Amy Bryan, Local Childcare Coordinator

June Meeting Reminder!

Posted by: Amy Bryan on May 29, 2009

Our June au pair meeting is next weekend on Sunday, June 7th at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington.  We will be attending the Blue Rocks baseball game with other CCAP au pairs and host families in the Wilmington area.   The cost is $6 for General Admission seating, which you can buy at the ticket window.  Bring extra money if you plan to buy food, drinks or souvenirs.  The game starts at 1:35 pm.  Please get there early to ensure that you can get a ticket!  I will be there in the General Admission area by 1:15 in my bright blue Cultural Care T-shirt (feel free to wear yours, if you have one, so you are easy to spot! Families, host kids, friends and other au pairs are welcome! Families who attend may count this as their Host Family Day event for the year.  I know that at least one of the other groups is also making this a host family event as well, so you will have a chance to meet other area families.   Please let me know if you will be attending.  Au pairs are expected to be there, as this is our meeting for the month of June. Any au pair who cannot attend must let me know right away and include your reason for why you cannot attend!

For more information and directions, please see the previous posts about this or visit the Blue Rocks website.

Stuff to do in Delaware this summer…

Posted by: Amy Bryan on May 22, 2009

…that won’t cost you a lot of money, or in some cases, any money!

Check out this article from delawareonline.com.  Events listed take place throughout the First State!

Au Pair Stipend Increase for 2009 Coming Soon!

Posted by: Amy Bryan on May 21, 2009

Just a reminder that the weekly stipend will be increasing to $195.75 in July. Please read below for more information.

Please contact me with any questions.

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The current weekly au pair stipend is $176.85 per week. The calculation used to determine the au pair stipend amount is a combination of the federal minimum wage as well as a room and board allowance.  The exact calculation used to determine the weekly stipend is as follows:
Minimum wage amount x 45 hours - 40% (room and board allowance) = au pair stipend amount

On May 24th, 2007, Congress approved the first increase in the federal minimum wage in nearly a decade.  President Bush signed this bill on May 25th and this has a direct impact on the au pair weekly stipend 60 calendar days post-presidential approval.

As the changes to minimum wage impact the au pair stipend incrementally, what follows is an overview of these changes and how they have already impacted and will impact the stipend over time:

1. Tuesday, July 24th, 2007
Increased from $139.05 to $157.95/week
2.  Thursday, July 24th, 2008
Increased from $157.95 to $176.85/week
3.  Friday, July 24th, 2009
Increase from $176.85 to $195.75/week

All Cultural Care Au Pair literature and agreements stipulate that host families comply with all regulations, therefore, adherence to these changes is required of all program participants.

Au Pair stipend and guidelines:

- the stipend i s a living stipend; the calculation used to determine the au pair stipend amount is a combination of the federal minimum wage as well as room and board allowance. As this is a living stipend , it must be paid on a weekly basis and cannot be  withheld for any reason, including:
- when your AP is sick and cannot work
- when your AP owes you money for a phone bill, car accident, or anything else
- the only time when au pair does not receive her stipend is when she is in her two week transition period and not working

Get answers to your questions from the Au Pair Answer Mom!

Posted by: Amy Bryan on May 21, 2009

Au Pair Answer Mom is now on YouTube! In addition to our office staff and your Local Childcare Coordinator (LCC), there is someone else who can help answer questions about hosting an au pair and that’s Au Pair Answer Mom.

The Au Pair Answer Mom shares her own thoughts on some of the most common questions about hosting a Cultural Care au pair through short video clips. Be sure to check out Cultural Care Au Pair’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/culturalcare for answers to the most common questions.
Have a question you’d like answered? Email aupairanswermom@culturalcare.com with your question!

Thank you, host families!

Posted by: Amy Bryan on May 7, 2009

Thank you to those families who participated in our Host Family Survey.  Your opinions and suggestions are very valuable to us as an organization, as well as me personally, and will help us to continue providing you with the best service possible.

I am personally grateful that you have taken time out of your busy schedules to complete this, as I am always willing to entertain any constructive criticism offered in order to service my families and au pairs better.

The Customer Service staff has reviewed the results of the “LCC” section with me and I’m proud to say that I received positive ratings from all families who participated — thank you!  It is nice to hear that I’m doing a good job, and I will continue to go above and beyond to help make the year successful and fun for both families and au pairs.  I have only been doing this a little over a year, so I’m still learning, but I thank you for being understanding as I continue to grow in my role as your LCC.

I will be reviewing the overall survey results later this month when they are posted in our LCC accounts and would be happy to personally discuss anything with you at that time.

NEW — Au Pair Videos!

Posted by: Amy Bryan on May 7, 2009

Cultural Care is introducing an exciting new feature to help our families in the matching process–au pair videos!  We are giving au pair candidates the option to upload videos of themselves, so that prospective host families can view them to aid with finding the right au pair!

You can see some of them at www.culturalcare.com/hostfamilies/availableaupairs or just scroll through them at http://aupairvideos.com.  Families can also upload their own videos for the au pairs as well!

I’m personally very excited about this and think it will be such a great help to those families who are matching!!

If you’re currently matching or plan to be in the future, take a look at the videos that have been uploaded–there are some really great au pairs out there!

Mother’s Day Celebrations in CCAP Recruitment Countries

Posted by: Amy Bryan on May 7, 2009

Here is an overview of Mother’s Day traditions and celebrations in some of our recruitment countries.  If your home country is not listed here and you’d like it to be, please email me to share some of your country’s Mother’s Day traditions and I will add them to the post!

This information was found at http://www.mothersdaycentral.com/about-mothersday/history/

Argentina

Though most of South America observes Mother’s Day-Día de la madre-in May, Argentina celebrates on the second Sunday in October.

It is customary to honor Argentinean Mothers with dinners, poems and special gestures of attention. Children write letters in school or make cards and crafts to take home. Husbands cook and clean and look after the family, allowing the mother to relax and enjoy the day. Moms are almost certain to receive flowers, cards, candy, jewelry or an unexpected surprise.

France

Inspired by American soldiers in World War I, France celebrated Mother’s Day first in 1918. The Minister of the Interior created the official day in 1920, declaring December 19 La Fete de Meres, Mothers’ Day. The focus then was on the re-population of France following the high rate of attrition from the Great War (aka WWI). Mothers with four or five children were awarded a bronze medal. For six or seven the mother would receive a silver medal, and eight or more offspring garnered the gold. This tradition was abandoned when a more modern version of Mother’s Day came from the Vichy government, which on May 25, 1945, instituted the National Day of Mothers. Today a common gift is a cake shaped to resemble a bouquet of flowers, along with candies, flowers, cards and perfumes.

India

A westernized version of Mother’s Day is officially observed on May 10 in India, though cities and cultural centers tend to celebrate it more than the smaller settlements. On this day mothers receive flowers, a prepared meal, cards or a phone call.

Hindus also have long celebrated a 10 day festival in October called Durga Puja. As the ancient Greeks honored their earth goddess, the Hindu holiday praises their divine mother, Durga. This ancient festival has evolved into one of the biggest events in India. Families spend weeks preparing food and gifts for friends and cleaning and decorating their houses for parties. Businesses and companies now capitalize and plan their own special promotions for the event, much the same way American businesses have tapped into the market potential of Mother’s Day.

Mexico

On May 10th the Mexicans celebrate the Día de las madres.  In the morning the mother is usually treated to a song sung by her family, or a serenade by a hired band. A family breakfast or brunch is also customary. Any family trouble or enmity is laid aside and all gather to honor the matriarch.

Mexicans typically exchange flowers and chocolates. Cards are very popular, and apparently May 10 is the largest day for card sending in Mexico. Phone calls are also customary if the child cannot make it to see their mother.

Yugoslavia

Tied to a three day series of holidays, the Mother’s Day cycle in Yugoslavia begins with Children’s Day or “Dechiyi Dan” three days before Christmas. The following Sunday is Mother’s Day or “Materitse”, and the Sunday after that is Father’s Day or “Ochichi.”

On Children’s Day the children are tied up and not released until they promise to be good. On Mother’s day the mother is bound. To earn her freedom she must give the family treats and candy. The father gets tied the next Sunday but must promise more lavish gifts, clothing or shoes, and these items are usually the family’s Christmas gifts.

The typical gifts exchanged include candy, sweets, clothing, shoes, coats-and promises of good behavior.

Other Countries & Regions Celebrating Mother’s Day

• Australia - The Australian Mother’s Day is similar to that of the United States, in which families visit each other and dinners. In addition to flowers, cards, jewelry and chocolates, it is customary for Australians to exchange perfume and teas on Mother’s Day.
• China - While China’s Mother’s Day distinguishes itself little from the United States’, it is interesting to note that most Chinese names begin with a character signifying Mother in honor of one’s maternal heritage, helping explain the cultural compatibility of such a holiday, despite it’s having been imported from the West.
• Denmark - In Denmark dining out to lunch is a popular Mother’s Day pastime. The day is called Mors Dag.
• Finland - In Finland Mother’s Day is called aidipayiva. In the morning the family arises and takes a walk, picking the new flowers which bloom this time of year and making a bouquet for the mother. A particular flower called the valkovuokko is favored. This is a small white pungent flower. Back home Mom presented with a decorated bouquet, while also being served breakfast in bed.
• Germany - Celebrated on the second Sunday in May, German children present their mothers with cards and flowers, as in the U.S.
• Norway - The Norwegian Morsdag takes place on February’s second Sunday.
• Serbia - Also occurring two weeks before Christmas, the Serbian Mother’s Day tradition is quite similar to the Yugoslavian one. The Sunday prior to Mother’s Day is commemorated by a ritual in which parents tie up their young ones until they promise to behave themselves. Retribution comes a week later when children bind their mother until she offers them candy and other treats. But it doesn’t end on Mother’s Day. The following Sunday it’s the father’s turn to be tied up until he promises some pricey gifts.
• South Africa - South Africa celebrates Mother’s Day on the first Sunday in May.
• Sweden - Sweden’s Mother’s Day, which takes place on the last Sunday in May, has a strong charitable focus: the Swedish Red Cross sells small plastic flowers leading up to the holiday, and the proceeds raised are given to poor mothers and their children.
• Thailand - Perhaps the most unique Asian Mother’s Day holiday takes place in Thailand. The celebration coincides with the birthday of their beloved queen, Sirikit Kitayakara, who has reigned since 1950. Her birthday, and therefore Mother’s Day, takes place on August 12.
• Turkey - Mother’s Day in Turkey is heavily influenced by the traditions from the United States.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of our host moms and thank you for all that you do!

2009 Meeting Dates

Posted by: Amy Bryan on May 4, 2009

I have added meeting dates through the month of November on the Calendar page.  Dates for the CEP meetings are tentative, based on whether we have a guest speaker for those events or not.  Our December meeting may be a regional event and will be scheduled later in the year.

From July on, we will be having joint meetings with the CCAP group in Newark.  We have lots of ideas and felt that it would be more productive and fun to meet together, so we are planning for a fun second half of the year.

Please mark these on your calendar now and plan to attend!  Remember that meetings are mandatory to successfully completing your au pair year!

Our June and September meetings will be open to host families to count as host family day events.  The August and December meetings are also tentative host family events as well.  Remember that families are required by the State Department to attend one host family day event per year.

Philadelphia’s Au Pair Scavenger Hunt

Posted by: Amy Bryan on May 2, 2009

In spite of the rainy weather this morning, Cultural Care’s Au Pair Scavenger Hunt did take place today.  We had a great turn-out despite the weather, and ended up with a really nice afternoon!

Au pairs divided themselves into small groups and were given 2 hours to find as many items on their lists as possible, in addition to the answers to some trivia questions.  Everyone gave it a good shot and those who found the most were awarded gift cards.

Thank you to all of you who came and I hope you had a fun day in the “City of Brotherly Love!”  Those of you who attended have your May meeting requirement completed.  We’ve already been thinking ahead to next year, so I hope we can continue this tradition for au pairs for years to come!  Please enjoy some of my pictures from the day!

June Meeting — Blue Rocks baseball

Posted by: Amy Bryan on May 1, 2009

Our June meeting will be a joint event with several other CCAP groups in the Wilmington area.  We will be attending a Wilmington Blue Rocks baseball game at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington.  The stadium is located right off of I - 95 at 801 Shipyard Drive.

The game is on Sunday, June 7th and begins at 1:35 pm.  We will be sitting in the General Admission seats along the third base side of the stadium.  Get there early to get a ticket and a seat!!!! You can also buy tickets in advance.  General admission tickets cost $6; bring extra money if you wish to buy food or drinks.  You cannot take your own food or drinks into the stadium with you!  Parking at the stadium is free, but if you get there late, you will have a bit of a walk, so again, try to arrive early!

Host families and friends are welcome to join us!  Families may count this as their host family day event for the year, or can just join us and meet some other au pairs, families and LCCs in the area!!!

DIRECTIONS TO FRAWLEY STADIUM:

FROM THE SOUTH:
I-95 North to Exit 6, Maryland Ave. Right onto Maryland Avenue, and through the traffic light onto Martin Luther King Blvd. Make a right at the traffic light on Justison Street. Follow Justison Street to Shipyard Drive.

• Alternate Route: I-95 North to Exit 6, Maryland Avenue. Left onto Maryland Avenue, then another left onto Beech Street (2nd light). Turn right just past railroad tracks onto stadium access road.

FROM THE NORTH:
I-95 South to Exit 6 (in Delaware). Go through three lights. Make a left at the fourth light onto Martin Luther King Blvd. Go through three lights. Make a right at the fourth light onto Justison Street. Follow Justison Street to Shipyard Drive.

• Alternate Route: I-95 South to Exit 6. Follow Jackson Street to Maryland Avenue. Turn right onto Maryland Avenue, then left onto Beech Street. Turn right just past railroad tracks onto stadium access road.

Alternate routes are suggested on weekend games.

IMPORTANT GPS NOTE: If using a GPS device to locate the stadiuim, you may need to enter our old address: 801 South Madison Street. Not all GPS devices contain our updated 801 Shipyard Drive address.

You can also get there via Route 13 North (DuPont Highway) — check Google Maps!

If you’ve never attended a baseball, or have no idea how it’s played, check out one of the following links:

Explanation in simple English

Explanation in German

Explanation in Spanish

Explanation in Portuguese

Explanation in Mandarin Chinese (I think! )

If your language is not listed and you need more explanation, visit wikipedia.org to find the appropriate link for your native language!