Monthly Meeting Procedures & Rules
GENERAL RULES FOR MEETING ATTENDANCE:
1. Speak English at all times. That is the only language we all have in common. Speaking in your own language when people around cannot understand what you are saying can be considered rude. It is also not polite to whisper and have private conversations while someone else is speaking at a meeting.
2. Be respectful of the cultural differences of your fellow au pairs, as well as the Americans around you. Customs, traditions, manners and people are different; that is okay and part of the cultural exchange aspect of the program. Some things you do at home in your own country may be considered rude or inappropriate in another, so please use good judgement. If in doubt, it’s okay to ask!
3. Refrain from sharing private information about your host family, or from making comparisons between your situation and someone else’s. Every host family’s needs, expectations and situations are different, and what works in one family may not work for yours! While it is okay to ask questions or seek advice, it is NOT okay to make negative comments or unfair comparisons about your own or someone else’s host family or host children.
4. Any special issues that need to be discussed with me must be done with me privately before the meeting begins or after we officially dismiss and should not take the focus off of the general discussion / event or your fellow au pairs during the meeting.
5. Please be on time or call / text me as soon as possible if you are running late, so the rest of us can begin in a timely manner. I will be starting meetings at the scheduled time, so you may miss valuable information by being late. This may be different than you are used to at home in your own culture, but it is also important to try and adapt.
6. If you are carpooling, plan ahead and meet at one pick-up location, rather than expecting the driver to drive to each individual house. This will cut down on travel time, gas usage and car “wear and tear.” If you are getting a ride, it is also considered polite to help pay for gas and / or tolls. Be courteous and respectful of the rules the driving au pair’s host family has set for his / her use of the car.
7. You will not receive credit for attending if you do not plan to participate in the meeting. You should plan to come to a meeting or event and actually participate or take part for the duration of that meeting or event unless you have to leave early to work or attend class. If this is the case, I will verify this with your host family after the meeting. I will not allow you to come, sign in and leave. You must actually “attend” the meeting, not just show up to sign the paper.
MEETING PROCEDURES:
What are au pair meetings all about?
Attendance at monthly au pair meetings is a State Department requirement for successful completion of the au pair program. Host families need to accommodate for this, as well as provide and / or facilitate transportation for your au pair to get to meetings. Au pairs must attend a minimum of 10 out of the 12 meetings scheduled during their year. However, attendance at all meetings is strongly encouraged. These meetings are designed not only with the cultural exchange aspect of the program in mind, but also to give au pairs a way to network and form friendships.
Au pairs will be asked via email to RSVP for meetings. They must let me know in writing by the deadline in the RSVP email if they will not be attending. If I do not hear from them by the specified deadline, I will expect them at the meeting. If an au pair is ill on the day of a meeting and will not be attending due to this, I must know no later than one hour prior to the start of the meeting.
If an au pair misses a meeting, s/he will ONLY be allowed to make it up in the following instances:
* They were ill on the day of the meeting.
* The host family had no other option than to have them work at the time the meeting was scheduled.
* They are away on a pre-scheduled part of their allotted two weeks of vacation time.
Please note that I may ask for verification of these circumstances from the host family.
If an au pair is eligible for and would like the opportunity to make up the meeting, it is his / her responsibility to initiate setting this up. An au pair may email / call / text me to arrange a time to stop by my house and meet with me. If this is not done within one week of the original meeting date, the meeting will be counted as unexcused and a make up time will no longer be honored. If an au pair will be away for the duration of the week, as well as the day of the meeting, the au pair should arrange to meet with me before s / he goes away if they want credit for attending the meeting that month.
If an au pair does not inform me of his / her absence prior to a meeting and then does not show up for the meeting, he / she will automatically be counted as unexcused.
In the event of an unexcused absence, a follow up email will be sent to the au pair, host family and Program Director to alert everyone of the missed meeting, in case any questions arise later.
For any questions or concerns regarding this attendance policy and any changes made, please contact me at amy.bryan@lcc.culturalcare.com or call me at 302-898-7392 during my office hours. If you require further clarification of this policy, you may also contact Program Director Robin Hannum at robin.hannum@culturalcare.com or at 1-800-333-6056 x3580.
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