According to the US State Department, there are 12 agencies in the United States that are authorized to sponsor au pairs. All of these agencies need to follow the regulations laid out by the State Department, so they are similar in numerous way. What families need to compare is the ways they are dissimilar to find the agency that is right for them.
Here are some very important considerations:
1) Is there a coordinator or representative near you? The State Department says someone should be within 60 miles or 1 hour of your home. The larger agencies have representatives in all major cities and most suburbs; some of the other agencies do not. If you sign up with an agency that only services Florida, what happens if you get transferred to Virginia. That au pair who is living with you can NOT come since that agency does not have reps in VA. So the next question would be...
2) How big is the agency and can it accommodate you if you have to move?
3) Who is the local coordinator and how big is the group in your area? I couldn't even count the number of families I've had come to my group because the other local groups are so small. Social interaction is VERY important to the au pairs, and if they can't meet other au pairs they can become very isolated. See what monthly activities and meeting the coordinator has planned; everyone should be having them, it is regulated by the State Department, but not every local representative does.
4) How do they do the matching? Every agency is different how they match au pairs. I actually worked for a while as a matching coordinator; and it was lots of fun. Include my number of years running a nanny agency and matching families and nannies; and it is my personal belief that finding the right au pair is one of the most important parts of the process. Some agencies give you and other families lists and lists to scroll through. I'm personally pretty wary of that system, since it becomes very competitive when several families are interviewing the same girl. It also puts a lot of power into the hands of the au pairs. I've also gotten several families come to me after this process, very frustrated. If they have twins, or more than 3 kids, or not that fancy of a house, the au pairs kept turning them down for 'better offers' from families with less kids, or a better home location. The other system, which we use, is one on one matching, which means you're the only family looking at that au pair. The agency I work for has integrated that system in a mix where families can look at au pairs, then request a one-on-one match with that au pair.
5) How do they train the au pairs? The State Department requires each agency provide the au pair with a certain number of training hours,; how they do that can vary GREATLY by agency. Some just send video tapes overseas and tell the au pairs to watch it before they arrive, others put them in hotels and conference rooms for a few days, and one has a permanent location with housing just for the au pairs. This is how your au pair is going to get oriented to the US and spend their first week here, it is a good thing to find out when comparing agencies.
6) What happens if it doesn't work out? Yep, it happens. Sometimes it is just a bad match for numerous different reasons, the question is, how will your agency handle it if it doesn't work out. My first au pair lasted 2 weeks, so I know! She was allergic to my dogs. The changing process for me was very smooth, within 2 weeks they found me another au pair in the country, available right away; and found her a home with no dogs. My new au pair was awesome and we still keep in touch. Ask the agency you are considering about how they work this. Do they have enough au pairs in the country to get you someone right away? Or are they so small they have to go overseas so you have to wait 5 -6 weeks? Do they charge a fee? When I first heard about some agencies doing this I was STUNNED. If I were with them, I would have to pay more money because the person I got couldn't live in my home because of dogs. That is like adding insult to injury.
7) Costs? In general most agencies have about the same fees. A few agencies require you pay certain au pairs more weekly depending on their skills; but usually they are the same with the au pair's stipend being based on an equation that deals with minimum wage. Insider tip: When contacting an agency or their representative - ask about specials, promotions etc. in my experience, there is usually one but may not be widely advertised.
8) What countries do they come from? The larger agencies recruit from over 30 countries, the smaller one from around 10. Find out where they recruit from, do they have their own offices or do they use agents? This will help you know how much selection you will have.
These are the main questions you want to ask while exploring an agency. Other things you may want to check will be their refund policy, if you quit the program or if you loose your job. Ask for references from other local families, see how they like the local representative.
Yes, I work for one of the largest agencies, but I'm not putting that information here...2 reasons. 1) I want to be as unbiased as possible, though as you can read, I do make my opinions known and 2) I would rather you call me directly to learn more about the program, since we do get credit for bringing in new people.
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