Cultural Care Au Pair
For 20 years, Cultural Care Au Pair’s childcare and cultural exchange program has offered families flexible, live-in childcare with a unique international perspective. Your au pair lives with you as a member of your family and your children benefit from a one-to-one committed and caring companion.
Marji Epstein
Marji has been a Local Childcare Coordinator in the Washington, DC area since 1991. Working with Cultural Care for 18 years, Marji is one of the most experienced LCCs in the country. In fact, she spent a year in Europe helping out with au pair screening and orientation, so Marji knows “both sides” of the Au Pair program.
Cultural Care Au Pair on ABC News
PRLog.Org - Global Press Release Distribution
Cultural Care Au Pair Brazilian male caregiver named International Au Pair of the Year
By Marji Epstein
Dated: Apr 13, 2009
Local au pair agency wins international honor for second year
A young journalism student from Natal, Brazil who has shown compassion and dedication in his daily care for a special needs boy, has earned the distinction of being named the “International Au Pair of the Year”, the second consecutive honor for a Cultural Care au pair, an agency that places au pairs with families in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
The “Au Pair of the Year” Award honors au pairs who are caring, dependable and exceptional providers of childcare to their host family. Francisco Ricardo Silva de Araújo, au pair to the Boyer family of Richmond, Virginia was chosen from among local nominees as well as au pairs around the world in more than 50,000 host families. He was presented with the award at the 15th Annual International Au Pair Association Conference in Vienna, Austria on March 25th. Linda Falter from Germany, another Cultural Care au pair, won the award in 2008.
The International Au Pair Association established the Au Pair of the Year Award to recognize the many great young men and women participating in the au pair program. Marji Epstein, local childcare coordinator for Cultural Care Au Pair in Potomac, MD. says, “It is wonderful that IAPA, through this award, allows so many in the au pair community to reflect on what an incredibly positive program this is and the many lives it touches andenriches along the way.”
The Boyer family nominated Ricardo for this prestigious award because of his devotion to their son, Taylor. Taylor is multi-handicapped and does not speak. “Ricardo is an exceptional young man, full of compassion, patience, gentleness. He never tires of encouraging Taylor to meet his challenges and reach beyond them,” says Kim Boyer, Ricardo’s host mother. “He has truly enhanced Taylor’s life in a way I never thought possible.” Epstein says that she often hears from her local host families that, like Ricardo, their au pairs have exceeded expectations and truly enriched their children’s lives.
“We could not be more proud of this fine young man and our au pair program that has now won the award for two consecutive years,” says David Fougere, President of Cultural Care Au Pair. “I think Kim Boyer said it best in her nomination. ‘Ricardo is an excellent example of all that one would hope for in a childcare provider. He is truly the spirit of Cultural Care and the best in mankind.’”
For a video about Ricardo, please visit: www.culturalcare.com/award.
The International Au Pair Association is the global trade association for qualified au pair agencies actively engaged in the au pair industry. Headquartered in Denmark, there are 143 members in 38 countries around the world. http://iapa.org
Cultural Care Au Pair is the leading provider of intercultural childcare and educational exchange. Since 1989, Cultural Care has placed more than 75,000 au pairs in welcoming American homes. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., with an extensive network of recruitment, screening and orientation offices worldwide.
PRLog.Org - Global Press Release Distribution
Cultural Care AuPair - An Affordable Childcare Solution With Financial Safeguard
By cultural care au pair
Dated: Mar 06, 2009
In a time of economic crisis, families appreciate a “Peace of Mind Guarantee”
Cultural Care Au Pair, the leading provider of intercultural childcare in the United States, has announced the launch of a brand new program created to address the concerns of American families during this difficult economic time. Cultural Care is the only au pair agency to offer the “Peace of Mind Guarantee” (www.culturalcare.com/peaceofmind) which provides a triple guarantee for the safeguarding of host family finances.
The triple guarantee includes, first and foremost, a price guarantee. While other au pair agencies are increasing prices, Cultural Care Au Pair has committed to maintaining their 2008 program fee rates for the entirety of 2009. The second level of protection comes through a guarantee of program continuation. This ensures that if a parent suffers an involuntary job loss, they are able to keep their au pair while receiving a refund. Uninterrupted childcare will allow that parent to focus on securing a new job. The third level of protection is provided by a financial safeguard guarantee. In the event 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 Au Pair President and host father, David Fougere, “Now is not the time to put more pressure on parents who rely on our program for their childcare solution - families need us more than ever because of our affordability. Our “Peace of Mind Guarantee” will hopefully ease families’ concerns about making a commitment to a year-long program. In fact, we have taken many steps to help families in these tough economic times. While other au pair agencies are raising their fees, we are holding our prices at 2008 levels for 2009. We have also adjusted our payment plan and reduced the initial deposit so the upfront costs are more manageable. And, we will be offering greater discounts to both new and repeat families throughout the year so many families will be paying even less than they paid last year.”
Thousands of parents across the country rely on au pairs to fullfill their need for affordable childcare. The average weekly cost of au pair care averages about $320 regardless of the number of children in the family, far less than parents might pay for daycare or a nanny. In fact, a report recently published by the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) called Parents and the High Price of Child Care: 2008 Update reveals that the average price of full-time care for one infant in a center was as high as $14,591 a year, which is comparable to the au pair program but covers the cost of just one child. For families with two or more children, au pair childcare makes the most sense financially and the added value of bringing cultural exchange into the home is priceless.
Marji Epstein, local coordinator for Cultural Care in Potomac, Maryland, has already seen the impact of Cultural Care Au Pair’s decision to launch this new program. “Families I talk to have expressed concern regarding the economy and want to make sure that they are protected in the event that they unexpectedly lose their job. I’ve called those families to tell them about our “Peace of Mind Guarantee” and it’s exactly what they want to hear. They just want to know that if their situation changes, they’ll be protected.”
Local families interested in learning more about the au pair program can contact Marji Epstein at 301-424-0040 or visit http://mepstein.aupairnews.com for additional information on the Cultural Care AuPair program.
Cultural Care Au Pair is the leading provider of intercultural childcare in the United States. Now in its 20th year, Cultural Care Au Pair has placed more than 75,000 au pairs in welcoming American homes since 1989. 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 and more than 600 local coordinators across the U.S.
Email author: marji.epstein@lcc.culturalcare.com OR
http://biz.prlog.org/CulturalCare/contactus.html
Phone 301-424-0040
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