Host Family Testimonials
Host Family: The Deegans
Location: North Carolina
Au Pair: Daniela Hornbogen, Germany
Daniela Hornbogen is the Ultimate Au Pair! My wife and I spent seven months agonizing over a solution to our child care dilemma, and what we got was so much more than child care - we gained a family member! Janna and I were in a good situation; we had family helping out with our daycare, we had 2 full-time jobs which we both liked, and we all were one big happy family. Then the day came when the person assisting us with childcare needed to go back to work. We had dreaded this day, but immediately starting researching our options. After many discussions we decided that an au pair was the way to go. Based on the many recommendations we received from friends, we selected AuPairCare as our organization. After two months we interviewed Daniela and the rest is history in the making!
Daniela joined our family in August of 2006 and had a very unfortunate start to her journey as her grandfather passed away while she was at her au pair orientation. We met her at the airport with balloons and open arms. It was a bitter sweet moment for all and we all still vividly remember that day. Daniela was interviewed for a local paper and when asked about that time she fondly remembers that the "kids gave her hugs". Since that fateful day Daniela has proven to be far more than an au pair. She has become a friend, a confidant for the children and a sister/daughter/grand-daughter to our family. She goes above and beyond, not only in her daily routine, but with the organization, AuPairCare. She acts as an ambassador to the program and volunteered to call all of the new au pairs every month when they arrive. She has spent countless hours helping others get through home sickness, physical illnesses and has acted as life coach for many of them to get them through tough times. She completes all of her schoolwork with a smile on her face and has also volunteered to do talks about what it is like to be from another country at some of the elementary schools in the area. She and our children were featured in an article about au pairs in a Chatham County, NC newspaper.
Holiday times are always fun, and having Daniela around during them has made the seasons even more fun and interesting. Not only does she participate as a family member by being an integral part of Christmas morning, but she has introduced us to all kinds of fun and interesting German traditions. It was fun to wake up on the 1st of December to find our work shoes filled with Candy from St. Nicholas!! She has also spent countless hours building origami boxes which she then set out for both of our children as well as Janna and myself (that's 72 hand made boxes!!). These boxes acted as our advent calendars, so each day there was a different surprise in the box. At Halloween, she dressed up and went trick-or-treating with the children and had a great time. At Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners she fits in as any other family member. She helps out with dishes, cooking and any other chore that may need another helping hand.
All in all, it is virtually impossible to address all Daniela has done for us and AuPairCare while she has been here. All we can say is that it is a rare day indeed when one finds such a gem as Daniela Hornbogen. Our friends sometimes ask us whether there are any issues that arise when having an au pair who lives in our house. Our answer is this: "The only problem we have is that Daniela will be leaving us in May 2008..."
She has been a mentor, sibling and friend to our children. She has been an absolute inspiration to us, and a savior to some of her peers. There is no doubt in our minds that Daniela should be recognized for all of her hard work, friendly nature and overall positive outlook on life. There is no one more deserving of this award than Daniela Hornbogen.
