her attention. One excellent example is when a new baby will join the household. Host parents understandably keep the news private at first, but keeping a secret for too long can be problematic. Since the Department of State requires a Under 2 au pair to be in any home with childcare under 2 (even if she is not caring for them!), host families have been in a situation where an au pair must be removed. While this situation may not have been avoidable, notifying your Area Director in a timely fashion might impact your selection process, or at least allow for a longer transition time with your new au pair.
The same goes for au pairs - let your Area Director know! Sick parents, break up with a boyfriend....again, things your Area Director wants to know about! All of these directly affect host families and au pairs and can have an impact on the success of your match. An au pair who has just ended a relationship may be depressed or sad. Sharing what is happening with both your host family and Area Director keeps those communication lines open, and alerts them to any issues you may be having.
Posted by Erika Clark
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
