International au pairs support American military families
Celebrating Military Appreciation Month
Erie, Colorado May 2, 2011 -- The tradition of honoring our military on Memorial Day is a great example of American culture for au pairs who are experiencing life in the U.S. for the first time. These young people from overseas will attend parades, wave flags, listen to tributes and taps, and kick off summer with their host families. However, for some au pairs, supporting our military goes far beyond Memorial Day.
Simone Staudenmann from Switzerland is an au pair for the Liebold family which consists of mom Marian, infant twins, and LCDR Wayne Liebold, a deployed career Naval officer. Simone takes photos of developmental milestones of the children and posts them online so LCDR Liebold can see the twins sitting up, crawling, standing and walking. She also regularly shows them pictures of their father and helps them connect via Skype. “This way we can talk for a few minutes, even though I’m on the other side of the world. I can see them clapping, and playing and I know that they are happy and also that they haven’t forgotten me,” says Liebold.
Simone’s efforts are a tremendous help for a busy working mom and a priceless benefit for a deployed father. LCDR Leibold says, “Because of our au pair, I am able to do my job better. I know my family does not just have great childcare, but a family member who willingly has taken on the challenges of joining a military family with intuition, grace and an understanding of our needs and the needs of our children.”
For military families, childcare is especially critical to their stability at home and their ability to focus and have peace of mind on the job. Unfortunately, according to a recent study by The Pew Center titled “On the Home Front”, military families struggle with childcare due to relocation, deployment, and non-traditional work hours. They are also affected by wait lists at military Child Development Centers (CDCs) or do not live on or near official installations that provide childcare.
The au pair option is an attractive alternative for military families for many reasons. Kimberly Mowat, a local childcare coordinator for Cultural Care Au Pair who works with families in the Erie, Colorado area, shares how the program benefits parents in the armed services.
10 Ways an Au Pair Childcare Can Help Military Families
Quality childcare
All au pairs are carefully screened and trained and families receive attentive year-round support from local childcare coordinators. Cultural Care Au Pair goes above and beyond the strict guidelines that regulate the au pair program set by the U.S. Department of State.
Extra pair of hands
An au pair can provide extra help in the home in addition to childcare. Assistance with light household duties, homework help, and driving to children’s activities is particularly helpful following a spouse’s deployment.
Flexible scheduling
The flexibility of the au pair program allows families with unpredictable work schedules and non-traditional hours to set a schedule that works for them.
Assistance with moving
Having an extra set of hands gives parents additional time, energy and freedom for packing, organizing and all the logistics involved in getting ready for a move.
Help settling in
When everything else is changing – home, school, friends, job – having consistent childcare can make the transition to a new place smoother for everyone.
Staying connected
An au pair can help children stay connected with deployed parents through daily activities such as letter or email writing, craft projects, and video conferencing.
Peace of mind
Knowing that their children are being cared for at home by a trained, experienced au pair allows military personnel to concentrate at work and focus on the job at hand.
No waiting list
Like many day care centers, military Child Development Centers (CDCs) often have long waiting lists. Families can apply for an au pair and welcome a child care provider into their home in eight weeks and sometimes even sooner.
Network with other military families
Cultural Care Au Pair is proud to serve more military families than any other au pair program. Interested parents can be connected with other military families who have welcomed an au pair into their home.
Military discount
In honor of Military Appreciation Month and in celebration of Memorial Day, military families who apply in May are eligible for a $75 application fee and a $650 program fee discount. To learn more about au pair childcare and other seasonal discounts especially for families of those serving in the military, visit www.culturalcare.com/military.
Families interested in learning more about au pair childcare can call Kimberly Mowat at 303-396-7328 or visit www.kmowat.aupairnews.com for additional information on the Cultural Care Au Pair program.
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About Cultural Care Au Pair
Cultural Care Au Pair is the leading provider of intercultural childcare in the United States. Since 1989, Cultural Care Au Pair has placed more than 85,000 au pairs in welcoming American homes. A U.S. Department of State regulated program, Cultural Care Au Pair is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, with their own extensive network of recruitment, screening and orientation offices worldwide and more than 600 local coordinators across the U.S. For more information about hosting an au pair, visit www.culturalcare.com or call 800-333-6056.
