SF Bay Area Cultural Childcare Connection

Cultural Care requires that all our au pair candidates obtain an International Driver’s License from their home country to participate in the au pair program. Many host families in California require their au pair to drive as part of their duties, but not all of these families allow driving during the au pair’s off-duty or personal time.  It is the host families responsibility to provide transportation for their au pair to complete the required J-1 visa components; attending educational classes & monthly meetings with the Local Childcare Coordinator.

An au pair is considered a visitor and will not obtain California residency while participating in the au pair program. If you are an au pair in California and have a valid driver license from your country, you may drive in California without getting a California driver license as long as your home country license remains valid. However, most car insurance companies will not insure a driver without a California Driver’s License. An au pair must be listed on the Host Family’s car insurance if she/he will be driving in the US.

Cultural Care strongly urges all au pairs to obtain a state license, as it is the only way to make certain that their ability to drive legally in the state is not called into question.

It is a misdemeanor to drive in California without a valid driver license. If you do, you can be cited, your vehicle may be impounded, and you may have to appear in court.

Cultural Care recommends that all of our host family’s clearly state expectations in their Host Family Handbooks regarding the au pair’s car use. Most host family’s have car rules on topics such as payment for gas off-duty, mileage boundaries, car curfews, eating in the car, and cleanliness.  Driving is a privilege and the host family may take away this privilege if the au pair does not follow the host family’s rules.

California Department of Motor Vehicles Website
How to Apply for a License
Driver License Handbooks

California Department of Motor Vehicles Offices
Driver’s License Inquires DMV
Phone: 800-777-0133

One of the great benefits of bringing an au pair into your home is exposing your family to another language. Since one of your au pair’s goals may be to improve her English while she’s here, it’s important to establish mutually agreeable guidelines so that both your au pair and your family are making the most of the cultural exchange experience. Here are a few tips to work with your au pair to expose a second language to your children.

1. Simply by hosting an au pair, your child will be exposed to words and phrases in other languages and gain an appreciation for other parts of the world.

2. Agree that your au pair will speak her native language during certain hours of the day and can practice her English with you when you’re home.

3. Arrange for her to give your children a language lesson at a certain time each week – maybe your au pair can create pictures or flashcards of words in her language.

4. Make books in other languages available to your au pair, which you can usually get through your local library, so reading time can be enriched with language.

5. Ask your au pair to sing songs in her native language with the children. Music is a great way to learn a language.

More advice on this topic is available from Cultural Care Au Pair’s Answer Mom:

Families new to Cultural Care can apply for free and receive a $350 program fee discount between May 4, 2012 through May 8, 2012 when welcoming an au pair by October 5, 2012. AND, to offer even more incentive—families who apply during this time will receive an additional $400 program fee discount if they select their au pair by May 31, 2012—for a total savings of up to $825!

Promotion code required, contact Cassandra Robinson at (650) 515-9713 or cassandra.robinson@lcc.culturalcare.com for details.