Au Pairs like Thi Lan are Available for Your Family Right Now!

Cultural Care Au Pair offers 3 Ways to Match

Cultural Care Au Pair host families now have the ability to review even more applications and au pair profiles with our new 3 Ways to Match, a program feature that let’s host families select the style of matching that best suits their needs. Host families can now search through multiple candidates on their own timeframe, set an appointment for a consultative matching session or work one-on-one with a placement manager who carefully selects possible matches. Best of all, our 3 Ways to Match allows you to enjoy the benefits of all three matching styles to help you find the right au pair for your family.

To get started
Whether you’re a new family to Cultural Care Au Pair or have already hosted an au pair, our 3 Ways to Match makes it easy for you to begin reviewing au pair candidates right away. Simply fill out your new or repeat application. Once it’s processed, you can log into your account and begin matching. Here’s how it works:

Personalized, exclusive matching
Enjoy the benefits of our trademark one-on-one matching. Your placement manager will select carefully screened applications for you to review based on your family’s unique needs. Each au pair is exclusively reserved for your family’s review, which means no two families are contacting the same reserved au pair candidate at the same time.

Consultative matching
Review our pool of au pair candidates in real time by setting up a consultative matching appointment by phone with your placement manager. This highly effective method allows you to carve out time with your placement manager to review available candidates who are not being reviewed by other families. At the end of the appointment, you have the opportunity to have up to three candidates maximum reserved for your family exclusively.

Search & Select
An enhancement to our current profile review system, this new feature offers families the ability to build a list of au pair profiles available for review. Families can narrow the search field and request, for example, a driver, a second year au pair or someone available now. If you find a candidate of interest to you, you may add the au pair to your list and notify your placement manager of your interest by clicking the Notify Placement Manager button. Your placement manager will review your suggested matches and place up to three of those matches into your host family account for further review of their full application.

Sample & Save - try our 3 “Ways to Match” risk free
Now for a limited time only, host families who apply to Cultural Care Au Pair will have the opportunity to try our 3 Ways to Match FREE. New families who submit an application from January 14th to January 19th, 2010 and take an au pair into their home by October 22, 2010 will have the $75 application fee waived, in addition to our $275 au pair selection fee waived. In addition, families applying will also receive a $500 discount off the program fee - a total savings of $850!

There’s never been a better time to begin your search for an au pair. For more information about our 3 Ways to Match or our limited-time-only $850 discount, contact me - Emily Davis - for more information!

Au Pairs Celebrate the Holidays at the Hirtensteiner Home!

Our host families spoke, and we listened. The economy had an impact on everyone last year. Many families faced new financial challenges, but in the end, they still needed flexible, affordable childcare. As a result, Cultural Care Au Pair has created several new payment options that help lower the initial cost for welcoming an au pair into their home in the New Year. Along with this exciting new change, we are also keeping our prices the same for the second year in a row!

Now new families applying to Cultural Care Au Pair will have even more payment options available. Not only have we reduced our application fee, we have created several new payment plans for new and repeat families. As a result, they can continue to enjoy all the benefits they have enjoyed from Cultural Care Au Pair in the past - and even more!

Lower application fee, lowered payment plan options
How does it work? Now new families applying to the program will pay a $75 non-refundable application fee -a savings over our previous $350 application fee. Upon finding the right au pair, a $275 selection fee will be due so the au pair can finalize arrangements to come to the U.S. Offering this new payment structure not only helps secure the au pair for the family, it allows the visa process to begin moving forward.

In addition, families now have even more flexibility when it comes to making payments. On our regular payment plan, families now have the ability to pay the program fee 30 days prior to the au pair’s arrival, instead of upon selection of an au pair. This is great for families who select an au pair early, as it provides them with additional time to pay their program fee.

In addition, our Extended Payment Plan option now lowers the initial deposit to $2,395, plus a $200 payment plan enrollment fee. Families have the option of making a payment in three easy installments or they can log into their host family account at their convenience and pay weekly, bi-weekly or monthly - whatever works best for the family, as long as it’s within the Extended Payment Plan timeframe. Repeat and extension families enjoy all these flexible payment benefits as well, with the additional benefit of a waived application fee!

Along with keeping prices the same in 2010, and creating several new, lower payment plan options, we are also decreasing the cost for enrolling in our Extended Payment Plan, making it even easier to afford an au pair in the New Year. For more information about how to utilize these new options, contact me, your local childcare coordinator, and I will be happy to provide you with additional details about Cultural Care Au Pair’s exciting new payment options for 2010!

The whole community is invited to join us at Jamba Juice (Westlake Village) any time Friday September 18.  Drink a juice or buy a snack and 20% of your purchase will be donated to Kids First, Cultural Care (provided you use the attached flyer!).

If you have trouble copying the flyer on this page, look for our au pairs in their blue Cultural Care t-shirts (the shirts with a ‘heart’) and they’ll be happy to hand you a brochure to submit with your purchase.  All the Jamba Juice donations will be matched 100% by Cultural Care.

Kids First is the philanthopic arm of the Cultural Care organization.  Au pairs, host families and the Cultural Care organization are all committed to helping children in need throughout the world.  For more information, please follow this link: http://infosource.lcc.culturalcare.com/program-information/kids-first.aspx

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday, September 18 at the Jamba Juice in Westlake Village on Agoura Road (next to Vons).

I really think this article and this news report explain our new Peace of Mind Guarantee quite well.  Take a look at this:

http://buzz.culturalcare.com/post/118603031/cultural-care-au-pair-on-abc-news

One important correction, however - Cultural Care has always had a very fair refund policy that is continuing.  It’s just that the new Peace of Mind Guarantee lets you keep your au pair and get a refund if you choose!  Wow!

Host Families - I know you have different questions at different times.  Now we have an additional resource for you!

Au Pair Answer Mom is now on YouTube! In addition to our office staff and me, your Local Childcare Coordinator (LCC), there is someone else who can help answer questions about hosting an au pair and that’s Au Pair Answer Mom.

The Au Pair Answer Mom shares her own thoughts on some of the most common questions about hosting a Cultural Care au pair through short video clips. Be sure to check out Cultural Care Au Pair’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/culturalcare for answers to the most common questions.

Have a question you’d like answered? Email aupairanswermom@culturalcare.com with your question!

Our Peace of Mind Guarantee protects our host families in three ways:

1. Price guarantee - we know that families are most concerned about the quality of our program but in these uncertain times, affordability is also an important factor. We have committed to keeping our prices stable for the entirety of 2009. While other au pair agencies are increasing prices, you know that with Cultural Care you have a price guarantee. Cultural Care Au Pair continues to deliver the highest quality program at the most affordable price.
2. Program continuation guarantee - we understand that if a parent suffers an involuntary job loss, the main priority of that parent will be to secure a new job. Throughout this process, the family will need reliable childcare. In addition, it is always Cultural Care Au Pair’s goal to maintain the stability of the au pair/host family relationship. For these reasons, we will offer those families who suffer an involuntary job loss the opportunity to receive the standard contractual refund and to keep their au pair until the end of her program term.
3. Financial safeguard guarantee - in the event that a family is forced to make the decision to withdraw from the program as a result of an involuntary job loss, Cultural Care will refund the unused portion of their program fees. Cultural Care will then make every reasonable effort to replace the au pair with a new family so she may complete her program term.

Peace of Mind is essential these days and while other agencies may offer one or two of the above options, only Cultural Care protects you in all three of these important ways.

Au Pair meetings are an important part of the au pair year. Not only do we cover valuable information, particularly with our Continuing Education Program, but the meetings afford all the au pairs a chance to meet each other and make new friends. Plus we have some very fun adventures from time to time! Check out our photos.

Last year’s au pair meetings included a fun time at the UCLA football game and tailgate party and a Rollicking Halloween Party with our Host Families and kids.

SOCIAL SECURITY CARDS

As holders of the J-1 Visa, au pairs may receive a Social Security Card. Although the rules vary, Social Security cards are helpful and sometimes necessary in order to apply for Driver’s Licenses, Bank Accounts, and Classes at the Community College.

When au pairs enter the U.S. they are logged into the U.S. Department of State computer. This information should be available TWO WEEKS after an au pair’s entry into the country - so that’s a great time to go to the Social Security office and get your number. Make sure you bring all your paperwork to the office - Passport, DS2019, and Letter of Good Standing. The Letter of Good Standing can be found in the host family’s Extranet account. Following is a list of addresses for the various local Social Security Offices:Office Address:

SOCIAL SECURITY
SUITE 200
80 EAST HILLCREST DR
THOUSAND OAKS, CA 91360

Office Address:

SOCIAL SECURITY
9168 DE SOTO AVENUE
CHATSWORTH, CA 91311

Office Address:

SOCIAL SECURITY
SUITE 300
11500 W OLYMPIC BLVD
LOS ANGELES, CA 90064

LOCATED IN THE CITY NATIONAL BANK BLDG ON OLYMPIC AND COLBY AVE WEST OF THE 405 FREEWAY BETWEEN SAWTELLE AND BARRINGTON ON THIRD FLOOR

For More Information regarding Social Security:

http://www.ssa.gov/online/ss-5.html

Phone Numbers: