General Questions by Au Pairs in the USA

Advice, quality of agencies, educational programme

What do local and regional counselors do?

Local and regional counselors maintain ongoing contact with, and support, au pairs and host families. They are required to report to the sponsoring organization any unusual or serious situations or incidents involving au pairs or host families. Any incidents involving or alleging a crime of moral turpitude or violence are immediately to be relayed by the sponsoring organization to DOS. Moral turpitude is defined to include, but is not limited to, acts of theft, sexual misconduct, and child abuse.

Are there any checks on the sponsoring organizations?

Yes. Sponsoring organizations must annually submit to DOS copies of their advertisement and recruitment materials. They must submit summaries of the annual survey they conduct of host families and au pairs, all complaints received and their resolutions, and all situations that result in the placement of an au pair with more than one host family.
Sponsoring organizations are audited annually to ensure compliance with the procedures and reporting requirements set forth in DOS´s regulations.

What is the educational component of the Au Pair Program?

Au pairs are required to enroll in an accredited post-secondary institution for not less than six semester hours of academic credit or its equivalent. Its equivalent would include the recognized trimester or quarter hours. The EduCare participant is required to enroll in an accredited post-secondary institution for not less than twelve semester hours of academic credit or its equivalent. Two-year community colleges are eligible institutions. What are the responsibilities of the American host family in assisting the au pair with the "mandatory" educational component?
As a condition for American families to host an exchange visitor under the Au Pair Program they must agree to (1) facilitate the enrollment and attendance in an American "post-secondary" educational institution (2) ensure that the au pair has adequate transportation to attend and (3) pay the first $500 ($1000 for EduCare participants) toward the costs of required academic course work. Any additional costs associated with acquiring the six academic credits (twelve for the EduCare participant) are to be absorbed by the au pair.

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