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Advice for Au Pairs Program Resources

Emergency Preparedness: A Safety Guide for Au Pairs in the USA

by Marisa Lonic on March 10, 2025

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When you’re an au pair living in a foreign country, it’s important to be familiar with what type of emergencies you could be faced with and how to respond, just in case you find yourself in a dangerous situation. Asking your host family questions about...

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Become an Au Pair Cultural Exchange

Same Name, Same Values: The Story of Two Lauras and One Amazing Au Pair Year

by Marisa Lonic on March 3, 2025

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When parents, Laura and Dan Johnson, decided an au pair might be the right childcare solution for their family of five in the summer of 2024, they immediately got to work perusing Au Pair USA’s database of au pairs. They wondered who would be the...

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Cultural Exchange Life in America

Understanding American Culture: A Guide for Au Pairs

by Marisa Lonic on February 24, 2025

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Cultural exchange is the root of the Au Pair program. When you decide to become an au pair in the U.S., you’re signing up to take care of children full time and live with an American family, adapting to a new culture and way of...

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Life in America Travel

Smart Travel Tips: Making the Most of Your Au Pair Adventure in America

by Marisa Lonic on February 17, 2025

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It’s no secret a big reason au pairs decide to join the program is the ability to travel and live abroad. With ten paid vacation days offered as part of the au pair agreement, most au pairs take full advantage of travel opportunities during their...

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Advice for Au Pairs

Building Your Future: Professional Development Opportunities During Your Au Pair Year

by Marisa Lonic on February 3, 2025

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As an au pair, you’re at a prime age to be thinking about your future career. You may have plans after the au pair program to return home and begin (or continue) university studies. You may already be a university graduate while on the au...

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Become an Au Pair Cultural Exchange

Get to Know Super Au Pair Finalist Charika!

by Marisa Lonic on January 20, 2025

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Twenty-year-old Charika, also known as Rika, knew the Swerlands were the right family for her from the getgo. Although it was the first family Rika interviewed with, she felt there was a great vibe between them. After just two days of interviews, they had matched....

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Become an Au Pair Cultural Exchange

Get to Know Super Au Pair Finalist Dani!

by Marisa Lonic on January 13, 2025

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Since her first interview with the Cassidy family, Dani felt a connection. She’d had other interviews prior, but it didn’t feel the same. “When I was talking with them, I really felt that they were interested in me and my experience as an au pair....

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Become an Au Pair Cultural Exchange

Get to Know Au Pair USA’s 2024 Super Au Pair: Carla!

by Marisa Lonic on January 3, 2025

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Any au pair would probably feel a little nervous about joining a family with five kids. But for Carla, a 26-year-old au pair from Mexico, those fears didn’t last long. From the interview process with the Sharkey family in March 2023, Carla knew right away...

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Cultural Exchange

Understanding American Holiday Culture

by Stephanie Willhide on December 17, 2024

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This post was originally published in December 2015 and revised by other contributors in December 2024. The holiday season is upon us!  Here’s a quick overview of holidays celebrated in the U.S. to to get you acclimated to some of fall’s main celebrations, American style:...

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Advice for Au Pairs

When Cultural Exchange Transforms Family to Famiglia

by Marisa Lonic on November 27, 2024

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Finding the right host family is crucial for any au pair's success. For Marianna, like many others, the prospect of moving to a new country brought considerable anxiety. "Before being an au pair, I was so scared to come to the USA and find a family that wasn't good," she recalls. "I was scared to go into a rematch and change (my) family or go back home."