Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category
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Posted by: tcota on February 6, 2010
If you live in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach or Redondo Beach, ski weeks comes around every year in February. Schools close, and many people head out for a week of vacation. But not everyone can get out of town and hit the slopes in Mammoth Mountain or Big Bear.
What are you doing for childcare during ski week? Have you ever considered hosting an au pair? Au pairs can work up to 45 hours a week, and the cost is $340 weekly, per family. With an au pair, you don’t have to worry about lining up childcare when this week comes around every year, nor do you have line up childcare for spring break, or parent teacher conferences, which follow in the weeks soon thereafter.
Ask me about how the au pair program can help you with your childcare needs for these kind of school closures, while providing a great cultural exchange. Call Tracy Cota, the Local Childcare Coordinator for the South Bay to learn more about how the au pair program can benefit your family.
Tracy Cota - 310-283-3521 or email me at tracy.cota@lcc.culturalcare.com.
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Posted by: tcota on January 28, 2010
At Cultural Care Au Pair and our parent company EF Education First, we believe in connecting people as citizens of the world, and breaking down barriers of language, culture and geography. Never is that mission more important than in a time of crisis.
In order to reach out to the people of Haiti, EF Education First will match up to $100,000 of employee, student and customer donations made through the American Red Cross.
We believe this is our responsibility as a company, as educators and as global citizens. We hope you will join us and other members of the Cultural Care community in our effort to aid the millions of Haitians who need our support.
Together, we can make a difference.
Click here to make a donation:
http://american.redcross.org/efeducationfirst-emp
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Posted by: tcota on January 16, 2010
Care Au Pair host families now have the ability to review even more applications and au pair profiles with our new 3 Ways to Match, a new program feature that let’s host families select the style of matching that best suits their needs. Host families can now search through multiple candidates on their own timeframe, set an appointment for a consultative matching session or work one-on-one with a placement manager who carefully selects possible matches. Best of all, our 3 Ways to Match allows you to enjoy the benefits of all three matching styles to help you find the right au pair for your family.
Three ways to match
Whether you’re a new family to Cultural Care Au Pair or have already hosted an au pair, our 3 Ways to Match makes it easy for you to begin reviewing au pair candidates right away. Simply fill out your new or repeat application. Once it’s processed, you can log into your account and begin matching. Here’s how it works:
Personalized, exclusive matching
Enjoy the benefits of our trademark one-on-one matching. Your placement manager will select carefully screened applications for you to review based on your family’s unique needs. Each au pair is exclusively reserved for your family’s review, which means no two families are contacting the same reserved au pair candidate at the same time.
Consultative matching
Review our pool of au pair candidates in real time by setting up a consultative matching appointment by phone with your placement manager. This highly effective method allows you to carve out time with your placement manager to review available candidates who are not being reviewed by other families. At the end of the appointment, you have the opportunity to have up to three candidates maximum reserved for your family exclusively.
Search & Select
An enhancement to our current profile review system, this new feature offers families the ability to build a list of au pair profiles available for review. Families can narrow the search field and request, for example, a driver, a second year au pair or someone available now. If you find a candidate of interest to you, you may add the au pair to your list and notify your placement manager of your interest by clicking the Notify Placement Manager button. Your placement manager will review your matches and place up to three of those matches into your host family account for further review of their full application.
Sample & Save - try our 3 “Ways to Match” risk free
Now for a limited time only, host families who apply to Cultural Care Au Pair will have the opportunity to try our 3 Ways to Match FREE. New families who submit an application from January 14, 2010 to January 17, 2010 and take an au pair into their home by October 22, 2010 will have the $75 application fee waived, in addition to our $275 au pair selection. In addition, families applying will also receive a $500 discount off the program fee - a total savings of $850!
There’s never been a better time to begin your search for an au pair. For more information about our 3 Ways to Match or our limited-time-only $850 discount, contact Tracy Cota, your local childcare coordinator, at 310-283-3521.
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Posted by: tcota on January 8, 2010
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| Our host families spoke, and we listened. The economy had an impact on everyone last year. Many families faced new financial challenges, but in the end, they still needed flexible, affordable childcare. As a result, Cultural Care Au Pair has created several new payment options that help lower the initial cost for welcoming an au pair into their home in the New Year. Along with this exciting new change, we are also keeping our prices the same for the second year in a row!
Now new families applying to Cultural Care Au Pair will have even more payment options available. Not only have we reduced our application fee, we have created several new payment plans for new and repeat families. As a result, they can continue to enjoy all the benefits they have enjoyed from Cultural Care Au Pair in the past - and even more!
Lower application fee, lowered payment plan options
How does it work? Now new families applying to the program will pay a $75 non-refundable application fee -a savings over our previous $350 application fee. Upon finding the right au pair, a $275 selection fee will be due so the au pair can finalize arrangements to come to the U.S. Offering this new payment structure not only helps secure the au pair for the family, it allows the visa process to begin moving forward.
In addition, families now have even more flexibility when it comes to making payments. On our regular payment plan, families now have the ability to pay the program fee 30 days prior to the au pair’s arrival, instead of upon selection of an au pair. This is great for families who select an au pair early, as it provides them with additional time to pay their program fee.
In addition, our Extended Payment Plan option now lowers the initial deposit to $2,395, plus a $200 payment plan enrollment fee. Families have the option of making a payment in three easy installments or they can log into their host family account at their convenience and pay weekly, bi-weekly or monthly - whatever works best for the family, as long as it’s within the Extended Payment Plan timeframe. Repeat and extension families enjoy all these flexible payment benefits as well, with the additional benefit of a waived application fee!
Along with keeping prices the same in 2010, and creating several new, lower payment plan options, we are also decreasing the cost for enrolling in our Extended Payment Plan, making it even easier to afford an au pair in the New Year. For more information about how to utilize these new options, contact me, your local childcare coordinator, and I will be happy to provide you with additional details about Cultural Care Au Pair’s exciting new payment options for 2010!
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Posted by: tcota on December 23, 2009
Every year thousands of young people from all over the world embark on a special journey by becoming an au pair. Now it’s time to recognize the extraordinary and ordinary daily accomplishments that each au pair makes in his or her host family by nominating your au pair for the International Au Pair Association’s seventh annual Au Pair of the Year Award.
The International Au Pair Association established the Au Pair of the Year Award to recognize the many great young men and women participating in the au pair program worldwide. In addition, the award helps highlight public awareness of this valuable cultural exchange program.
For the last two years, au pairs with Cultural Care have been honored with the IAPA Au Pair of the Year Award. In 2009, the honor was awarded to Francisco Ricardo Silva de Araújo, of Brazil, an au pair to the Boyer family of Virginia. In 2008, Linda Falter, an au pair from Germany, received the award while she was an au pair for the Sato family of Hayward, California.
What makes your au pair outstanding?
Maybe it’s the day-to-day things he or she does, such as kicking around a soccer ball, helping the kids with homework or entertaining them while you cook dinner. Maybe it’s the way he or she has embraced your family, such as teaching your kids her language, baking treats from her home country or coming to watch your children in the winter program at school. Every thing your au pair does that helps your family or brings a rich cultural exchange into your family is worthy of recognition, and a great way of saying thank you to your au pair!
Host families who would like to nominate their au pair should submit an essay detailing what makes their au pair exceptional in the form provided. Nominations for the Au Pair of the Year Award must be received by Friday, January 15. Once you’ve submitted your nomination, don’t forget to share it with your au pair to show her or him how much you think of what she or he does for your family!
Simply nominating an au pair for the IAPA Au Pair of the Year Award is a wonderful honor that can show your au pair how much you value what she or he does for your family. This award allows so many in the au pair community to reflect on what an incredibly positive program this is and the many lives it touches and enriches along the way.
For more information about the Au Pair of the Year Award or nominating your au pair please click here.
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Posted by: tcota on November 24, 2009
Is your New Year’s resolution to simplify your life in the New Year? An au pair can help you get organized and give your family the kind of childcare it needs. Au pairs can work up to 45 hours per week, and the cost averages about $340 per family, per week. That savings is per family, not per child. Apply now, and we will try to find an au pair who suits your family’s needs. We are currently waiving our application fee, and offering a winter savings discount.
If you live in the Greater Los Angeles Area, and are considering making a change to your childcare arrangements in the New Year, I would be happy to talk to you further about our program. From Santa Monica to Manhattan Beach to Orange County and beyond, Cultural Care Au Pair has helped countless families with quality, affordable childcare.
Winter Savings - Save $500!
When you apply to Cultural Care Au Pair by December 15, we’ll not only waive our $350 application fee, Cultural Care will also extend to you a $150 program fee discount. So your total savings = $500! Use promo code PCWIN2009 when you apply to take advantage of this offer. Host families must be new to Cultural Care Au Pair, apply between November 1, 2009 and December 15, 2009 and welcome an au pair into their home by April 2, 2010.
Tracy Cota
Local Childcare Coordinator
Cultural Care Au Pair
310-283-3521
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Posted by: tcota on November 19, 2009
Just a reminder — we are having our au pair meeting at Seaside Ice in Redondo Beach tomorrow night. The city of Redondo Beach turns its famous Seaside Lagoon private beach area into an outdoor ice rink. The au pairs who provide childcare in Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Torrance will be meeting at 7:30 PM to have fun and ice skate! For some, it will be the first time they put on skates and hit the ice rink. Don’t forget to bring socks. Au pair meeting details below!
*******UPCOMING AU PAIR MEETINGS
NOVEMBER
Thursday, November 19th - 7:30 PM – 9/9:30 PM
Ice Skating @ Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach
REVIEW THE WEB SITE FOR DETAILS
http://www.seasideice.com/
Cost: $14
They turn the beachside swimming area into an ice rink for the holidays! Come skate and bring socks!
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Tracy Cota
Local Childcare Coordinator
Cultural Care Au Pair
310-283-3521
tcota.aupairnews.com
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Posted by: tcota on October 9, 2009
Just wanted to remind all of you that we have our monthly au pair meeting for the au pairs on Saturday morning at 11 AM. Our au pairs from Torrance, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach will be going to the Point Vicente Interpretive Center with the Long Beach/Palos Verdes Au Pair Group. This event is free. Donations are, accepted however. You will have an opportunity to take a tour of a California light house and the whale museum next door. Both are free, but donations are accepted, so you may want to bring a dollar or two. I will set up a picnic table outside between the museum and the lighthouse and bring some snacks so we can hang out in between. There is a spectacular view here, so you will not want to come without your camera! If you are up for it, there are also some great trails around the area.
OCTOBER
Saturday, Oct. 10
Point Vicente Lighthouse in Palos Verdes.
11 AM – 1 PM
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.
To get here from the beach cities, take Hawthorne Blvd to Palos Verdes, all the way to Palos Verdes Drive East/W. and go left. You will see the lighthouse on the right hand side less than a mile from the intersection.
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Posted by: tcota on September 2, 2009
Back to School = Big Savings
Are you looking for childcare when your kids go back to school? When you apply to Cultural Care Au Pair by September 15th, we’ll not only waive our $350 application fee, Cultural Care will extend to you a $500 program fee discount and free overseas connection service during the matching process (a $150 value). Many families in Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Torrance and many other towns in Southern California and beyond are already taking advantage of this incredible offer. Au pairs offer flexible, affordable childcare — 45 hours per week, for about $340 per week, per family. Not per child!
Host families must be new to Cultural Care Au Pair, apply between August 19, 2009 and September 15, 2009 and welcome an au pair into their home by October 23, 2009.
To view some of our available au pairs, click here:
http://tinyurl.com/nu7qvw
Want more info or a promo code to try our matching process, call 310-283-3521
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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.
http://tinyurl.com/nu7qvw
