A New Way to See the World: an interview with a family and their au pair

The Cultural Care Au Pair Program is an opportunity for people between the ages of 18 and 26 from around the world who would like to experience the culture of the United States and meet other young adults interested in travel. This program offers benefits for both the host family, who are able to hire a live – in au pair with at least 200 hours of experience caring for children, often for more flexibility and a lower cost than an au pair from the U.S.; as well as the au pairs themselves, who in exchange for their work not only get paid but get the opportunity to live abroad for a year. While both parties may need to adjust to a new lifestyle, most are satisfied with the experience.

Photo courtesy of flickr creative commons: flickr.com/photos/toasty/1540997910/

I have interviewed Mrs. Trisha Johnson, a mother of two who hires foreign au pairs through this program, Ms. Kimmy Johnson, who has had au pairs all her life, and Morten Rasmussen, an au pair from Denmark who lives with the family; to get a sense of the challenges and rewards of this program. 

Kathryn Blanco is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program