Archive for January, 2009
New Format for the website!
No Comment |Posted by: Amy Bryan on January 23, 2009
Welcome to my new and improved Au Pair website! Cultural Care has given us an upgrade! I have been hard at work over the last few days transferring content from the old site to the new one, so I hope to have everything the way I want within the next week. You can still access the old layout at http://a-bryan.local.culturalcare.com until the end of February, but I think all the really important information is here. After that, the IT folks will shut that one down and this will be your primary information site!
I have A TON of links along the right side of the page, which should not only be useful to au pairs, but host families as well! I’ve tried to provide a wide variety of things and have done the Googling so you don’t have to! I will probably adding new links as I come across things I think will be helpful, so check back often!
If you read any past posts that had a document attached on the old site, it probably isn’t attached on here. I’m not sure if I can even do that yet, so bear with me as I figure out how this site works!
You will also notice that there is a calendar tab, as well as a photo tab. I haven’t uploaded any pictures yet, but will soon. I think there may be a way for you all to upload pictures that you have as well–when I figure that out, I’ll let you know and will look forward to seeing them here!
I hope you will find this to be a useful resource for your au pair year. There are still some changes I plan to make, so check back often!
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Important News Regarding CCAP’s Summer Program
No Comment |Posted by: Amy Bryan on January 7, 2009
Since the U.S. Department of State launched the Summer Program as a pilot program three years ago, Cultural Care Au Pair has offered this option to our host families. Although the program did have a small but loyal following, Cultural Care Au Pair will not be operating the Summer Program in 2009.
Cultural Care’s full-year program is the very best value for our families, and if you have hosted summer au pairs or planned to host a summer au pair, consider trying our full-year program. Not only is it a better value overall, it allows you and your family to rely on flexible childcare year-round!
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Lock in 2008 Program Fee Prices
No Comment |Posted by: Amy Bryan on January 7, 2009
Due to these challenging economic times, we will be holding our program fee steady at $7,095 for the beginning of this year. Cultural Care is offering these savings for a limited time only!
The price of the program fee will go up later this winter, so if you were planning to apply or planning to repeat, NOW is the time to get your application in!
New families can apply for free during this time as well, and repeat families also do not pay the application fees to re-apply!
By applying now, you can save up to $850! If you are a new family, be sure to enter promo code PCWOE2009 before you submit your application in order to be eligible for this savings promotion!
If you have any questions before applying or about your application, my contact information can be found on the “About” page, which you can reach by clicking the appropriate link at the top of this page!
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Tax Information for Host Families
No Comment |Posted by: Amy Bryan on January 7, 2009
This time of year always brings questions about taxes. As a participant in the au pair program, Cultural Care strongly recommends that you consult with your tax advisor, accountant, insurance advisor and/or an attorney regarding any state or federal rules or regulations that you may be required to comply with when you host an au pair. Unfortunately, Cultural Care is not in a position to provide such advice to our host families due to the variations in the law from state to state and to the individual circumstances of each host family.
There is some information we can provide and you can find it by clicking the “more” link below.
If your employer requires taxpayer identification numbers, you should use the following:
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Your au pair’s social security number or ITIN, in reference to payments made directly to your au pair
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Cultural Care Au Pair’s federal tax ID number in reference to program fees paid to Cultural Care Au Pair. Cultural Care Au Pair’s federal tax ID number is 20-2020345
As a general guideline, the following information might be helpful to your professional advisor or might be issues that need to be explored:
- Au pairs are here on a J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa. According to the IRS website, au pairs are exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes as well as Federal Unemployment Tax.
- Au pairs are required to pay income tax with the exception of Social Security. However, depending on the time of year that the au pair arrives or departs, they may not make the minimum level of income required for taxation in that calendar year.
- The weekly stipend and the fees paid to Cultural Care may qualify as a tax deductible childcare expense.
- The IRS does not require host families to file Schedule H (Form 1040).
- Host families and au pairs may want to inquire about obtaining a social security number for the au pair. In order to qualify for a social security number, the au pair must provide proof of her participation in the au pair program with a letter from Cultural Care. In addition, they will need their passport, I-94 card and DS 2019 form. Please contact us if you need assistance with this.
- We strongly recommend that you inquire with your professional advisor about specific state laws and requirements which may include, but not be limited to workers’ compensation insurance and state unemployment taxes.
Account statement
A statement/receipt of payments made to Cultural Care Au Pair is available in your online account’s Payment Center. Please contact your Program Director if you have any questions about payments made or credits owed.
Flexible Spending AccountsMany employers offer their employees the benefit of a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), such as a Dependent Care Spending Account. You should determine if the program fees and/or au pair stipend qualify for your employer’s program.
Please note that this is intended to be a guide only and is in no way an exhaustive list of the issues you should explore nor is it intended to be legal or tax advice.
If you are required to have a Flex Spending letter, you need to contact Account Services at Account.Services@culturalcare.com. They can issue one for you.
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Welcome, Monica!
No Comment |Posted by: Amy Bryan on January 6, 2009
We will be welcoming another new au pair to our group this month.
Monica will be joining us January 9th and will be living with her host family in Middletown. She is originally from Colombia. Please make her feel welcome!
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January Meeting
No Comment |Posted by: Amy Bryan on January 6, 2009
Our next meeting is Sunday, 11 January at 7 pm.
We will meet at Starbucks in Middletown. I thought it might be nice for us to just have some time to get together and chat! We’ve been busy the last few months with activities and Continuing Education lessons, so I feel like we haven’t had a chance just to “hang out!” We have also welcomed a few new au pairs over the last few months, and I’m sure they have questions we can help them out with!
Some topics I’d like to discuss:
to try and think of one cute or funny story about something involving your host kids or host family. Have you had a fun experience with them you can share? Do they say funny things or do funny things? Have you tried teaching them songs or words from your home country? You can talk about holidays, birthday parties, family trips, even something that you’ve been able to help the kids do or learn…any positive stories would be great to hear and share! |
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Free Admission to Delaware Museums–Saturday, 10 January
No Comment |Posted by: Amy Bryan on January 6, 2009
If you haven’t explored some of the local museums we have right here in DE, Saturday is a great time to do so!
The following article is from the News Journal, our local Delaware newspaper:
Area museums are offering a free day to attract new visitors
By BETSY PRICE
The News Journal
Jewels for free.
Jewels of the arts, that is.
On Saturday, eight area museums and gardens will throw open their doors and not charge admission. The Brandywine Valley Open House includes Winterthur Museum & County Estate, the Delaware Art Museum, Hagley Museum and Library, Delaware Museum of Natural History, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Rockwood Museum, Brandywine River Museum and the Delaware Historical Society, which includes the Read House & Gardens.
The free day is intended to boost awareness of the new Brandywine Museums and Gardens Alliance, and its Web site, www.brandywinetreasures.org, which members hope will be a one-stop shop for information about the members and their programs.
The group decided on Saturday Jan. 10 because its nickname is the Brandywine 10.
“It’s just a fun, all-positive way to open the doors for our neighbors and those who are a little bit farther afield,” says Lora Englehart, chair of the Alliance.
Too often, residents here don’t visit their local attractions, she and others say. The alliance hopes the open house will hook visitors and keep them coming back.
“People come from all over the country to visit our museums and gardens, and if you live nearby, the admission-free day is your chance to get to know the treasures in your own backyard,” Englehart says. “Whether it’s a spectacular art museum, a kid-friendly natural history museum, a historic site, or an estate, our doors are open — and on Saturday, our cash registers are shut!”
Here’s what you’ll find if you go Saturday:
Brandywine River Museum
KNOWN FOR: Unparalleled collection of art by three generations of Wyeths
ADDRESS: U.S. 1, Chadds Ford, Pa.
HOURS: 9:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
CONTACT: (610) 388-2700; www.brandywinemuseum.org
Besides the works by the Wyeths, the collection includes paintings by other Brandywine Valley artists. A Brandywine Christmas includes an extensive O-gauge model railroad, an elaborate Victorian doll house, thousands of critter ornaments and “Scenes of the Season: Paintings and Illustrations from the Collection,” which features winter landscapes and classic images from beloved stories such as “The Night Before Christmas” and “A Christmas Carol.” On view in this special exhibition are works by Winslow Homer, Felix O.C. Darley, Maxfield Parrish, Jessie Willcox Smith, N.C. Wyeth, Thomas Nast and Edward Redfield.
Delaware Art Museum
KNOWN FOR: A world-renowned collection of American art and illustration, and British Pre-Raphaelite art.
ADDRESS: 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington
HOURS: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
CONTACT: 571-9590; www.delart.org
One temporary exhibit, “Frank E. Schoonover: An Artist for All Seasons,” focuses on the prolific American illustrator during the Golden Age of Illustration in the early 20th century.
Another, “The Invented Worlds of Alida Fish,” highlights 25 years of the work of the Delaware photographer, who won a state Division of the Arts’ 2008 Masters Fellow in Visual Arts.
Permanent collections include work by Howard Pyle, an illustrator best known for his iconic pirate figures, and the British Pre-Raphaelites, who rejected the conventions of their time and created paintings and drawings of beautiful seductive women in scenes from literature.
Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts
KNOWN FOR: Contemporary visual arts
ADDRESS: 200 S. Madison St., Wilmington
HOURS: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
CONTACT: 656-6466; www.thedcca.org
Current exhibitions include “Donald E. Camp: Dust Shaped Hearts — New Orleans,” “Janell Olah: I will find us a path to everything we hope for,” “Fantastical Imaginings,” “Mary Gamble Barrett: Reminiscence: Collecting and Recollecting,” “Moe Brooker: The Substance of Feeling,” “Renee Benson & Patrick Siler” and “Hyun Kyung Yoon.”
Delaware Historical Society
KNOWN FOR: Delaware historical artifacts and documents. The Society includes the Delaware History Museum and the Read House & Gardens
ADDRESS: Museum, 504 N. Market St., Wilmington; Read House, 42 The Strand, New Castle
HOURS: 11 a.m.-4 p.m., both museum and house
CONTACT: 656-7160 (museum); 322-8411 (house); www.dehistory.org
The history museum’s current exhibit is “Smoke Eaters! The History of Firefighting in Delaware.” “Distinctively Delaware” is a permanent exhibit. The Read House offers a tour of the home. Both gift shops will offer 20 percent discounts this Saturday.
Delaware Museum of Natural History
KNOWN FOR: A collection of 2 million shells, dinosaur skeletons and an interactive Discovery Room
ADDRESS: 4840 Kennett Pike, Greenville
HOURS: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
CONTACT: 658-9111; www.delmnh.org
The Hall of Mammals includes animals from North and South America, Antarctica, Africa, and Delaware streams and marshes. The Shell Gallery provides a simulation of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and includes a 500-pound giant clam shell. The Discovery Room is an interactive space for children. Dinosaur Gallery includes the towering dinosaur skeletons, Tuojiangosaurus and Yangchuanosaurus. The Hall of Birds includes an extinct passenger pigeon and an egg of the extinct elephant bird among its 118,000 bird specimens.
Hagley Museum and Library
KNOWN FOR: The 235-acre site along the Brandywine River includes the remains of the original DuPont gunpowder mills and family residence
ADDRESS: 200 Hagley Road, near Greenville
HOURS: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
CONTACT: 658-2400; www.hagley.lib.de.us
The du Pont family’s ancestral home, Eleutherian Mills, is filled with antiques, memorabilia and artwork. At the Powder Yard, visitors get an in-depth look at the making of the DuPont Co.’s original product, gunpowder. Guides show how gunpowder was tested with an eprouvette, and a machinist will demonstrate the tools of a 19th-century machine shop. Families can stop by “Easy Does It!” from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., where kids can play with pulleys, gears, levers and other simple machines, and learn how they work.
Rockwood Museum
KNOWN FOR: Unique gardens and a 1850s Rural Gothic mansion
ADDRESS: 610 Shipley Road, Penny Hill.
HOURS: house, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; gardens, 6 a.m.-10 p.m.
CONTACT: 761-4340; www.rockwood.org
The 1850s Gothic Revival mansion built by Quaker merchant Joseph Shipley has been restored to its 1890s Gilded Age style. The gardens were designed at a time when the structured, formal garden was giving way to a more naturalistic style.
Winterthur Museum & Country Estate
KNOWN FOR: American design at the ancestral home of renowned antiques collector Henry Francis du Pont. The 235-room mansion houses the pre-eminent collection of American antiques and decorative arts and is a touchstone for most American designers and museums.
ADDRESS: 5105 Kennett Pike, Greenville
HOURS: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
CONTACT: 888-4915; www.winterthur.org
Exhibits include “Feeding Desire: Design and the Tools of the Table, 1500-2005,” which looks at the details of European and American dining through the development of utensils. “Discovering Winter Interest in the Garden” is a 90-minute garden walk at 1 p.m. “K is for Kids” is an alphabetical introduction to Winterthur’s diverse collection of decorative art objects.
You can find links for all these places along the right side of the main page under “Things To Do In Delaware (and Nearby.)” Even if you don’t go this weekend, they might be good to check out some weekend when you want to do something locally.
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