Maria Jose Vence said she looks back fondly on her experience as an au pair, when she worked 40 hours a week as a child care provider for a chance to experience life in the U.S.
The 25-year-old from Colombia described her Massachusetts-based host family as “wonderful people” and remains in touch since the March end of her two-year stint. She said the program gave her the opportunity to explore a new culture, and her $15-per-hour earnings allowed her to travel and save up for tuition at Lasell University, located in the same state as her host family, where she’s working toward a master’s degree in marketing.
“Fortunately, I had a wonderful family that gave me an excellent experience. They allowed me to live the experience as a cultural exchange,” she said. “But we know that some families and some girls don’t have the same experience.”
Run by the State Department, the au pair programwas designed as a cultural exchange programwhere young foreigners between the ages of 18 and 26 – usually female – live with a host family for a year, with the opportunity to extend their stay up to a maximum of two years. The host family provides a place to stay, food and – in most states – a minimum stipend of just under $200 per week, while the au pair provides up to 45 hours per week of child care.