Ukraine is goAUPAIR’s featured country for the month of June, which means families who match with an Au Pair from Ukraine by June 30, 2010 receive $100 off the program fees.

goAUPAIR’s Local Area Representative for the Philadelphia area is originally from Ukraine.  As a Local Area Representative, she provides year-round support to Host Families and Au Pairs by maintaining monthly contact, organizing activities for the Au Pairs and conducting orientations shortly after an Au Pair arrives. To help you learn more about Ukraine, We asked her to describe life in her home country.

What do you like most about Ukraine?
My native country Ukraine can boast of historic and cultural heritage. There are a lot of museums of world significance, outstanding historic and cultural monuments, churches, cathedrals, fortresses and many other sights. There are ancient European cities, nice nature, hospitable people and beautiful Ukrainian women.

I like a close relationship between friends, their commitment, sincerity and openness. True friendship is very valuable and more important than money; close friends help each other no matter what. Their doors are always open to friends and family members and they don’t need ask permission to visit (without the notice).

Describe family life in Ukraine.
Ukrainians are traditionally family oriented people. Children are raised with love, respect to older people, work and education. Often parents (or grandparents) live together with their children and help them raise the kids.  It is a Ukrainian custom that grandparents play a great role in raising children. Also, adult children take care of their older parents; nursing homes are not common in Ukraine. Therefore, extended family is very important because of the close connection between grandparents, parents and children.

What are some of the cultural differences you have encountered living in the U.S.?
Ukrainians visit and call each other more often than here. Ukrainians like parties and social gatherings and they are good company. They are always welcome to the friend or relative’s house, especially in a special occasion. No invitations needed. Presents and flowers are common. Ukrainians never go to someone else's house empty handed.

What are some of the characteristics you commonly find in Ukrainians?
They are culture oriented, highly educated, interested in history and art, love reading, and explore museums and theaters. Ukraine has a very well developed higher education system. Having a college degree is common. Ukrainians consider themselves as a well-educated nation. They read a lot books, they are big fond of live performances at theatres. Many of them know arts, history and politics very well. 

Why should families consider placing with an Au Pair from Ukraine?
Au Pairs from Ukraine usually have many talents. An Au Pair can be a role model that children of all ages look to: they are family oriented and respectful to older people; they are responsible and hard working; they are very independent and reliable; they value education and love reading; they explore culture and art;  they are sporty and active; they are friendly and polite; they are passionate and committed.
Of course, it depends on personality, but most Ukrainian Au Pairs are diligent, responsible and devoted.

Read more about our Ukrainian Au Pairs and what actual Host Parents have said about their Au Pairs from Ukraine. You can also search, review and compare Au Pairs from Ukraine and other countries in goAUPAIR’s exclusive Au Pair Preview.

Daniel, an Au Pair from South Africa, shares his thoughts and feelings about the Au Pair program and how it has affected his life. Daniel was an with a Host Family in Syracuse, UT and has been nominated for the Au Pair of the year award for two consecutive years. 

Recognized as one of the six international finalists for the Au Pair of the Year Award in 2009, Daniel was nominated by his Host Family who said he "exemplifies the qualities of an excellent Au Pair!" Daniel arrived in the U.S. in March of 2008 and began providing care for two boys, aged 12 and 2. In December 2008, the youngest child was diagnosed with a developmental delay in speech and Daniel began working with him each day to help develop and improve his skills.

In addition to his duties as an Au Pair, Daniel volunteered at a local community group for at risk youth. "There will never be enough words to describe my time and experience here in the United States! I have to constantly remind myself that this is not a dream, but that I’m actually part of an American family and living in America."

As states across the country continue to recovery from a global recession, some states and industries are bouncing back slower than others. The child care industry in Silicon Valley, CA is no exception. Nannies have taken a notable hit in hourly pay; however, some people argue they have no reason to complain about their hourly wages.

The Wall Street Journal reports that hourly rates in Silicon Valley have dropped to $18 to $20 an hour down from $18 to $25 just two years ago. However, some don’t think $18 to $20 sounds too little. A reader commented on the Wall Street Journal article and said, “25 bucks per hour? That is great salary. If I am able to intern in Big four, the highest salary for me is $25 per hour. They earn more than college graduates!”

Is the price of child care in Silicon Valley too high? Well, that depends what you consider high, but when you consider the hourly cost of a nanny compared to an Au Pair, the cost difference is tremendous. At only $7.58 an hour, Au Pairs are a bargain compared to Silicon Valley nannies. The savings are even more noticeable if you consider the cost of an Au Pair and Nanny for 45 hours a week - $341 for an Au Pair and $810 to $900 for a nanny.

Au Pairs and nannies are similar in many ways; however, there are some notable differences between them.  One of the greatest advantages of an Au Pair is the close relationship your Au Pair will have with your children. As a live in child care provider, your Au Pair will have a greater opportunity to bond with your children. You may be surprised how soon your children would consider your Au Pair an older brother or sister rather than just a caregiver.

Parents can also have peace of mind knowing the U.S. Department of State oversees and regulates the Au Pair program. There is no need to worry about your caregiver’s illegal citizenship status, withholding taxes, or background checks. The Au Pair program takes care of all those and more.

We’d love to hear from you. How does your child care rate compare with that of an Au Pair?

Hiring a Chinese Au Pair is becoming a growing trend for American families. According to the New York Times, the drive behind this trend is the “desire among ambitious parents to ensure their children’s worldliness, as such parents assume that China’s expanding influence will make Mandarin the sophisticates’ language decades hence.” So here are some interesting facts about China and Chinese Au Pairs:

China is known to be a country full of history and ceremonies. Appropriate manners are expected from everyone, especially towards the elderly. China’s total land area comprises more than 9.6 million square kilometers with four time zones. The national language is Mandarin, which is one of the five working languages in the United Nations. Cantonese is also one of the local dialects, more common in the south of China. The Chinese language has been in use for over 6,000 years. The country's total population is 1.328 billion (2008) and it comprises about 22 percent of total population in the world. China is also one of the four oldest civilizations in the world with a written history of more than 4,000 years. 

Chinese youth want to become Au Pairs in U.S. to improve their English and experience some of the American culture. Taking college credits in the U.S. increases their potential for a better career when they go back home.  They also want to share their traditions and backgrounds with American families.

Potential Strengths of the Chinese Au Pair
1. Bright, eager and willing to work hard.
2. Well mannered and respectful of host parents and elders.
3. Can expose your children to the Mandarin language.
4. May adapt quickly to a new culture without significant homesickness or depression.

Possible Weaknesses of the Chinese Au Pair
1. May not be used to large families and become overwhelmed with lots of children.
2. She may not be accustomed to American children, who are generally outspoken and direct. Be patient, have a sit-down talk with her and explain the cultural differences between American and Asian children.
3. She may be very quiet in the beginning and you may feel she is not happy, but be patient and usually she will begin to open up as she gets to know and care for your family.

Most of our Chinese Au Pairs have worked or volunteered as tutors for younger children. Nearly all of our Au Pairs from China are qualified to work with infants based on their daycare and babysitting experience. goAUPAIR has had successful experiences matching American families and Chinese Au Pairs, for that reason we are always pleased to help families find their perfect match. If you are interested in Chinese Au Pairs, feel free to let us know or search for them in the Au Pair Preview.

China is the Featured Country for February at goAUPAIR, which mean Host Families that match with an Au Pair from China get $100 off Au Pair program fees.

For more information:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/05/us/05aupair.html
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/chinese-au-pairs-on-the-rise-834810.html

Healthy foods and children don't always make the happiest combination. Parents and care givers may have a hard time making children happy about their food choice and introducing a healthy eating lifestyle.

We all know healthy habits contribute children's overall well-being and help them grow and develop healthy bodies. Parents can be a little confused and frustrated when trying to introduce healthy foods. “Unfortunately, some parents over-think what to do about their child's eating habits, which give way to practices like forcing kids to clean their plates. And some parents don't think about nutrition at all, letting their kids eat a lot of junk food and drink a lot of juice. So, it's important to find a balance.”

When we understand a little better some of the basic facts about children's nutrition, we can avoid mistakes. Here are some tips for parents and care givers about children's nutrition: You may go from having an infant who eats a large variety of vegetables and fruits and three big meals a day, to a toddler who is a much more picky eater and eats much less. Surprisingly to many parents, that can be very normal -- as long as their toddler is gaining weight and growing and developing normally, and isn't filling up on milk and juice. In fact, many toddlers simply eat one good meal each day, and then just pick at their other meals. Your toddler's diet will likely be made up of about 16 to 24 ounces of milk (low fat milk once your child is 2 years old) and 4 to 6 ounces of juice, and be eating 2 snacks and 2 to 3 meals.”

It is important to know that although toddlers may not eat everything that it is offered to them, we should always continue to present a variety of healthy foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Children are more willing to accept food if they are not pressured or forced to eat them. “Remember that this is a period in your child's development where he is not growing very fast and doesn't need a lot of calories. Also, most children do not eat a balanced diet every day, but over the course of a week or so, their diet will usually be well balanced.”

Most experts also advise that kids will eat more vegetables and fruits if parents or care givers start offering these foods when they are infants. Parents should also set a good example to kids with their food choices and by eating healthy. Also, a good tip is to mix vegetables and fruits in the food that the kids already like.

According to the American Heart Association, the best nutrition advice to keep your child healthy includes encouraging him to:

• Eat a variety of foods
• Balance the food he eats with physical activity
• Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol
• Avoid foods with a lot of added sugar and foods high in salt
• Choose a diet that provides enough calcium and iron to meet his growing body's requirements
• Avoid a lot of fast food, caffeine, juice, and soda

For more information about children and healthy eating visit

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3030485

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/childrens-health/HQ01107

In December, an Au Pair from goAUPAIR was part of a front page photograph in the USA Today. The photo shows Au Pair Bessy Pocasangre and one of the children she cares for sledding down a hill in front of the nation's Capitol building. The photo was part of a story about the major snow storm that hit the East Coast and dropped more than 20 inches of snow.

Despite delays in flights, many people enjoyed the large amount snow. Many of our Au Pairs located around the East Coast enjoyed the fresh snow with sledding, snow angels and more.

During the last year, operating costs have risen across every industry. The Au Pair industry has been hit especially hard with the rising costs of airfare and health insurance. As a result of the rising costs, some agencies are suspected of raising their prices in 2010. Rather than raising prices, goAUPAIR is reallocating and reducing the airfare surcharge amount for its Host Families.

Why an airfare surcharge?
Before we can discuss what has changed with the airfare surcharge, there needs to be a clear understanding of why there is an airfare surcharge. goAUPAIR strives to provide fair and honest pricing to all host families. Therefore, we use an airfare surcharge as a way to ensure a Host Family pays for their unique Au Pair for their family. It doesn’t make sense to charge a family living near New York’s JFK Airport who is getting an Au Pair from Germany the same amount as a family living in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (a recently re-opened area for goAUPAIR) who is getting an Au Pair from South Africa.

The unique combinations of an Au Pair’s departure country and the Host Family’s U.S. location can cause considerable variations in flight costs. Instead of charging every family the same airfare surcharge fee to cover the variables, we charge every family one low amount (built into program fees) and add an airfare surcharge specific to the Au Pair’s departure country and the Host Family’s location.

What factors determine the airfare surcharge?
Many factors play a role in the airfare surcharge for each Host Family. One of the most important factors that determine the airfare surcharge is the U.S. city of the Host Family; including the region in the U.S., the size of airport and the cost to fly to that airport. Another determinant of the airfare surcharge is the country and airport from which the Au Pair will be departing. For example, an airfare surcharge for an Au Pair from Asia could differ greatly from an Au Pair from South America.
 
It is important to note there are two types of airfare surcharges. One type considers the U.S. location of the family and the Au Pair’s home country. The second type only looks at the Au Pair’s home country.  A handful of distant and less transited countries fall into this second type and will not be affected by the airfare surcharge reallocation.

Why the airfare surcharge reallocation?

Prior to the airfare surcharge reallocation, there was an airfare surcharge for families living near major ports of entry for the U.S. (i.e. New York’s JFK and California’s LAX). goAUPAIR decided there is no longer a need for an airfare surcharge for some of the major ports of entry because an Au Pair can arrive directly to the airports (in the city in which the Host Family resides) without having to take a connecting flight. In contrast, an Au Pair going to a Host Family located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming would have to take a flight to a port of entry, then a connecting flight to Jackson Hole, WY.

Results of the reallocation
goAUPAIR now has 10 airports from which there is no additional airfare surcharge regardless of the Au Pair’s departure country.  The airports with no airfare surcharge include Los Angeles (LAX), San Diego (SAN), San Francisco (SFO), Dulles (IAD), Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD), Boston (BOS), Newark (EWR), John F. Kennedy (JFK), and Salt Lake City (SLC). These 10 airports plus some additional routes, translates into 46 routes with no additional airfare surcharge.

Quick Stats – Before and after the reallocation
•    Before - the majority of our travel routes had a $300 domestic airfare surcharge.
•    After - we will have 46 zero dollar travel routes
•    Before - there were no travel routes less than $200
•    After - the most common surcharge amount is $100
•    Before - over 80 percent of our travel routes were $350 or less
•    After - over 80 percent of our travel routes will be $0 to $200

goAUPAIR understands that sometimes airfare surcharges can be confusing to our customers and we will gladly explain the surcharges in further detail. Please contact our corporate office by phone 888.AUPAIR.1 (888.287.2471), by email, inforequest at goaupair dot com, or through our goAUPAIR.com.