LEHIGH VALLEY AU PAIR CHILDCARE

Back To School — School Bus Safety Tips

Posted by: hcook on September 5, 2010

    BACK TO SCHOOL — SCHOOL BUS SAFETY TIPS!!

For twenty three million students nationwide, the school day begins and ends with a trip on a school bus. The greatest risk is not riding the bus, but approaching or leaving the bus. Before children go back to school or start school for the first time, it is importantthat adults and children know traffic safety rules.

DRIVERS

When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.

When driving in neighborhoods with school zones, watch out for young people who may be thinking about getting to school, but may not be thinking of getting there safely.

Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in neighborhood.

Slow down. Watch for children playing and congregating near bus stops.

Be alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street with out looking for traffic.

Learn and obey the school bus laws in your state. Learn the “flashing signal light system” that school bus drivers use to alert motorists of pending actions:

•  Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
•  Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus has stopped, and that children are getting on or off. Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop sign is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.

 CHILDREN

Get to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.

When the bus approaches, stand at least three giant steps (6 feet) away from the curb, and line up away from the street.

Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says that it’s okay before stepping onto the bus.

If you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk on the sidewalk or along the side of the road to a point at least five giant steps (10 feet) ahead of the bus before you cross. Be sure that the bus driver can see you, and you can see the bus driver

Use the handrails to avoids falls. When exiting the bus, be careful that clothing with drawstrings, and book bags with straps don’t get caught in the handrails or doors.

Never walk behind the bus.

Walk at least three giant steps away from the side of the bus.

If you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver. Never try to pick it up because the driver may not be able to see you.

PARENTS

Teach children to follow these common sense practices to make school bus transportation safer.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL BUS SAFETY — PLEASE VISIT THE FOLLOWING SITE:

    http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/fact_sheets/fs-pub97.pdf

Au Pair Discount! Save $1,000 This Weekend!

Posted by: hcook on July 15, 2010

     This Weekend Only: Up to $1,000 in Savings

Families new to Cultural Care Au Pair who apply from July 15th - July 20th are eligible to save up to $1000* .. What is being offered is:

• A $75 application fee waiver
• $550 off the program fee!    This $550 is the equivalent of One Month of FREE childcare!   
• Complimentary overseas connection service during the matching process (a $150 value)
• A free Sony Blu-Ray disc player (valued at over $200) upon welcoming an Au Pair into your home by October 22, 2010

Now is the best time to apply — large supply of Au Pairs available and matching process is better than ever!   Call me for Promotion Code and further details!

Host An Au Pair - SAVE $850 This Weekend!

Posted by: hcook on June 17, 2010

Host An Au Pair for FLEXIBLE and AFFORDABLE Childcare and Save $850 PLUS a FREE WII Entertainment System

  Save $850!!  This weekend only- June 16- June 22 — There is an amazing special is available for those seeking a wonderful alternative to traditional childcare that is flexible AND affordable!!   We have many qualified, carefully screened candidates who can help you manage your busy household.   In honor of Father’s Day, we will offer you a significant savings AND a free Nintendo Wii entertainment system when you apply this weekend!   Wii games are great for the whole family to play together!

Host Familes will need to apply to Cultural Care Au Pair between Wednesday, June 16, 2010 and Tuesday, June 22, 2010.   YOU WILL NEED A PROMOTION CODE – Please call me (610-797-5887) for the Promotion Code to this large discount and savings!   They are:
- $75 application fee waiver
- $625 program fee discount
- Complimentary overseas connection service during the matching process (a $150 value)
            The total value of this promotion is $850!*

PLUS a FREE WII Entertainment System!!

*To qualify for this promotion, you must apply between June 16 and June 22, 2010 and welcome an Au Pair into your home by October 22, 2010. Selection fee of $275 must be paid at time of selection of Au Pair. Nintendo Wii gaming console, 1 remote and Wii Sports game will be sent to host family within 30 days of Au Pair’s arrival to Host Family home.

June Au Pair Meeting - Whitewater Rafting!

Posted by: hcook on June 15, 2010

       The Lehigh Valley Au Pairs and Wilkes-Barre Au Pairs (and several visiting groups) will be going “Whitewater Rafting” for the June Meeting.  Please meet at Jim Thorpe River Adventures, One Adventure Lane, Jim Thorpe, PA no later than 12 Noon on Sunday, June 27, 2010.  Please refer to your Newsletter for details and what you should bring and wear for this fun event.  It is always one of the most popular Au Pair Meetings of the year.   Please play your car-pooling NOW - do not wait until the last minute.      For more information, please click here

Lehigh Valley Au Pairs Win 2nd Place in “Wheels4Kids” Event!

Posted by: hcook on June 9, 2010

     Four of our Lehigh Valley Au Pairs recently participated in the “Wheels4Kids” event at The Lehigh Valley Velodrome.   The event — which raises funds for at-risk children - for mentoring, teaching and other activities was a huge success and the Au Pairs had a great time — winning SECOND PLACE!

Au Pairs Amanda (Sweden), Christina (Denmark), Kaisa (Finland) and Filippa (Sweden) raced on adult tricycles thru many preliminary rounds on the track.  For the Scandinavian Au Pairs, racing on an adult tricyle was a new adventure — adult tricycles are not common on Scandinavia and the Au Pairs found it much harder than they imagined to keep on pedaling and stay on the tricycle — without pedaling, you cannot steer the tricycle!

The Au Pairs (referred to as “The Nanny” at the race) won all the preliminary races and reached the final race.  In the end — the Au Pairs won SECOND PLACE — coming in behind a group of young men from the area!  Nevertheless, they had a great time!

Congratulations Ladies and good job on raising money for needy children.  See Amanda practicing her tricycle skills:   

Au Pair Training School - Take A Tour!

Posted by: hcook on June 3, 2010

The Cultural Care Au Pair Training School — Setting Itself Above All The Others …  Ever Wonder What Happens At The Au Pair School?  

I personally had the opportunity to visit and experience this incredible Cultural Care Au Pair Training School ( AupairTrainingSchool.com ) first hand in the recent past!   What an experience!   Yes, I actually spent a few nights at the school, slept in the school bunk beds, and ate the food — while attending the classes with the group of Au Pairs that had just arrived at the time!   My experience was much more than I had anticipated …  

The campus at St. John’s University, Oakdale, New York is beautiful.    I was very impressed by the quality of the teachers and their individual dedication to teaching these newly arrived Au Pairs as much as could be filtered into those quick four days!   The teachers are knowledgeable and kind .. always able to answer the questions and provide the best advice they can to ensure a successful Au Pair year for both the Au Pair and the Host Family.   The teaching curriculum and the projects proposed to the Au Pairs were creative and solid for learning.  Oh yes — the food is not bad either!

After a week of such training, Au Pairs also share in cultural activities of song and dance from their home countries, safety presentations by a New York City policeman, and many other activities.  

Cultural Care Au Pair sets itself apart from the competition by consistently going above and beyond what is required by the U.S. Department of State.  Cultural Care is the only  au pair agency that has a dedicated facility to train Au Pairs using a unique curriculum specially designed with The Children’s Foundation in Washington, D.C.  During the four days of Au Pair training, a full range child development and safety topics are covered.  Just some of those topics are:

• Health and Safety in the Home
• Child Nutrition
• Safety and Emergency Education
• Au Pairs as Role Models
• Building Self-esteem in Children
• Behavior Management

Cultural Care has now launched a new website dedicated to the Au Pair Training School.  On this website, you can take a virtual tour of the facility,  read more about the curriculum, find out about the staff and the Au Pairs’ schedule.   Please visit  AupairTrainingSchool.com  to find out more about Cultural Care’s Au Pair Training School and see what your Au Pairs learn and experience before they arrive in your home!

Ask me questions if you like — “I lived the Au Pair Life at the Training School for a short time!!!”

Au Pair / Host Family — Video Contest Deadline Extended!

Posted by: hcook on May 23, 2010

Cultural Care Au Pair is excited to announce that you still have time to win a FREE program year! We are extending our video contest deadline until July 15, 2010. Now you have more time to submit your video and get your friends and family to vote!

Be sure to check out our Video Contest Tip Sheet for great ideas and basic technical advice.

Remember, the family whose video that earns the most votes will win. It is anybody’s prize! Your family and friends can vote as often as EVERY DAY. Using social media like Facebook and Twitter, you can reach hundreds of your friends each day. The more people you know, the more “airtime” your video enjoys, the better your chances!

Don’t forget the prizes…
Grand Prize for most voted for video:
A FREE year of childcare from Cultural Care Au Pair!*

Grand Prize for Host Family:
Free year of childcare!*
Participating au pair wins: $1,000 American Express giftcard*

2nd Place Prize for Host Family:
$1,000 American Express gift card*
Participating au pair wins: $250 American Express giftcard

3rd Place Prize for Host Family:
A Flip video camera!
Participating au pair wins: A Flip video camera

Good luck, and we look forward to seeing your family’s video!

http://contest.culturalcare.com/

http://infosource.lcc.culturalcare.com/media/174942/video%20contest%20tips.pdf

Au Pair Meeting Location Change for Lehigh Valley Au Pairs!

Posted by: hcook on May 22, 2010

   Lehigh Valley Au Pairs:    Please note our “May Au Pair Meeting” — “Make Your Own Ice Cream Sundaes” is still scheduled for Sunday, May 23, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.    However, many rain storms are in the forecast.  Therefore, the Au Pair Meeting location will be changed to:   Trinity Memorial Lutheran Church, 535 West Emaus Avenue, Allentown, Pennsylvania beginning at 6:00 p.m.    Please see “Meeting Schedule” above for directions to the church.   We will be discussing our CEP Safety Meeting, the upcoming June Whitewater Rafting Trip (remember your payment), and the July trip to Hershey Amusement Park.   See You There!!!

Host Family Surveys! Results Are In!!

Posted by: hcook on May 19, 2010

The results are in from the Spring 2010 Host Family Survey.  Once again, I would like to sincerely thank my host families for participating in the survey.  Your honest feedback is helping to shape the future of our organization, as well as assisting me in becoming the best LCC I can be!

I am excited to announce our newest website:

http://www.hostfamilysurvey.com

Visit our new website to view survey results for the past two years, and learn about all the changes we have made based on survey responses.  We love our Host Families and want your experience with Cultural Care to be successful for you and your children.   The survey is one of the best tools we have to gauge our progress towards this goal.

Here is some background on the Host Family Survey:

At Cultural Care Au Pair, our priority is to provide the highest quality experience for our Host Families and Au Pairs - AND - I must say that THAT is my priority as well! . Since our program began over 20 years ago, we have found that the feedback provided by our program participants has been instrumental in allowing us to become the largest of the U.S. government-approved au pair sponsors as well as a leader in the au pair program community.

In a continued commitment to gathering feedback in a more systematic way, we developed an extensive Customer Satisfaction Survey which was launched in the Spring of 2008. Developed in partnership with Discovery Surveys, Inc., this survey seeks to understand the Host Family perspective on being a part of the Cultural Care program from how they feel about our printed materials to how they rate the quality of care they receive from their au pair. Our families embraced this new way to share their opinions, and their comments, positive or negative, continue to help us shape the future of our program and enhance the experience of our participants.  The results have been incredibly insightful and we look forward to launching this survey each Spring and Fall of every year and developing ways to respond to the growing and changing needs of the Cultural Care Host Family.

I look forward to continuing our relationship and please know that I am always available to talk about the Host Family Survey or any other questions/concerns you might have about our Lehigh Valley Region or the Cultural Care Au Pair Program overall.   Thank You.

FREE CHILDCARE FOR ONE YEAR — Video Contest for Host Families or Au Pairs

Posted by: hcook on May 14, 2010

Cultural Care Au Pair Video Contest

WIN A FREE YEAR OF CHILDCARE FROM CULTURAL CARE AU PAIR!

http://contest.culturalcare.com/

Cultural Care Au Pair is excited to invite Host Families and Au Pairs to participate in our first ever Cultural Care Au Pair Video Contest!   Do you have something interesting, funny or inspiring to say about the Cultural Care Au Pair program?  How has your Cultural Care Au Pair made a big difference in your busy life?  If so, we want to see it on film and we will give you the chance to win an entire year of free childcare (for Host Families) and $1000 (for Au Pairs) for sharing it with us and the rest of the world!

Step 1: Get Creative!
Encourage everyone - kids, parents, au pair - to participate in sharing your experiences through video.

Step 2: Upload your video!
Go to our video contest page and submit your family’s video through our easy registration process. http://contest.culturalcare.com/

Step 3: Spread the Word!
Share the link to your video with your friends and family- they’re our judges! The host family and au pair with the most votes for favorite video will win the Grand Prize - a year of free childcare and $1000!

Please see the contest requirements and other exciting prizes at http://contest.culturalcare.com/rules and get out your video cameras! 

Good Luck and I am very willing to help you with creative fun ideas to help a Host Family or Au Pair from OUR LEHIGH VALLEY AU PAIR GROUP win the “grand prize” .. Call Me .. It will be fun to get started!!