Summer Au Pair Pilot Program Discontinued

On Oct 2 goAUPAIR was officially notified by our contact at the U.S. Department of State that the Summer Au Pair Pilot Program will not extend into 2010. The pilot program was attractive to Host Families who desired a shorter program length and needed assistance only while their kids were out of school. Families also saw the Summer Program as a way to “test” Au Pair child care to determine if it’s a good fit for their family. Au Pairs were attracted to the shorter time commitment and chance to experience the United States during their summer break. Although attractive and successful, the Summer Au Pair Pilot Program faced many challenges because of the shorter duration. While the Department of State did not officially disclose the reason(s) for discontinuing the program, goAUPAIR heard the following feedback from Host Families and Au Pairs about the program.

Challenges with Host Family’s and Au Pair’s Schedules
The timeline for issuing the DS-2019 paperwork for the Summer Au Pair Pilot Program was very tight and left little time for the Au Pairs to obtain their visas and arrive in the U.S. in time for the start of the program. This often meant Summer Au Pairs arrived late into the country and that Host Families could not receive the child care coverage they were expecting.

The program was difficult for Au Pairs because the program dates made it almost impossible for them to finish school in the spring, come to the U.S. for the summer experience and return home in time for fall semester.

Education Requirement Tough to Fulfill within the Program Duration
The educational requirement was hard to fulfill for this program because of the short program length and because of the limited number of classes offered over the summer. Even with advanced planning, Au Pairs still found the educational requirement difficult to fulfill.

Although some families may be disappointed to hear the Summer Au Pair Pilot Program will not be available for 2010, there are some alternatives for those looking for a short placement length Au Pair. Transition Au Pairs are already in the U.S. and are available for short term placements. Although there are fewer transition Au Pairs available than full-year out of country Au Pairs, Host Families may find a transition Au Pair meets their timeline. Host Families should speak with their Placement Coordinators to help them evaluate the options that work best for their unique situations.