Au Pair Cultural Fair Entertains and Educates

WILMETTE, IL – On Sunday, April 17, 2005, Au Pair in America (APIA), the world’s leading provider of live-in child care, hosted a Cultural Fair at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Wilmette, Illinois. Over 150 people attended this special free afternoon of culture, education, and entertainment.

Parents were able to learn more about the convenient live-in child care option, used by hundreds of families in the Chicago area. Children were entertained as they visited au pairs from 17 different countries at individual booths. Each au pair gave out flags of her home country to the children.

In addition to the au pairs, local APIA Community Counselors and current APIA host families were on hand to answer questions about Au Pair in America. Interested families found the fair entertaining as well as educational. “Au Pair in America's cultural fair was a lively colorful opportunity to meet young people representative of many countries,” remarked Kim Strandberg, a local mother who attended the fair. “The girls were very enthusiastic about sharing their cultures. We especially enjoyed the international music and seeing examples of traditional dress. Our au pair is Lativan and loves the opportunity to share information with others about her home.”

The au pairs interacted with the children all day with face painting and arts and crafts such as creating crowns and making Mother’s Day cards. The children brought the cards to every booth and each au pair wrote, “I love you” in their native language. “Smiley the Clown” was also on hand for balloon animals and a laugh. Cross-cultural communication was promoted as au pairs from South Africa and Namibia sang their national anthems. One Brazilian au pair thrilled the kids with a hilarious rendition of “Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.”

The afternoon was filled with lively conversation about the program, as the crowd enjoyed refreshments. Ethnic dishes from the au pairs home countries were prepared including South African melk terts (milk tarts) and crunchies, cookies made with oatmeal, honey, and syrup.

The event was organized by Au Pair in America’s Community Counselors Renee Bernal, Maha Lubbat and Iris Sommer. Community Counselors provide support to their designated areas throughout the year-long cultural exchange. Among their many duties, are monthly “cluster” meetings where au pairs gather to share information, discuss issues and concerns, and socialize.

“The Au Pair in America cultural fair provides a unique opportunity to gain an authentic cross-cultural experience that will not only open your mind but also your heart to the true meaning of teamwork and global partnership,” Bernal comments.

Au Pair in America screens eager and skilled young women between the ages of 18 and 26 from around the world, who join American families and care for their children during a mutually rewarding, year-long cultural exchange experience. APIA was the first organization to be designated by the U.S. Government to offer a legal au pair program. Since 1986, they have placed more than 56,000 au pairs with American host families in 36 states. Au pairs enter the U.S. with legal J-1 Cultural Exchange Visas. APIA adheres to strict regulations concerning recruiting, training, screening and placing au pairs.

For more information on Au Pair in America, contact Anabel Martinez at (800) 928-7247 ext. 5161 or by e-mail at amartinez@aifs.com.