Archive for August, 2009
Where would your au pair come from?
No Comment |Posted by: tcota on August 22, 2009
Cultural Care Au Pair brings au pairs to the U.S. from more than 40 countries around the world. Where would your au pair come from? Au Pairs come from all over the world — China, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Brazil, Argentina and many other countries. Cultural Care has created a new catalog with bios of many of our available au pairs. If you would like to learn more about any of these au pairs, give me a call and I can get you set up to enter our matching process with absolutely no obligation. Call for additional details: 310-283-3521.
|
|
|
|
Kids First Fundraiser @ Glacier Ice Cream in Manhattan Beach
No Comment |Posted by: tcota on August 17, 2009
This week when you visit Glacier Ice Cream & Gelato in Manhattan Beach and mention Kids First, they will donate 20% of all proceeds to Kids First. Kids First is a non-profit organization affiliated with Cultural Care Au Pair. Kids First helps support a wide range of children’s advocacy groups around the world. Money raised from Kids First fundraisers have helped support build an orphanage in South Africa, a children’s art center in Brazil and provided funds to support a children’s schol in New Orleans that was hit by Hurricane Katrina.
During the week of August 17 to 24 Glacier Ice Cream & Gelato in Manhattan Beach will donate 20% off all purchases made in the store to Kids First, including homemade icre cream and gelato, salads, sandwiches and items purchased in the store to take home! We will have our au pair meeting at the store on Wednesday, August 17th. at 7 PM. Host families, feel free to buy some ice cream for the kids! You can also buy an ice cream card gift certificates and more!
PLEASE MENTION CULTURAL CARE AU PAIR OR KID’S FIRST WHEN YOU GET YOUR ICE CREAM, OR BRING THE ATTACHED FLYER!
cultural-care-au-pair-fundraiser-83!
Glacier Ice Cream & Gelato
http://www.glaciericecream.com
Manhattan Beach, California
1605 N. Sepulveda Boulevard 90266
(Sepulveda and 17th Street, next to Firestone)
310-545-9730
|
|
|
|
|
AUGUST NEWSLETTER/ AU PAIR MTG. SCHEDULE FOR 2009
No Comment |Posted by: tcota on August 11, 2009
Hello South Bay & Westside Families & Au Pairs…
We have a lot of new arrivals this month, and several au pairs heading home… Please welcome our newest arrivals! All the au pairs should have an updated contact sheet, so please use that to reach out to your fellow au pairs.
July Arrivals
Julia – Austria – Redondo Beach
Lina – Sweden – West Los Angeles
August Arrivals
Mirielle – Germany – Manhattan Beach
Guicelle- Colombia – Manhattan Beach
Elizabeth- Colombia- Torrance
Tanja - Germany –Torrance
Please reach out to these au pairs and welcome them to the area
2) AU PAIR MEETINGS FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2009 – PLEASE READ & MARK YOUR CALENDARS.
Participating in the monthly au pair meetings is not optional. You must attend the au pair meetings to remain in good standing. This is one of the program requirements. If you need a ride, please make friends with another au pair and coordinate. If you cannot attend a meeting, you must let me know so that we have monthly contact. You are allowed to miss two meetings per year.
All future au pair meetings have been placed on the calendar at my web site: tcota.aupairnews.com. If you lose this email, please defer there in the future.
AUGUST
Wednesday, Aug. 19, 7 PM. – 830 PM – South Bay
Glacier Ice Cream & Gelato
1605 N. Sepulveda Boulevard 90266
Cost: $5 each… this is a fundraiser for Kids First, a Cultural Care Au Pair charity organization that raises money for underprivileged kids. We will hold our au pair meeting here that night, and throughout the week, if you visit a portion of their ice cream sales will be earmarked for Kid’s First…
SEPTEMBER
Sunday, September 13
11 AM to 1 PM
ANNUAL MULTI-AU PAIR GROUP AU PAIR MEETING MANHATTAN BEACH PIER
Au pairs from several different au pair groups from Santa Monica and Beverly Hills to Long Beach will get together at the Manhattan Beach Pier for a large scale orientation/meet & greet. Bring a towel to sit on. Come hang out with other au pairs and spend the day at the beach, after the meeting is over.
OCTOBER
Saturday, Oct. 10
Point Vicente Lighthouse in Palos Verdes.
11 AM – FREE
31501 Palos Verdes Drive East
http://www.palosverdes.com/rpv/recreationparks/PointVicenteInterpretiveCenter/
Once a month the lighthouse offers free tours. There is also an interpretive center at the site, which provides the history of Palos Verdes and the whale migration from Mexico to Alaska each year. We will be doing this meeting in conjunction with the Palos Verdes/Long Beach au pair group.
NOVEMBER
Thursday, November 19th - 7:30 PM
Ice Skating @ Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach
Cost: $14
They turn the beachside swimming area into an ice rink for the holidays! Come skate and bring socks!
DECEMBER
HOST FAMILY EVENT…
Sunday, December 6th 1 to 3 PM
La Romeria Park, Desserts & Coffee/Tea/Punch
Au pairs will bring desserts from their part of the world to share, and HF will bring their favorites too. We will also have plenty of arts and crafts for the kids. This is a host family event, which means the au pairs, kids and host families are all invited to participate in the fun.
3) EDUCATION
With so many au pairs coming to the end of their year, education has been a key topic at our au pair meetings of late…
• ONLINE CLASSES DO NOT COUNT – NEITHER DO CLASSES AT SOUTH BAY ADULT SCHOOL…. A lot of au pairs enjoy the English classes at South Bay Adult. It is fine to take them for your own personal development, but they will not count for the Department of State requirement.
• Start your education early. If you do not select a class early, and begin taking it, you will be at risk of not completing the educational requirement. This requirement is set by the U.S. Dept. of State. If you do not complete your educational requirement, you will not be in good standing with the program. That means you will not have your flight home paid for, and this could affect you should you apply for another visa in the future.
•Proof of education completion. It is imperative that you get the correct paperwork from the school. If you are enrolled in a class for credit, you will need to get a transcript from the school to show proof. If you have audited a class, you need to get a letter from your teacher on the school’s letterhead. It cannot be on a plain piece of white paper. These transcripts are sent to the State Department. A white piece of paper with info on it could be created by anyone in their eyes.
Please ensure you have the following items on your audit paperwork:
•Letterhead or an official document from the school
• Your name as having completed the classes
• Name of class and the number of hours completed
• Signature of your teacher/professor
IT IS MUCH EASIER TO SECURE THIS PAPERWORK WHILE YOU ARE ENROLLED IN THE CLASS, AND MUCH HARDED TO GET AFTER YOU ARE NO LONGER ON CAMPUS.
4) TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE U.S.
Several recent changes have been regarding au pair travel outside the U.S. Au pairs from the Czech Republic and Canada, for instance, are now required to have a travel visa to visit Canada. It is also not recommended for au pairs to travel outside the U.S. in the last two months of their visa, especially going back to their home country. This appears to the State Dept. as though another visa is being obtained. If you are making any international travel arrangements, please be sure you contact Cultural Care’s Operations Dept. as they can best advise you on overseas travel and visa restrictions.
5) REMINDER: AU PAIR STIPEND INCREASES TO $195.85, Federal minimum wage went up the week of July 24th, and so did the au pair stipend. You should have received multiple communications about this. Effective now, au pairs receive $195.85 weekly.
Hope you all enjoy the rest of the summer,
|
|
|
|
|