Cultural Care Au Pairs Say: Happy "Host" Mother's Day!

Cambridge, MA, May 07, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Moms Across the Country Appreciated by their Live-In Au Pairs

Every year, thousands of young people ages 18-26 travel to the U.S. to live with American families to provide childcare for up to two years. They leave the comfort of their families and homes to immerse themselves in a new family, in a new culture. The success of this experience depends largely on the support system au pairs receive from the local childcare coordinator in their community, their au pair agency staff and—most importantly—from their host parents.

“Host parents—host moms in particular—play a huge role in ensuring a successful year with their au pairs. Au pairs need love and support, and they should be treated as an extended member of the family,” says Annette McGloin, host mom and Vice President at Cultural Care Au Pair.

Host moms who welcome au pairs through Cultural Care, the leading au pair agency in the U.S., are apparently doing a great job—hundreds of au pairs wrote in to the company this week to express thanks to their host moms in honor of Mother’s Day.

“She is very kind and thoughtful, she is always available when I need her,” says Thai au pair Anisara Akka of host mom Annette Gilman in Hilton Head Island, SC. German au pair Olga Gorodezki says of her host mom Allison Erickson in San Diego, CA, “She is always concerned about my well-being. She always says that if I need some advice or if I feel homesick or sad, I can always come and talk to her.” “I love my host mom because she is the best in every way,” shares Malin Johansson, a Swedish au pair who cares for Ulrika Drinkall’s children in Old Greenwich, CT. “If I could rate her from 0-10, then I would rate her ’10,’” writes Thai au pair Wanwisa Chan-O about host mom Shivani Narasimhan in Glenelg, MD.

Many au pairs described their host moms as strong, successful women who they looked up to as role models. The also overwhelmingly agreed on one point: their host moms all find the time to spend lots of quality time with their children.

Does this additional role end up burdening busy moms even more? “Absolutely not,” says host mom Dawn Popp in Elkridge, MD. “Participating in the au pair program has been a wonderful experience for our family, and we are grateful for All of the exceptional young women who we now consider to be part of our ‘international family,’” says Jennifer Nichols, host mom in Atlanta, GA, “Keith will forever be like a younger sister to me. She is so loving and wonderful. I thank God every day for her involvement in our lives, especially the lives of my children. We are truly blessed.”

Agrees McGloin, “Host parents get even more out of the program than what they put in. Time spent supporting and building a relationship with an au pair only makes her investment in her host children stronger.”

Cultural Care Au Pair is the leading provider of intercultural childcare and educational exchange. Since 1989, Cultural Care Au Pair has placed more than 75,000 au pairs in welcoming American homes. A division of EF Education and a U.S. Department of State regulated program, Cultural Care Au Pair is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., with an extensive network of recruitment, screening and orientation offices worldwide. For more information about hosting an au pair, visit www.culturalcare.com or call 800-333-6056.

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