Flexible Affordable Childcare

Cultural Care Au Pair offers many discounts for both new and repeat host families. If you have specific questions regarding any of our discounts, please email us at julie.labes@lcc.culturalcare.com. Total savings for new families (including the application fee waiver, selection fee waiver and/or program fee discount) cannot exceed $650 per program year, unless otherwise noted. To take advantage of these discounts, apply now.

New families

New families who apply from July 26, 2011 through August 4, 2011 using promo code PCAPLW2011 will receive a $75 application fee waiver to start matching with our au pairs at no cost. To qualify for this savings, your family must welcome an au pair by October 21, 2011.

Families with multiples: save $650

Families with multiples can save big! Apply using promotional PCMUL2011 and enjoy a $275 selection fee waiver and a $375 program fee discount. Families must be new to Cultural Care Au Pair and welcome an au pair by October 21, 2011 to enjoy these savings.

Military family discount: save $575

Cultural Care Au Pair is proud to support our military. Families of those who are actively serving are eligible to receive an application fee waiver AND a $500 program fee discount. Families can apply using PCMilitary2011, must be new to Cultural Care Au Pair and show proof of their active service. To be eligible for the Cultural Care military discount, at least one parent must be a full-time, active member of the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard). Proof of active service may be fulfilled with either a valid Military ID issued by the U.S. Department of Defense or a professional reference. Families must be new to Cultural Care and welcome an au pair to their home by October 21, 2011. Discount cannot be applied retroactively and total program discounts cannot exceed $650.

Make the Switch: save up to $1,000!

We welcome families from other au pair agencies to repeat with us. As a family experienced with the au pair program, host families who switch to Cultural Care Au Pair are entitled to $1,000 in savings! These savings include a $75 application fee waiver, and a standing $775 program fee discount and free overseas connections (a $150 value). Please email julie.labes@lcc.culturalcare.com to receive the promotion code Families must submit proof of payment of their agency’s program fees (proof of payment of application fee does not qualify). The $775 program fee savings will be applied upon receipt of proof of payment.

Repeat families

Repeat Family Rewards (for families who extend with their current au pair): save up to $2000!
Families who extend with their current au pair are entitled to a $75 application fee waiver, $275 selection fee waiver and up to $1,650 in program fee savings. Total savings is up to $2,000! In order to qualify for the reduced program fee with their current au pair, a family must have hosted that au pair for at least 30 program weeks.
Repeat Family Rewards (for families who welcome a new au pair): save up to $1,000!
Families who re-apply to host another Cultural Care au pair are entitled to a $75 application fee waiver, a $275 selection fee credit on their account, a $250 repeat family discount, and complimentary overseas connection service ($150 value). Families who apply early enough can earn an additional $250 early matching bonus! Total savings is up to $1,000! For an early matching bonus deadline chart, login to your host family account. No promotion code necessary; discounts are applied automatically.

All families

Pre-arranged match discount: save $300!
Families who find their own future au pair are entitled to a $300 program fee discount. The candidate must meet Cultural Care Au Pair’s screening requirements and must successfully complete the Screening & Orientation Day in the appropriate recruitment country. No promotion code necessary: savings will be applied upon approval of candidate.

Host Family Referral Program: save $400!

We are offering our biggest referral rewards ever and encourage you to refer families you know who may benefit from our au pair childcare program. For each family you refer to our program from July 1, 2011 through July 31, 2011, who welcomes an au pair by October 21, 2011, your family will receive a $400 bonus! Referred host families must not have already been referred to Cultural Care Au Pair. The referral reward will be issued when the referred host family welcomes an au pair into their home. Terms and conditions apply. Please refer to host family account for more details.

By Michelle Chazen

Now that summer is here many of the au pairs will be spending time at the pool or beach with their host children and families. Here are some tips to keep everyone safe

* Never leave a child unsupervised in or around water in the home. Empty all sinks, tubs and buckets immediately after use. Store all containers upside down and out of reach.
* Do not rely on a bath support ring to keep a baby safe in the tub without adult supervision.
* Never leave a child unsupervised in or around a swimming pool or spa, even for a moment. A child can drown in the time it takes to answer the phone. All wading and inflatable pools should be empty when not in use.
* Teach children to practice safe water habits. They should always wade into water first before diving or jumping to avoid hitting their heads on a shallow bottom. Children should not push or jump on others in the water.
* Children should never swim alone.
* Never let older children swim in unsupervised areas like quarries, canals or ponds. Older children are at risk of drowning when they overestimate their swimming ability.
* Make sure children are swimming in designated areas in oceans, lakes and rivers. Look for clear water with little or no current and check the depth of the water before swimming or diving.
* Children over age 3 should learn to swim from qualified instructors but caregivers should keep in mind that lessons do not make children “drown-proof.” Never rely on a PFD or swimming lessons to protect a kid.
* Adults and children over age 13 should learn infant and child CPR.
* Children should not dive in water unless an adult is present and knows that the water is more than nine feet deep.
* Adults should not rely on pool covers to prevent children from drowning. Water must be kept from collecting on the surface of pool covers.
* Children and adults should wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved PFD when on a boat, near open bodies of water or when participating in water sports. Air-filled swimming aids, such as “water wings,” are not considered safety devices and are not substitutes for PFDs.
* Wear appropriate swim wear when supervising children and pool or beach.
Cultural Care Au-Pair Offers:

* Flexible, live-in care for your children

* $340 average weekly cost for 45 hours of childcare

* Qualified and carefully screened candidates

To learn more, please call Julie Labes (561) 792-6144

Big Family? Big Savings!..$650 Multiples Discount

Families with multiples can save big! Apply using promotional code PCMUL2011 and enjoy a $275 selection fee waiver and a $375 program fee discount. Families must be new to Cultural Care Au Pair and welcome an au pair by October 21, 2011 to enjoy these savings.

Sheri Watkins

This is a common question from friends and families when I tell them about au pairs and my involvement with the au pair program. The answer is yes! One of the things I always share is how unique the program is because it is a cultural exchange program. But what I love about families that host an au pair is that they feel like they have childcare that feels like family!

Hosting an au pair means welcoming someone into your home and making him or her part of your family. Family implies relationship, and a relationship is something that has to be cultivated. This means getting to know your au pair and sharing your family! In many families, this means saying good morning to the aupair and asking her how her day is. It means including her in family vacations and weekend trips. It means introducing her to your extended family and friends. It means helping her learn to drive in the United States and yes, allowing her to drive the family car! It means asking her if she needs anything when going out to the store or to run errands. It means having a wonderful big sister for your children. It means not just an addition, but a contributing member to your family. Someone who always says good morning. Someone who always asks if there is anything you need or anything else she can do. Someone who is one of you!

One piece of advice that I always give families considering the au pair program: Think of your own child. In a few years he/she will be old enough to take part in an exchange program. How would you want your son or daughter treated by the family hosting him/her in a foreign country? Would you want your child to feel he had a second home and second family he could count on in a place so far from his own home and family?

Would you want that host family to ask… You mean she will live with me, and I have to let her drive my car, eat our food, use our things, and be a member of our family?

Yes, that’s what family means!!!

CulturalCare Au Pair offers:

* Flexible, live-in care for your children

* $340 average weekly cost for 45 hours of childcare

* Qualified and carefully screened candidates

For more information, please call Julie Labes:
Local Childcare Coordinator at (561) 792-6144

Marion Goodwin

While Cultural Care is not able to provide specific tax information for host families because their circumstances are so different, we are pleased to provide general guidelines regarding host family and au pair taxes, as well as information to help au pairs complete their tax returns. Because we update these guidelines on a regular basis, we suggest that you download our most current guide to host family and au pair taxes here. You can also call our office and request a copy by email.

Please note that Cultural Care is not licensed to provide official tax advice, so none of our staff may counsel host families or au pairs regarding tax issues. Since tax laws vary from state to state and are changed on a frequent basis, we advise host families and au pairs to speak with a local professional tax advisor or directly with the Internal Revenue Service for definitive answers to any specific questions regarding taxation.

Important Au Pair Tax Information

* The IRS considers au pairs to be “employees” of the host family for tax reasons, even though they are in the United States on a “cultural exchange” visa. This means that au pairs are required to file U.S. individual income tax returns even though many au pairs will not owe any taxes
* By April 15, the au pair should file form 1040NR-EZ or 1040NR to report his or her au pair stipend for the previous calendar year
* In order to file income taxes in the United States, all au pairs need to have either a social security number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (”ITIM”)
* Au pairs are allowed to claim a personal exemption for themselves, but are not eligible for the standard deduction in their tax filing. As stated above, au pairs are not considered “students” by the IRS so they are also not eligible to exclude au pair wages from gross income under the student article of any U.S. income tax treaty
* Because the maximum tax burden for the vast majority of au pairs is less than $1,000, there is usually no need for the au pair to make quarterly estimated payments, or to have the host family withhold taxes. There are some exceptions to this rule which are explained in our more detailed guide which is downloadable above.

Important Host Family Tax Information

* Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit: As long as you have used the au pair’s child care services in order to work or look for employment, the stipend paid to your au pair, the costs of room and board and the program fees paid to Cultural Care are all eligible under the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. Cultural Care’s federal tax ID number is 20-2020345

* Dependent Care Reimbursement Programs: The eligibility requirements for these programs (often called “Flex-Spending Accounts” or “FSAs”) are usually identical to those for the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. Please note that expense paid for using Dependent Care Reimbursement Program funds are not also eligible for the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit

* Flex-Spending Account Paperwork: Cultural Care is happy to provide host families with a summary statement of payments received during a tax year. We are also able to sign and complete most forms that your plan might require for reimbursement. Please note, however, that we are only able to provide you either the total amount you paid in a given calendar year, or the amount you paid in a given calendar year with the dates of the applicable full au pair term of service (e.g. one year, six months, etc.). Cultural Care cannot provide documentation explicitly pro-rating payments received to a specified range of dates. Contact our office if you require any assistance in claiming a Dependent Care reimbursement

* Withholding for Au Pair Taxes: Because the maximum tax burden for the vast majority of au pairs is less than $1,000, there is no need for the au pair to make quarterly estimated payments. In addition, because au pair wages are deemed by the IRS to be paid for domestic service in a private home, they are not subject to mandatory income tax withholding on Forms 941 and W-2 by the host family. Host families usually do not need to pay federal unemployment taxes for their au pair or to withhold Social Security and Medicare taxes. There are some rare cases where this rule might not apply - please refer to our downloadable guide for more details

* Other Potential Host Family Tax and Financial Issues: We strongly recommend that you inquire with a professional insurance advisor about specific state laws and requirements which may include, but not be limited to, workers’ compensation insurance and state unemployment taxes
For more information on hosting an Au-Pair, please Contact Julie Labes (561) 792-6144

Cultural Care Au Pair offers:

* Flexible, live-in care for your children

* $340 average weekly cost for 45 hours of childcare

* Qualified and carefully screened candidates

Or click on the blue heart above to learn more

Start the year off on a healthy note. We will visit the West Palm Beach Green Market on Saturday January 29th. There are lots of interesting vendors selling all kinds of foods and arts. There are places to buy a yummy pastry and a great cup of coffee. We will browse for a while and then sit and have our meeting

By JENNY ANDERSON
Published: August 18, 2010
NY Times

When Maureen Mazumder enrolled her daughter, Sabrina, in a Spanish singalong class a year ago, she hoped it would be the first step in helping her learn a second language. But the class did not seem to do the trick, so Ms. Mazumder decided to hire a baby sitter, one who would not only care for her daughter but also speak to her exclusively in Spanish. “It was a must that she speak Spanish,” said Ms. Mazumder, who said neither she nor her husband was fluent in the language. “We feel so strongly that our daughter hear another language.”

Ms. Mazumder, whose daughter is nearly 3, has company. Although a majority of parents seeking caretakers for their children still seek ones who will speak to their children in English, popular parenting blogs and Web sites indicate that a noticeable number of New York City parents are looking for baby sitters and nannies to help their children learn a second language, one they may not speak themselves.

That has certainly helped Elena Alarcón, a nanny born in Mexico who attended school in the United States. Ms. Alarcón recently completed 15 interviews with parents living in Brooklyn, and all of them insisted that if hired, she speak only Spanish with their children.

“I thought I would have to speak English with the families,” Ms. Alarcón said. “I was surprised they wanted me to speak only in Spanish.”

Ms. Alarcón now works for Yashmin Fernandes, who became fluent in Spanish living and working in Latin America. Ms. Fernandes speaks in Spanish with her daughter; her husband, who is of Puerto Rican heritage, speaks in English. “His family is the Spanish-speaking side,” Ms. Fernandes said, “but I was more adamant about getting a Spanish-speaking nanny.”

Parents cite different reasons for hiring baby sitters and nannies to speak a second language with their children. Some struggled to pick up foreign languages and want to make life easier for their children. Some believe it makes them smarter. And naturally, this being the melting pot that is New York, many parents have a connection to another language and want to reinforce it.

Simona D’Souza, 38, grew up in Kuwait and Canada. Even though her parents spoke Konkani, the language of Goa, India, to each other, they insisted that their children speak only English. “They didn’t realize it would be beneficial to us to learn another language,” Ms. D’Souza said.

Indeed, not long ago, many parents insisted that their foreign-language-speaking nannies refrain from using their native tongue and speak only English with their children, for fear that another language might muddle their English-language development.

Ms. D’Souza has taken a different tack with her own three children. Her husband is German and speaks to the children exclusively in German. Her nanny of five years spoke only in Spanish with the children. “We would not have hired her if it wasn’t for the Spanish,” she said. Now, she is contemplating putting the children in a French immersion program.

“Once you are trilingual,” she said, “your brain can break down new languages that make it so much easier to learn your fourth, fifth and sixth languages.”

In fact, research shows that learning a second language makes it easier to learn additional languages.

In recent years, a number of neuroscience experts and psychologists have tried to untangle the impact of bilingualism on brain development. “It doesn’t make kids smarter,” said Ellen Bialystok, a professor of psychology at York University in Toronto and the author of “Bilingualism in Development: Language, Literacy and Cognition.”

“There are documented cognitive developments,” she said, “but whatever smarter means, it isn’t true.”

Ms. Bialystok’s research shows that bilingual children tend to have smaller vocabularies in English than their monolingual counterparts, and that the limited vocabulary tends to be words used at home (spatula and squash) rather than words used at school (astronaut, rectangle). The measurement of vocabulary is always in one language: a bilingual child’s collective vocabulary from both languages will probably be larger. “Bilingualism carries a cost, and the cost is rapid access to words,” Ms. Bialystok said. In other words, children have to work harder to access the right word in the right language, which can slow them down - by milliseconds, but slower nonetheless.

At the same time, bilingual children do better at complex tasks like isolating information presented in confusing ways. In one test researchers frequently use, words like “red” and “green” flash across a screen, but the words actually appear in purple and yellow. Bilingual children are faster at identifying what color the word is written in, a fact researchers attribute to a more developed prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain responsible for executive decision-making, like which language to use with certain people).

Ms. D’Souza said that both of her sons lagged their peers by almost a year in verbal development. Her pediatrician recommended speech therapy, and one son’s preschool teacher expressed concern that he did not know the alphabet. But when both started speaking, at around 3 years old, they were able to move fluidly among three languages. She said that her older son tested in the 99th percentile for the city’s gifted and talented program.

“The flexibility of their thinking helps them in nonlinguistic abilities like science and math,” she said, speaking of her children. “But at the same time the normal things - the alphabet - they have trouble with that.”

One arena in which being bilingual does not seem to help is the highly competitive kindergarten admission process.

“It doesn’t give you a leg up on the admissions process,” said Victoria Goldman, author of the sixth edition of “The Manhattan Family Guide to Private Schools.” It is one piece of the bigger puzzle, which includes tests scores, interviews and the ability of a child to follow directions. “Speaking another language is indicative that you are verbal, but you have to be behaved.”

George P. Davison, head of school at Grace Church School, a competitive downtown school, said that bilingualism tended to suppress verbal and reading comprehension test scores by 20 to 30 percent for children younger than 12. “If anything, it can have a negative effect on admissions,” he said.

Ms. Bialystok said that for a child to retain a language, a nanny probably would not do the trick. “It’s an interesting solution; it gives young children a consistent exposure,” she said. “But how long will the nanny be around, and who else will the child use that language with?”

Some parents have taken that into account. Nir Liberboim and his partner hired a Peruvian nanny to speak only Spanish with their son William, who is 1 1/2. Mr. Liberboim grew up in Texas and struggled to become fluent in Spanish because he was taking only a few classes a week. Knowing how hard it is to learn languages at older ages, he wanted to help his son early on, an opinion his partner shares. “We view it as a gift we are giving him,” Mr. Liberboim said.

They have decided to keep the nanny, if she is willing to stay, even after William has started school. “There’s a financial implication to that,” he said, “but we don’t want him to lose it.”

Au pairs can help their host children learn a new language!
by Stephanie Rueter

The New York Times posted an article yesterday entitled: Looking for Babysitters: Foreign Language a Must. It reveals a growing trend in the New York City area and beyond: many parents are looking for childcare providers that can help their children learn a second language-one they may not speak themselves.

According to the article, although learning multiple languages simultaneously “doesn’t make kids smarter” multi-lingual children:

* learn additional languages more easily
* do better at complex tasks like isolating information presented in confusing ways
* do well in subjects like science and math due to the flexibility of their thinking

While some parents initially enrolled their children in classes to help them learn a second language, they all felt that that wasn’t enough for their kids to become fluent. Hiring an in-home caregiver who spoke the language of their choice was a natural next step.
The article mentions families who have foreign nannies and babysitters but not-a-one with an au pair. Even so, our program is a great fit for parents looking to expose their children to a different language. (Perhaps even a superior one due to the affordable cost and the fact that au pairs can stay with a host family for up to two years.)

For more information on hosting an Au-Pair, please Contact Julie Labes at (561) 792-6144

Cultural Care Au Pair offers:

* Flexible, live-in care for your children

* $340 average weekly cost for 45 hours of childcare

* Qualified and carefully screened candidates

As a recently released NACCRRA report found, childcare costs are rapidly rising, even comparable to the cost of a year of college tuition. For some, costs are so expensive - particularly for multiple children - it is almost prohibitive, yet parents need childcare to be able to provide for their families. Though the term “au pair” is often confused with “nanny” and mistaken as childcare for the wealthy, for many families (especially with 2 or more children) an au pair is actually the most affordable childcare option.

In its report, “Parents and the High Cost of Childcare: 2010 Update,” the National Association for Childcare Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) states that the highest statewide average cost for full-time childcare for one infant in a center is $18,750 per year; for a 4 year old, parents paid $13,150 a year for full time care; and for school-age children, parents paid an average of $10,720 per year for part time care in a center.

In comparison, the average cost of an au pair is on average $340 per week, or $7.50 per hour, regardless of the number of children. Additionally, the au pairs live with the family and provide up to 45 hours per week of childcare, giving the family maximum flexibility. Those hours can also include light household chores, help with meal preparations, driving the children to school and extra-curricular activities.

ABC reported: “We do not generally think of child care as that expensive, and families, when they have an infant, are basically on the lower end of their earning power as opposed to a family who’s got a child in college,” Linda Smith, executive director of NACCRRA, told “Good Morning America”.
The report described monthly child care fees for two children of any age as exceeding the median monthly rent cost in every state, and were nearly as high - and in some cases higher - than the average monthly mortgage payment in every state.

For more information on hosting an Au-Pair,  please Contact Julie Labes (561) 792-6144

Cultural Care Au Pair offers:

* Flexible, live-in care for your children

* $340 average weekly cost for 45 hours of childcare

* Qualified and carefully screened candidates

Rebecca Cronin:

1. Establish Routines Early

To get kids organized, start changing the routines: have dinner earlier, stricter bed times, and have them get the next day’s clothes out the night before to develop good habits for the school year. Start a quiet time in your household to settle the kids down and get them in the habit of calming down later in the day so they can do homework and study once school starts. Establishing these routines well before school starts should make the transition easier for everyone.

2. Be Prepared Academically

Check the summer reading list! If your kids were supposed to read books over the summer, make sure they have read them and if not, start a quiet time in the evening that is devoted to reading. By checking up on the summer reading, you will also avoid your kids getting stressed and anxious if they forgot to read the assignments. This quiet time can convert to homework and study time during the school year. Your kids will be used to this segment of quiet time and the transition will be easier for them.

3. Set Academic Expectations

Sit down with your child and talk about last school year. What worked well, what didn’t work quite so well? What can you both do to make this year better? What goals would your child like to accomplish this year? What would you like to see them accomplish? Together, list them out and discuss how you will achieve the goals and, if appropriate, schedule out steps to success. Discuss if additional help in the form of a tutor or extra help with homework would get them closer to these academic goals. Set up homework and study times - and perhaps, a household No Call Zone, where no phone calls will be accepted unless it is assignment-focused. Let your child know you will want to know his assignments daily and will want to check to be sure they are completed on time.

4. Set Household Expectations

Also set expectations for behavior around the house. This means getting up without a fuss, eating a good breakfast and lunch, honoring quiet homework time and going to bed at bedtime. It should also include honoring your No Call Zone, when and where to clear out back packs, where to put papers for parents to review/sign; where the family schedule is kept; letting parents know if rides are needed IN ADVANCE, if any sports uniforms need to be cleaned, practices, recitals, etc.

5. Set Up a Study Area

Find out how your kids study and do homework. If it’s at a table or desk, if it’s on their bed, if it’s on the floor on a comfortable cushion, you need to be sure they have the space that will help make them be the most productive. If one child likes to have music while another requires silence, invest in earphones! Have one area of the house designated to hold all school supplies. Set the expectation that once finished with a project, the supplies must be put back for anyone else to use. They can be stored in organized baskets in the pantry, in an office, in a family room, in a drawer or cupboard, but it must be accessible for everyone in the family and remain constant. Also, establish a rule that if special supplies are needed for special projects, you must be given advance warning - meaning days, not minutes!

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