Au Pair Transition Details

Occasionally, au pairs and their host families do not get along and wish to go into transition. If a transition occurs, Au Pair USA will make every effort to reassign you to a new host family so that you are able to complete your program if you life, or to help you to purchase your ticket to return home.

If you are having difficulties with your host family, please contact your local coordinator. Local coordinators can offer experienced guidance and suggestions and are often able to resolve minor issues without them becoming a transition.

Please note:

An au pair cannot go into transition for the first 30 days after arrival.
An au pair cannot stay in the same cluster or area when reassigned to a new host family.
Au pairs cannot find their own family when in transition.

Tips for Au Pairs in Transition | Tips for Au Pairs who are Self-Repatriating | Tips for Au Pairs in Temp Housing

Tips for Au Pairs in Transition

We will try to reassign you to a new host family within a two-week period. If we cannot find you a new family in this period, it is possible you will have to return home at your own expense.
Be open and flexible about where you want to be placed and the type of situations you will go to. By placing limits on the ages or number of children, or the area where you want to be placed you will make it much more difficult to place you, and you might create a situation where you will have to buy a ticket and go home.
There are usually fewer au pairs than host families in transition at a given time. It is likely that you will be proposed to a new family within your first week of transition. However, male au pairs, non drivers, and au pairs placing limitations might wait longer for a proposal.
When you are in transition, you need to make sure that you speak with your local coordinator often. Check in by phone at least once daily to find out about proposals or new situations.
During a transition period, au pairs are not permitted to take vacation because it makes it difficult for potential host families to contact you. If you have a vacation planned during the transition period, discuss it with your local coordinator.
It is important to have questions prepared for when a potential host family calls you. Your local coordinator can help you create a list of what you think are important questions. Be prepared to discuss your transition and the reasons behind it.
When you go into transition, you will sign a financial sheet that will allow you to settle any outstanding debts, including telephone bills, with your current host family. Your local coordinator will organize this for you and will follow up if you or the host family does not pay what they owe.

You should complete a change of address form at your local post office once you have been reassigned, so that your mail will come to you. Sometimes you can do this online as well.
If you do not contact your local coordinator or the transitions department for more than 5 days, you will be considered underground, and we will be forced to report you to the U.S. Department of State. Both your insurance and your visa will be cancelled at this time.

For Au Pairs who are Self-Repatriating

If you choose to self-repatriate, you will have one week to make your travel arrangements an leave the country.
You must give your local coordinator a copy of your flight itinerary. Your visa and insurance will be cancelled on the day you leave the country. If you do not provide sufficient proof of your self-repatriation we will consider you underground, and you will have your visa and insurance immediately canceled, and you will be reported to the U.S. Department of State.
You must arrange to pay any outstanding debts, including telephone bills, to your host family and settle any bills. Your local coordinator will help you with this, and your international cooperator will follow up with you should you not fulfill this agreement.

Tips for Au Pairs in Temp Housing

Sometimes, while you are in transition waiting for a new family, you may have to stay with your local coordinator or another host family. This is not a vacation time. This is a great opportunity to show us what kid of au pair you are! Impressing the person you are temporarily staying with will help you to get reassigned more quickly.

Please keep in mind the following when you are in temp-housing:

Always be a kind and well-mannered guest. Try to stay positive and upbeat!
Wake up with the family, help out with getting the kids off to school, and make your bed and clean your area every day.
Keep your room and the bathroom as clean and neat as possible.
Follow all of the family's rules (including curfews) and ask if you have questions or do not know what the rule is.
If you need to make phone calls, keep them short and make sure you use a phone card.
Do not give out the phone number where you are temp-housing to everyone you know, you are only there for a short time.
Do not arrange to receive mail at your temp-houser’s home. Again, this is very sort term. Wait until you have been reassigned.
Do not invite guests over unless you have permission from the family.
Be as helpful as possible!!! Help to set up for and clean up after meals, look for way to help, ask what you can do to help. The family will really appreciate it.
Interact with the kids! Talk with them and play with them, help them with their homework, etc.
Be the best au pair you can be! If you had problems with your last family, now is a great time for a fresh start.
Make sure you leave a forwarding address and phone number.
Always call if you are going to be late returning, but remember, you should not be going out late while in temp-housing.
Go to bed when everyone else does.
Do not spend hours on the family's computer.
Make sure you say thank you, and maybe send a "Thank You" card when you leave.

Every temp housing situation is different. Some will be easy and some will be more difficult. But if you follow these suggestions, the experience should go smoothly. Good luck!