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A recent article in the Wall Street Journal of 4/29/24, entitled "An Au Pair Could Take Care of Grandma" authored by Kristin Shapiro and Kelsy Bolar ,suggests that our administration should encourage supporting the use of Au Pairs to help caregivers across the country.
Today there are financial support systems in place to encourage the hosting of international au pairs to help families with child care needs. The costs (payments to the au pair ) are significantly less than other options for parents and the au pair receives an experience in American culture and support. Today over 20,000 au pairs enter the U.S. annually, to work with host families, but "current administration is proposing regulations that could double the cost of hosting an au pair".
The authors suggest that our administration should not only drop the proposed regulations, but also extend them so that needy families could host these foreign national, young adults and in turn, receive help in providing care for their aging relatives. What a GREAT idea!
The article goes on to say that today, in general, au pairs are offered a monthly stipend ("generally about $1800/m") lodging & food and in turn received up to 45 hours a week of childcare. For less than $500/week caregivers could create a win/win/win situation...for themselves, their loved one(s) and an international partner experiencing America!
Write your congressman/women today to show your support of this GREAT idea!
I think that is a great solution to our shortage of [home] caregivers -
I had read this from a blog post from the Council on Foreign Affairs last year.