Testimonials

Location: Maryland , MD
Au Pair: Lilian Grisel Vazquez Torres, Mexico

From the very first email to our first phone interview, we knew Lili was someone special. When Lili joined our family, we had three children with a fourth on the way. Upon her arrival we joked that she brought half of Mexico with her in gifts.

She immediately took to the kids and they adore her. She has now been here almost a year and every morning -- even on her days off -- she rushes off to find each kid and give them individual attention and a hug and a kiss. She made s smooth transition to family life with us without so much as a sneeze. We have to pull our kids away from her when she's off-duty. Still, she is always attentive and makes sure to say good-bye when she leaves the house and gives more hugs and kisses when she returns.

The morning of our eldest son's birthday, Lili greeted him with a hand-crafted card made from construction paper. It was patterned after "Blue's Clues," and she called it "Lili's Clues." Inside, the card sent him on an elaborate scavenger hunt ending in a lovingly and intricately hand-decorated splash of technicolor signs, banners, and balloons saying "Happy Birthday!" and "Surprise!" along with a pile of gifts (that probably cost half her paycheck)! When our other son had his birthday, she poured just as much love into it when she took the time to hand-make him a piñata. Lili knows how much we love authentic Mexican food, so she did some research and shopping, and spent her day off preparing us a delicious and time-consuming meal of carne asada just like she eats back home, complete with side dishes, and agua hochata, a traditional rice drink! What a treat!

Lili's tireless enthusiasm is infectious, and she's captured not only our hearts, but the hearts of everyone she meets. Every day brings new ways to love Lili, and although it will be a very sad day when she must return home, we know we will look back with fondness on the time she spent with us. We will have a friend forever in Mexico as she will have a forever grateful family in Maryland.

Location: Georgia
Au Pair: Fabiola Cantero, Paraguay

I used to think that au pairs were a luxury we couldn’t afford and, I thought, we want to raise our own children. How uncomfortable it would be to have a stranger live in our house! But with young triplets, we were ready to give it a try. Fabiola has exceeded our wildest expectations. She cares deeply for the children and they absolutely love her. Not many people can single-handedly manage triplets this age for even a few hours, let alone all day (day after day ... after day). It requires a tremendous amount of energy, patience, and genuine caring. Frank, Charlie, and Katie are adorable and will steal your heart, but being healthy active toddlers, they can also steal your sanity in the process.

Fabiola handles her job with true patience and love, and is able to work with our busy schedule and overcome her homesickness with grace. She can handle the triplets by herself all day so that I get a real break, or she takes two of them so I can have some precious one-on-one time that wasn't possible before. We work together to do activities with the children that I could not do by myself with all three. Fabi and I have great communication even though she's still learning to be fluent in English (she speaks Spanish and Portuguese). She brings a unique perspective from her cultural background that is invaluable. She's become a very dear friend, truly a member of our family, and I trust her 100%. She's an inspiring role model for the children (and me!)

How different my outlook is from a few short months ago! It's so striking. I'm less stressed, I'm feeling healthier, I've been able to take on part-time contract work, I spend quality time with my husband, and I'm a better mom because of it all. To top it off, I just went back to school to pursue my dream of becoming a doctor.

Location: San Ramon, CA
Host Family: The Bowens

My name is Katharina. I am a 19-year old German girl, living the American dream and experiencing the American way of life as an Au Pair Care au pair.

At the airport, I first saw my host dad and we hugged each other. He told me the kids would be around the corner eating and when we saw each other, gosh, it was awesome. The kids started running in my direction. I just dropped the stuff I was carrying and fell on my knees. When the kids reached me, all three of them gave me a big hug. They have been so excited to get to know me that they were holding my hands at the airport and talked to me on the way home the whole time. At home, I was stunned, the house was amazing. The next day, we went to San Francisco for a little sightseeing tour. We went to the Golden Gate Bridge. It was awesome! A dream come true!

Now I am here already four months and I have experienced so much and got to know many people, not just au pairs. I have been white water rafting and to see the Mamma Mia Musical with the other au pairs and our Area Director. I have been to High School Musical and to San Francisco with my friends for shopping and one day to have a sightseeing tour in a rented limousine. The best trip I made with my family was to Disneyland the weekend before school started again. That was great!

I am studying Cultural Anthropology here because I really love to learn about different cultures. I have made two best friends here. One is from Germany like me and one is from Czech Republic. We do a lot together. I have more friends who live further away, like from Brazil, Chile and Sweden, but we stay in contact via internet.

The relationship with my new family is really good. The kids love me a lot and I love them. They tell me I am the best au pair, the best cook, and they want me to never go back to Germany again. My host parents are also so nice. They treat me like a daughter and I really feel like a family member. Sure, we have our ups and downs and we have had conversations about misunderstandings and cultural differences, but that is normal because we are a family and we all care about each other. I have been homesick too, but the family is great and helped me through these tough times. I love being an Au Pair Care au pair.

Location: Minnesota, MN
Host Family: The Marcaccinis

I came to Minnesota to the Marcaccini house in May 2007. I didn't know anything about Minnesota, winter or lakeside living until I met them. I remember well my first weekend here and the impression it had on me. I was out in the pontoon boat with the Marcaccini family, they anchored the boat and since we were all wearing swimsuits, one by one, they began to jump into the water and swim. Each time someone jumped in, they would comment on how warm the water was. Finally, it was my turn to jump in. Since they had all said how warm it was I was expecting warm water, but when I jumped in the water was really cold!!! Regardless of the water temperature, I thought it was a warm welcome reception with my host family, Minnesota-style. I have learned that the same spirit which allows them to endure the freezing waters in the summer, allows them to survive the long, cold freezing winters. It is a spirit that this girl from Tokyo learned with great pleasure. I will always remember my host family here as the "Little Lodge on the Lake" named after the "Little House on the Prairie" show that was also popular in Tokyo.

The children I look after, Grifyn and Gwyna, are my best little friends. I'm so glad that I can share all my favorite things with them like doing art projects, baking cookies and exploring outside. I am grateful to be able to relive my childhood with them within the nature of Minnesota. I will always cherish the memories of riding bikes with them and feeling the wind on my face, exploring nature trails in the woods, swimming from the pontoon boat, growing a vegetable garden, nighttime marshmallow roasts, picking raspberries from the bushes in the yard, and the long summer days lasting until 9:00 pm in Minnesota.

AuPairCare Area Director
Northern Illinois Region

I am a new Au Pair Care Area Director in the Northern Illinois region. I feel I consistently do my best to deliver a world-class experience to both my au pairs and host families. I have a great respect and admiration for both host families and au pairs who commit to this process. I feel that they have entrusted themselves to us and we owe them great service as a result! I feel we should try to put ourselves into the shoes of our host families and au pairs and we should try to feel and understand what they are going through. What experiences do they want? What fears do they have? What can we do to try and anticipate their needs? I always try to establish a sincere bond with my au pairs and host families so that they truly believe and understand that I am there for them with any issues that may arise.

Here are a few examples of ways I have tried to consistently deliver world-class service to the Au Pair Care au pairs and host families in my region:

• Help au pairs to locate doctors or dentists close to them and within AVI's network
• Try to be available in the evenings understanding that many host families have dual-working parents who may not have time during the day
• Help my au pairs to reach out to other au pairs in different Chicago area clusters to increase their network of friends
• Include a "Things to Do" section in my monthly newsletter so host families can see the fun events they can do with their au pair together during free time
• Established a "Buddy System" to reach out to new au pairs. Assign an existing au pair to call her, make her feel welcome, and introduce her to some new friends.

I truly love my job and feel very fortunate to have found it. I think Au Pair Care Area Directors have a unique and special role in this process. I believe the ongoing support we provide leaves a lasting impression that creates repeat families, extending au pairs, family referrals and a great, world-class experience for all!

AuPairCare Area Director
Detroit Metropolitan Area, MI

What do I say when someone asks why they should choose Au Pair Care?

I say because you get me! I believe that terrific customer service and helping create a wonderful year for families and au pairs are what truly set us apart. It's also what makes this job so rewarding.

Over the years I feel I have gone above and beyond in so many ways. I created au pair and host family Welcome Packages which include Social Security Applications, a State driving book, welcome postcards and many helpful suggestions for a successful year. Families who switch from other agencies tell me "My last director never did this."

In 2006 I was asked to share what I've learned by managing and training a group of nine Community Coordinators. I take their calls late at night, weekends and on vacation. By teaching them to provide great customer service themselves, many of them have successfully grown their regions and are now Au Pair Care Area Directors as well.

I feel the more knowledgeable you are, the better you can provide the "world-class service" that our families and au pairs deserve. I have seen my area grow from just me to four Au Pair Care Area Directors with over 75 families.