Liz Warrick

Cultural Care Au Pair is excited to invite families and au pairs to participate in our first-ever Cultural Care Au Pair Video Contest! Do you have something interesting, funny or inspiring to say about the au pair program? If so, we want to see it on film-and we’ll give you the chance to win an entire year of free childcare (for host families) and $1000 (for au pairs) for sharing it with us and the rest of the world!

Step 1: Get Creative!
Encourage everyone - kids, parents, au pair - to participate in sharing your experiences through video.

Step 2: Upload your video!
Go to our video contest page and submit your family’s video through our easy registration process. http://contest.culturalcare.com/

Step 3: Spread the Word!
Share the link to your video with your friends and family- they’re our judges! The host family and au pair with the most votes for favorite video will win the Grand Prize - a year of free childcare and $1000!

Check out the contest requirements and other exciting prizes here and get out your video cameras! Good luck! We look forward to seeing your family’s video!

Lights! Camera! Action!

Ask yourself, your family, and your au pair questions like:

• What does a day-in-the-life look like for your family and au pair?
• What is the most unexpected benefit of hosting an au pair?
• How does having an au pair save your family money?
• Why does the au pair program work better for you than daycare or nanny?
• Why did your family switch from another au pair agency?
• What are five ways your au pair makes your household a more peaceful/happy place?
• Why is an au pair a great solution for families in which both parents work?
• Why does the au pair program work well for a family with a stay-at-home mom or dad?
• How has having an au pair benefited your single-parent household?
• How does the au pair program add value when you have adopted children?
• How does an au pair help your family when one of you has to travel for business?

•What are the top ten reasons you couldn’t live without your au pair?

Tips for success!

• Make it interesting (Make us laugh, make us cry, and make it fun!)
• Keep it short (3 minutes or less is best)
• Sound is key (Be sure to eliminate background noise and that your voices are loud and clear)
• Light- especially natural light- is your friend! (Video taken outside and out of direct sunlight is ideal; if you’re shooting inside, be sure to turn on lots of lights)

• Experiment with props (Use costumes, themes, and music to make your video exciting)

Please be advised that in May of 2007, legislation was passed which resulted in a three-step plan to increase the federal minimum wage each July until 2009. The first increase occurred in July, 2007, the second occured in July, 2008 and the third increase will go into effect on Friday, July 24, 2009.

As a reminder, the au pair weekly stipend is based, in part, on the federal minimum wage and, therefore, will increase accordingly. In order to remain compliant with U.S. Department of State regulations, we are asking all host families pay their au pair at the new stipend rate of $195.75 effective the week of July 20th, 2009. Cultural Care Au Pair literature and agreements stipulate that host families comply with all regulations and, therefore, adherence to these changes is required of all program participants.

The exact calculation used to determine the weekly stipend as well as the resulting changes to the stipend over the course of the three year plan is as follows:

Federal Minimum Wage x 45 Hours
- 40% (room and board allowance)
Au Pair Weekly Stipend Total

under: News
Tags: Au Pair, Cultural Care, Federal, Minimum Wage, Stipend

Au Pair Meeting, Friday, October 24th 7:15 p.m. Hammond Castle.

We will meet at my home at 7:15 p.m. and carpool to Gloucester to Hammond Castle. See the details.

Join us for six nights (October 17-18-24-25-31-Nov.1) from
> 7 PM to 11 PM for what has been described as the best
> Haunted house in New England.  Park at Gloucester’s
> Stage Fort Park, board the free suttle bus to the castle. Do
> not drive here directly as you will be turned away.
> Admission Fees:  Adults$12; Students (with ID)$10;
Children
> (ages 10 and under) $8. . Passes are not acceptible at
> this annual fund raising event.  Not recommended for very
> young children. LAST TICKET SOLD AT 10:30 PM.  In addition
> if you are a private bus group you need to phone the
> Museum days prior to your arrival to arrange for your
> large group to be a part of this event. If you arrive with
> your bus group NOT announced you are not guaranteed
> admittance. 
> Hammond Castle Museum
>
> www.hammondcastle.org
>
> 80 Hesperus Ave
> Gloucester, MA 01930
> (978) 283-2080
> Get directions
>
>

Sunday, September 14, 2008 3:00 p.m.

Fun for the whole family! Pick your own apples and peaches. Hayrides run every 15-20 minutes. Musical entertainment will provide some lively fun. Our homemade apple crisp with ice cream is featured at the Food Court and also available for sale in the farm stand

Here are the directions to the farm.  We will all meet at my house at 3:00 p.m. and carpool to the farm.  Here is the website so you can check out the place www.smolakfarms.com.

Directions:

From the South (Route 93 and Boston): Take Route 93N to Exit 41 (Andover/North Andover, Route 125). Turn right at the end of the ramp. Follow Route 125 approximately 7 miles and turn left at the traffic light at the intersection with Route 114. (Royal Crest Apartments are directly across the way.) You will drive past Merrimack College, on your left. At the next traffic light, turn right, continuing on Route 125. Go straight and turn right at the traffic light after the 99Restaurant (Mass. Ave.). Go through North Andover’s Old Center and bear left at the fire station.

Follow approximately one mile to a yellow blinking light and turn left. Follow for 2 miles and the farm will be on your left. (Look for SMOLAK FARMS signs.) From the North Shore, Route 95 N & S and Route 1 from Boston: From Boston, take Route 1 to Route 95N and take exit 53B (Georgetown, Route 97 North). Turn right from the off-ramp and turn left at the first street (BOXFORD VILLAGE sign). Take first right onto Ipswich Road (Boxford) and follow straight ahead for 6 miles. South Bradford Street is on the right. (Look for SMOLAK FARMS signs.) When taking Route 95 South, the directions are the same.