Sabine Campbell

5 weeks in Europe to visit 8 former au pairs and their families

Posted by: scampbell on July 27, 2010

Daniel, Hannah and their former Cultural Care au pair Sara on a boat crossing the Rhine River.

The Rogers Family of PA has hosted a total of 8 au pairs from 2001 to 2009…and right now, they are in the middle of a European adventure to visit each and every one of of them in their hometowns! Mom Pam, her three children Hannah (12), Daniel (9) and Adam (8), Pam’s mother, Peg and mother-in-law Terry are traveling until August 26th to Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Sweden and France. They have already reunited with their fourth au pair Sara in Basel, Switzerland, after which Peg shared her thoughts on the family’s blog:

“It was great to visit Sara and her parents. I have to admit I teared up a bit when I saw Sara for the first time in so many years. It suddenly became apparent what an important role these au pairs have played in my grandchildrens’ lives. I remember how difficult it was to say goodbye to each girl as she left at the end of the year. We considered all of the au pairs members of our families and enjoyed watching each one grow with their experience in a new country with a different language and different customs from their own.”

To read more about this Rogers” adventures on the road, visit their blog which they take turns updating as they go!

Cultural Care Au Pair video contest winners announced!

Posted by: scampbell on July 23, 2010

Cultural Care Au Pair Video Contest Winners Announced!

Since Cultural Care Au Pair’s Video Contest was launched on April 14th, we received more than 40 wonderful submissions from our host families and au pairs. We have seen tear jerkers, comedies, and fairy tales. We learned about how au pairs improve the quality of life for single moms, busy working families, families with multiples and many more. Now that the contest has officially closed, please join me in congratulating the most-voted for videos and the big winners in our first-ever Cultural Care Au Pair Video Contest!

Grand Prize Winner: It’s Thai-m to have fun!
Submitted by the Ramaswami Family of MI and their au pair Sasima from Thailand. The Ramaswami Family is entitled to a free year of childcare from Cultural Care Au Pair and Sasima will receive a $1,000 AMEX giftcard.

2nd Place Winner: The McCarthy Family Au Pair Video
Submitted by the McCarthy Family of IL and their au pair Daniela from Germany

3rd Place Winner: The Burbs - Season One
Submitted by The Huson Family of MN and their au pair Emilia from Finland

Of course, I’m sure you would agree that all of the videos that were submitted are winners! In particular, we’d like to give an official “honorable mention” to a few of our favorites:

The Lee Family Saga
Submitted by the Lee Family of TX and their au pair Suleydi from Colombia
“Wonder” Au Pair
Submitted by the Piccolo family of CO and their au pair Lily from China
Au Pair Adventures
Submitted by the Hoffman family of NJ and their au pair Jessica from Mexico
The Farace Family Video
Submitted by the Farace Family of NY and their au pair Sandra from Germany
Don’t worry be happy…
Submitted by the Johnson family of PA and their au pair Ana Maria from Colombia
Leave it to Cultural Care Au Pair
Submitted by the Harjes family of MN and their au pair Daniel from Germany
The Newcomb Family and Christina
Submitted by the Newcomb Family of OH and their au pair Christina from Switzerland
Happily Ever Au Pair
Submitted by the Tysdal Family of CO and their au pair Jessica from Australia
Lorena and Isabella - a perfect pair!
Submitted by the Battle family of OH and their au pair Lorena from Colombia

You can find all of our favorite videos on our new showcase sight, ilovemyaupair.com. This new site will forever highlight a selection of the videos submitted by our own families and au pairs and allow families to continue to submit videos whenever they want. We hope you enjoy!

“It’s like getting a month of childcare for free!”

Posted by: scampbell on July 2, 2010

New host families who apply between July 6th and July 31st 2010 enjoy a $550 program fee discount!

Hosting an au pair is now more affordable than ever. And with our 3 ways to match, it is so easy to find the perfect au pair for your family.

Contact me at sabine.campbell@lcc.culturalcare.com for the promotion code for this offer, or to get more details and information about hosting an au pair.

For complete details about this and other available discounts click here

Finding the perfect au pair made easy

Posted by: scampbell on January 15, 2010

Cultural Care Au Pair offers 3 Ways to Match
Cultural Care Au Pair host families now have the ability to review even more applications and au pair profiles with our new 3 Ways to Match, a program feature that let’s host families select the style of matching that best suits their needs. Host families can now search through multiple candidates on their own timeframe, set an appointment for a consultative matching session or work one-on-one with a placement manager who carefully selects possible matches. Best of all, our 3 Ways to Match allows you to enjoy the benefits of all three matching styles to help you find the right au pair for your family.

To get started
Whether you’re a new family to Cultural Care Au Pair or have already hosted an au pair, our 3 Ways to Match makes it easy for you to begin reviewing au pair candidates right away. Simply fill out your new or repeat application. Once it’s processed, you can log into your account and begin matching. Here’s how it works:

Personalized, exclusive matching
Enjoy the benefits of our trademark one-on-one matching. Your placement manager will select carefully screened applications for you to review based on your family’s unique needs. Each au pair is exclusively reserved for your family’s review, which means no two families are contacting the same reserved au pair candidate at the same time.

Consultative matching
Review our pool of au pair candidates in real time by setting up a consultative matching appointment by phone with your placement manager. This highly effective method allows you to carve out time with your placement manager to review available candidates who are not being reviewed by other families. At the end of the appointment, you have the opportunity to have up to three candidates maximum reserved for your family exclusively.

Search & Select
An enhancement to our current profile review system, this new feature offers families the ability to build a list of au pair profiles available for review. Families can narrow the search field and request, for example, a driver, a second year au pair or someone available now. If you find a candidate of interest to you, you may add the au pair to your list and notify your placement manager of your interest by clicking the Notify Placement Manager button. Your placement manager will review your suggested matches and place up to three of those matches into your host family account for further review of their full application.

Sample & Save - try our 3 “Ways to Match” risk free
Now for a limited time only, host families who apply to Cultural Care Au Pair will have the opportunity to try our 3 Ways to Match FREE. New families who submit an application from January 14th to January 19th, 2010 and take an au pair into their home by October 22, 2010 will have the $75 application fee waived, in addition to our $275 au pair selection fee waived. In addition, families applying will also receive a $500 discount off the program fee - a total savings of $850!

There’s never been a better time to begin your search for an au pair. For more information about our 3 Ways to Match or our limited-time-only $850 discount, contact your local childcare coordinator.

Getting an Au Pair is more affordable than ever

Posted by: scampbell on January 8, 2010

Our host families spoke, and we listened. The economy had an impact on everyone last year. Many families faced new financial challenges, but in the end, they still needed flexible, affordable childcare. As a result, Cultural Care Au Pair has created several new payment options that help lower the initial cost for welcoming an au pair into their home in the New Year. Along with this exciting new change, we are also keeping our prices the same for the second year in a row!

Now new families applying to Cultural Care Au Pair will have even more payment options available. Not only have we reduced our application fee, we have created several new payment plans for new and repeat families. As a result, they can continue to enjoy all the benefits they have enjoyed from Cultural Care Au Pair in the past - and even more!

Lower application fee, lowered payment plan options
How does it work? Now new families applying to the program will pay a $75 non-refundable application fee -a savings over our previous $350 application fee. Upon finding the right au pair, a $275 selection fee will be due so the au pair can finalize arrangements to come to the U.S. Offering this new payment structure not only helps secure the au pair for the family, it allows the visa process to begin moving forward.

In addition, families now have even more flexibility when it comes to making payments. On our regular payment plan, families now have the ability to pay the program fee 30 days prior to the au pair’s arrival, instead of upon selection of an au pair. This is great for families who select an au pair early, as it provides them with additional time to pay their program fee.

In addition, our Extended Payment Plan option now lowers the initial deposit to $2,395, plus a $200 payment plan enrollment fee. Families have the option of making a payment in three easy installments or they can log into their host family account at their convenience and pay weekly, bi-weekly or monthly - whatever works best for the family, as long as it’s within the Extended Payment Plan timeframe. Repeat and extension families enjoy all these flexible payment benefits as well, with the additional benefit of a waived application fee!

Along with keeping prices the same in 2010, and creating several new, lower payment plan options, we are also decreasing the cost for enrolling in our Extended Payment Plan, making it even easier to afford an au pair in the New Year. For more information about how to utilize these new options, contact me, your local childcare coordinator, and I will be happy to provide you with additional details about Cultural Care Au Pair’s exciting new payment options for 2010!

Contact me at sabine.campbell@lcc.culturalcare.com for our Winter Savings promotion!

What are the unexpected benefits of hosting an au pair?

Posted by: scampbell on January 5, 2010

Au Pair Answer Mom reveals 5 benefits to hosting an au pair that most families don’t even know about! FInd out more about what you can enjoy as a host family if you decide to welcome an au pair into your home.