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The
Summer Option
If you’re ready to go a little more
international, why not start right at home?
By Cheri Sinclair
As a mother of three, I know how
difficult it is to balance life, family, and work. Summer childcare choices
range from day camps, to teenage babysitters, to favors from family and
friends. More often than not, parents are forced to piece together a patchwork
of these solutions to guarantee summertime childcare. But there is an option
available that families don’t consider: the summer au pair program.
The summer Cultural Care Au Pair program was designed for families with
school-aged children. Instead of bouncing back and forth between childcare
options, hosting a summer au pair gives families the comfort of knowing
that the kids are always with someone they know and trust, who can also
get them from one activity to the next. Cultural Care Au Pair works with
the U.S. Department of State to authorize qualified summer au pairs from
abroad to reside in the United States on a shortened visa, allowing them
to live with families for up to 16 weeks. The deadline for summer au pairs
is April 17. Visit www.culturalcare.com for
more information or email culturalcarecheri@yahoo.com. The experience doesn’t
need to stop when summer ends—longer-termed positions are available
to au pairs, as well.
In addition to the flexibility a summer au pair provides, they also open
children’s eyes to other world cultures. Children learn songs and
games from their au pair’s native country. Although children are
out of school and having fun during the summer, they are still learning
about a different language, music and culture; the lessons they learn from
a summer au pair will last a lifetime. “I feel like I’m the
big sister and my kids love to learn about Sweden and listen to me speak
a different language,” remarks Mia Andersson, a Swedish au pair with
a local family. ~SCM
About the Author
Cheri SinclairCheri Sinclair is a local childcare coordinator for Cultural
Care Au Pair in State College. She loves connecting host families with
au pairs from around the world to help families find flexible and affordable
childcare. Cheri welcomes your questions about the au pair program and
can be reached at culturalcarecheri@yahoo.com or 355-0001. For more information,
please visit www.culturalcare.com. |
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