Fall happenings
After a very busy summer of welcoming over 20 new au pairs, everyone is settling in with their host families. While the au pairs continue to get acquainted with Atlanta and their new cultural exchange experiences, their LCC is preparing for her 3rd baby in 3.5 years! Our December meeting may have an addition and who would I trust more holding a new baby than my wonderful au pairs! Our November au pair meeting (REQUIRED!) is November 17 at 8 pm. Our December meeting is scheduled for December 15th. As always, au pairs are welcome to go to another LCC’s meeting if they so choose, they just need to let me know.
I thought I’d repost something I send to new host families about things to consider in the first few weeks. I hope this is helpful to au pairs and host families (and potential host families!!)
3. Have her begin reading the Georgia Driver’s manual (attached). Begin driving practice with her. Remember this is the single biggest challenge most families face and while it can be frustrating, it is a skill that can be taught. Driving rules in the U.S. differ from anywhere else in the world and our cars are SO much bigger. This is all an adjustment and confidence can be low for the au pair because she knows the consequences of her either not learning to drive your car well or getting into an accident. Many host families elect to purchase driving lessons, though this is NOT required. If you choose to do so, ask for an instructor who speaks your au pair’s native language to expedite learning. Previously recommended by host families are Alfa driving school
- www.alfadrivingschool.com
- Nathan’s driving school www.nathansdrivingschool.net/
- Taggart’s www.taggartsdrivingschool.com/
4. During her second week here, go into your host family account and retrieve her social security documentation. Print it off and take her to the social security office. http://www.ssa.gov/for a location near you but I have heard good things about the Franklin Road office in Marietta: 1415 Franklin Rd SE Marietta (800) 772-1213. Have her bring every piece of ID/documentation with her just in case (ID, Passport, DS forms)
- Unless your au pair’s English is near perfect, I really recommend going with her to apply for her social security card. Unfortunately, some employees aren’t always patient with people with an accent.
- She should receive her social security card within 30 days.
- Once she receives her social security card, she can be eligible to take her Georgia Driver’s License.
- Note: she is legally allowed to drive with her International license but if she extends, she will have to have the GA license on the exact day her extension begins (one year from the day she arrived IN the U.S- not to your family).
- Educational Websites: Finding an affordable option to meet the educational component can be difficult. The following website provides additional resources to families searching for an affordable option that meets with the parameters of the regulations. Please note that just because an institution is not on these lists does not mean it won’t meet the proper accreditations needed. If a family or au pair has a question about accreditation and the school is not on these websites, please direct them to apeducation@culturalcare.com. Useful websites to find post-secondary accredited institutions are:http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx and http://www.chea.org/search/default.asp.
Sunday, 10 November 2013 8:33 PM
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