Ashleigh from Belfast

Ashleigh from Belfast travelled to the USA in October 2011, We asked her a few questions and here is how she is getting on ....

What interested you about the Au Pair Programme?

When I first heard of Cultural Care Au Pair I thought the programme sounded fantastic, interesting and very exciting and I have to admit it did not disappoint! The whole starting process was easy to get in to and the staff were very helpful if I had any questions, a few applications later and I was accepted onto the program. It is a very exciting time knowing that you will soon be jetting off to America for a year with a new Family.

What did you feel about the training school?

When you first get to America you go to the Au Pair training school in New York, awesome. You will meet plenty of people, as I did, and some of the other Au Pairs will be moving near you which is brilliant as lots meet up through out the year.

Would you recommend the Cultural Care programme to others?

I would definitely recommend Cultural Care Au Pair to anyone, it is an unusual, fun exciting opportunity to move abroad, make friends, travel and study. You definitely will have the time of your life!

How do you find your Host Family, travelling and friends?

My Host Family is amazing, its fantastic when you get that great connection right away, I have four beautiful boys who keep me very busy but I love it. I have also made many great friends this year thanks to Cultural Care Au Pair, they have fun monthly meetings were you meet other au pairs in your neighborhood, really useful. My friends and I love to travel when we have time off, I have been to Las Vegas, The Grand Canyon, Colorado, New York and hopefully many more fun places to come!

Anna from Waterford

Anna from Waterford, Ireland is currently in the USA as an An Pair, Here is some feedback from Anna about her experience so far!

Why did you decide to go with Cultural Care Au Pair?

I had looked at many different Au Pair websites but Cultural Care was the only one that invited me to a meeting to discuss the whole thing! They were also the only on affiliated with the American Government so I knew I could trust them!! The staff at Cultural Care Ireland really helped me through the whole process! They answered any questions I had..helped me with my application and were there for me when I needed them! I recommend that if you want to become an Au Pair definitely go with Cultural Care :)

How did you choose your HF or how did you know they were the right match for you?

Well , choosing a host family is a hard decision but I knew when I talked to my host family that they were the family I wanted to spend my year with!! At the start we emailed each other a lot then progressed onto Skype! Being able to Skype with them really helped me make up my mind! I got to see the babies and talk to my host parents :) I got to see what the babies were like and we asked each other a lot of questions and eventually decided that we were a perfect match! :)

How did you feel during the first weeks after arrival in the U.S.?

 My first week was exciting!!! I arrived at the training school and got my room key and met my roommates :) the first day we were allowed to relax and settle in!! This is when I met my new bestfriends :) Their host families lives very close to mine so we were very lucky to be put in the same room :) We got to explore the training school and talk to some of the other girls!! It was exciting! The second day we were put into our class! And met our teacher (who was so funny and sweet) she made everyone feel so comfortable! The rest of the week everybody spent getting to know each other.. taking pictures and then.. NEW YORK! It was so much fun !! So me and my 2 friends then flew to Seattle which is where our host families are! The first few weeks I spent getting to know my family, the routine and the area I lived in.my family were a big part of that! They showed me cool places to eat and hang out with my friends..they even brought me and my friends for dinner one evening!! It didn't take me long to settle into my new job and I love every minute of it!!!

Why did you decide to become an au pair? I decided to become an Au Pair because I love working with children and love to travel so this is my perfect job!! In Ireland I worked as a preschool assistant and loved it so I decided that au pairing would be perfect for me! I can honestly say its the best decision I have ever made!! 

Sarah From Waterford, Ireland

"I found the service extremely helpful from the very beginning. All the information I needed was offered to me throught the online website and also at the information meeting I attended. I also found the main office to be more than helpful and genuinely interested both in my application and in helping me to complete all the steps.

The first couple of weeks were full of excitment and getting to know my new surroundings. The cultural shock aspect depends on what part of the country you move to and what your surroundings were like before you left. I found it easy to settle into my surroundings and my Host Family made it very easy for me to adjust.

Once you are here travel within America is rather cheap. So I've been to Montreal and New York. I was in Times Square for the new Year's Eve Ball Drop which was amazing and a once in a life time opportunity. In a couple of weeks I am travelling to LA, Vegas and San Francisco. On this trip I'm going to Universal Studios, guided tour of Holywood, getting a helicopter to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, cycling the Golden Gate Bridge and visiting Alkatraz. I am also going to Washington D.C. in a couple of months to spend a weekend sight seeing."

Nicole, An Australian Au Pair

"I enjoyed my time with my host child Emma the most. I enjoyed spending time with her, watching her grow and discover new things as well as being a part of her life. I found it a rewarding and worthwhile experience. The time to travel was just an added bonus!

My Relationship with my host family was (and still is!) a very strong one. Since my HM was a single mum, communication was key in our day to day lives. They treated me as a member of their family, as did their extended family. I was cared for and loved for just as my own family love me. The 18months I spent with them and in their home was a wonderful experience and one I doubt I will ever forget.

I would recommend the program to anyone who wants to travel America and also experience and live with an American Family and Care for their Children. This program is a great way to experience all of this and have a great and successful time, I know I did!"

Melanie from Australia

"While everyday was different especially caring for a 3 yr old, my typical day was 8am-5pm. I'd prepare breakfast, help dress & bathe toddler whilst also preparing his lunch box before we would set out an a daily trip. Some days we would walk to the local park, other days we would take a trip to his favourite museum or library, attend swimming lessons or preschool but our favourite activity was play dates. We'd find all kinds of fun & adventures with other au pairs and their "kids". The afternoon was normally a quiet one with a 2-3 hr nap in which time I did some light cleaning of kitchen & toy area, put on load of washing and anything else that needed to be done. I'd even enjoy doing some baking! When 5pm rolls around I would give a little hand over then it would be off to classes or hang out with friends. Sometimes I would join my host family for dinner or venture into the city to try something new!

I took a mixture of classes from language to meditation to singing. All classes were fun, different and some even took me out of the comfort zone! They ranged from Japanese, Spanish, Psychology of the Spiritual Mind through Buddhist Meditation, Chorus, Creativeness in a world of Drama."