Au Pairs A Must Have for Modern Families

Media release
October 16, 2009

Life’s everyday tasks are challenging enough, without worrying about how to cope with juggling the demands of family and work life.

With a qualified au pair from New Zealand’s leading agency, Au Pair Link, help is at hand to take the stress out of your daily routine and offer unparalleled convenience and support to your family.

Managing Director of Au Pair Link, Cecilia Robinson, says that au pairs offer parents the best of both worlds.

“An au pair is effectively like having an extra pair of hands in the home,” she says. “Not only does an au pair provide in-home, dedicated childcare they also give families the convenience of help around the home for only $240 a week.”

As a live-in caregiver, au pairs also offer parents convenience and flexibility. No more picking up and dropping off children to day care centres or worrying about getting a babysitter at the last minute because your au pair is always there to help.

Robinson says that becoming an au pair host family is also a fantastic way to promote understanding of other cultures and customs.

“Many children have the ability to learn a second language thanks to their au pair or learn a new talent whether it be artistic, musical or sporting. This type of education and experience is priceless for young children.”

Au Pair Link has assisted with over 250 au pair placements since it was established in 2006 and provides clients with personal service and ongoing support.

Each of the au pairs from the internationally recognised agency are competent in conversational English, trained in first aid and have at least 100-150 hours of documented childcare experience. They have also been through a rigorous screening process – including police and medical record checks, references, a personal interview, English and personality tests.

“The trust of our clients is paramount,” says Robinson. “We work personally with each family to ensure the best possible fit from our large database of au pairs is made.”

The agency also specialises in au pairs for childcare of all age groups including those under five years and school aged children.

“I think the biggest impact on parents is that their level of stress is reduced,” says Robinson. “When you don’t have to worry about coming home from work, going to the supermarket, putting your children’s dinner on and doing the housework, life just becomes that little bit easier.”

Respected therapist Leanne French says au pairs tend to offer not just physical but also good quality emotional care. Au pairs tend to be more dependable, are able to form strong, trustworthy relationships when their personalities are a good match with families, she says.

“Not only does it reduce your child’s stress by staying at home in a familiar, caring, stable environment but the benefits of au pair care within the home has the ability to reduce parental stress levels enormously,” says French.

She says when children are exposed to different languages and cultures it invites a higher level of co-operation which invites creativity into the process of thinking and relating.

“Children learn to share better. They learn to trust their ability to make good decisions when faced with challenges. They learn positive ways to adjust their behaviours in order to be understood and to understand they get to try new things and develop empathy and respect for others,” she says.

French says an au pair provides individualised attention and children are exposed to interesting learning activities through varied activities indoors and out.

“I am not a great fan of young children having to fit into rigid schedules and activities. When things are over organised play and adventure are squished,” she says.

“With an au pair in the home, things are less rigid, hours are flexible, sickness in’t an issue and without those firm deadlines for pick-ups and drop-offs, and hours spent travelling, your management of time is greatly improved,” says French.

French says as a relationship expert the added bonus of an au pair means that parents are able to negotiate evenings off to spend time together as a couple.

Au Pair link is the only au pair agency in New Zealand that is a Ministry of Education licensed and chartered early childhood education provider.

The agency is also the only member of the International Au Pair Association in Australasia and the first and only au pair agency in New Zealand to offer an orientation course for au pairs – including childcare, driving and CPR lessons.

Au Pair Link has offices in Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Christchurch and the Bay of Plenty. For more information visit http://http://www.aupairlink.co.nz or call 0800 AU PAIR.

Ends

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