AuPairCare
Reviews and Complaints

We previously had great experiences and we switched to au pair care and au pair #1 would only sit on her butt and not do anything even outside or in public with my 2 year old. It was not safe. I got blamed. au pair #2 we've been working with but there have been many safety issues through the year so that I have had to make many accommodations. We also had issues with her texting on the job and running up a huge phone bill. Every time there is an issue the coordinator doesn't fix it and blames me. I would never recommend them! We had two very positive experiences with another agency. This has been nothing but stress.

So sad I have just had the same experience. They are terrible.

I'm shocked that an au pair, someone who is trusted with caring for children, would think that it's ok to drink underage (which is a violation of the law in the U.S.) because she didn't get caught. And she is shocked and suprised that the au pair agency, AuPairCare dismissed her?! She is really out of touch! AuPairCare made the right decision and I applaud them for it!

I actually worked with this au pair to help her find a match for her second year with AuPairCare. This au pair had many good families inquiring about her but she was more interested in being near her sister in Chicago than finding a good family match for her extension year as an au pair.

Many AuPairCare representatives explained to her that this program is designed for people who are here to experience cultural exchange and childcare, it was important that she be committed to these things if she was choosing to stay on a second year. Of course she can choose to limit herself to one area but this makes the chances of finding a match much smaller. Unfortunately, she had her heart set on being near her sister more that making a match and spending a second year as an au pair wherever that may have taken her.

Au pair agencies are here to connect host families and au pairs that are like minded in their childcare and cultural exchange mission, we are not a travel agency. It is unfortunate that this au pair who did a good job in her first program year lost sight of this and has lost the opportunity to have a second.

I am a current, soon to be past Host family. AuPair Care is wonderful when they are trying to sell themselves. Once I matched with my first AP, I quickly found out that they really don't want to be bothered with you once they have your money. I was fortunate that my first AP was very good with my children. We had some issues which were minor, thank God. Whenever I asked the coordinator for advice I felt like I was getting rushed off the phone. She was supposed to call both myself and the AP monthly and it wasn't until they sent me a survey and I answered honestly that I haven't heard from her in months that I started getting the monthly "let me rush you off the phone call", hey at least they called, right? Check the box crap. I wasn't so lucky the second time around. My new AP was not a good match for my family. It took less than a week to figure that out. Parents, ALWAYS go with your gut. Anyway, we contacted the coordinator and got the "give it a month, it takes time to adjust" line. I told her that I would give it a week to show some improvement. The end of her first full week we had a family meeting and we expressed our concerns. The AP swore to us that she was very happy with us. That same night she posted on facebook that she didn't like this and it wasn't what she had expected! She also added that she would stay long enough to sightsee and shop then she was leaving. She didnt care about the contract. Ok. That helped us with our decision. We contacted the coordinator who was out of town and said to contact the alternate. I left messages for hte alternate who was not at all interested in returning my calls because it was a weekend. Let me also add that Monday was a holiday. So I contacted another area coordinator who answered the phone because I said it was an emergency. I basically wanted to know what to do if thigs went sour after we notified the AP that we were terminating the match. She I must admit was at least helpful. My coordinator just kept feeding me the "give it time" crap. She also lost interested when I told her that I would not remain with AuPairCare. I would be requesting a refund. Luckily I only paid the deposit. I immediately called my credit card company and put a merchant freeze for AuPairCare on my card so they can't charge any additional fees. After the first 30 days they charge the first installment. I also faxed over a letter requested a refund to the CA office and my coordinator. now I sit and wait. I would also like to add that my first AP shared with me that they never checked her references. Very interesting. I have no doubt that most of these young ladies are wonderful. Unfortunaltely some are not and since the agency does such a poor job of checking, if you are the one that happens to match with one, good luck. They are not helpful.

Au Pair Care has an A+ rating from the BBB and is closely regulated by the US Dept. of State. Host Families sign a detailed contract in regards to the placement fees and refund policies and are allowed a replacement au pair within the first 6 months if the original au pair is not a good fit. It is the host families responsibility to interview and choose the au pair based on their personal needs. All au pairs have some childcare experience in their native country, but this will vary. Some might be teachers where others might have just done babysitting or volunteering with children. An au pair expects to become part of the family as she is a young person away in another country.

We have the very same story. Our au pair came to us with no childcare experience at all. Was almost scared of my 3 year old, and treated him terribly. She only cared about sneaking into bars and meeting boys. Spent the whole day on the internet and would leave the house a mess. I spent 3 weeks trying to turn her around but she was a disaster. Actually told me my life was "boring" after the first day of watching the babies. The LLC told me she was not a typical au pair and must have slipped through. Said they would re-evaluate her closely before rematching her. But then they rematched her in 2 days to a poor unassuming family in Philly. The agency refuses to refund us anything. I hired a real nanny and finally can go to work with peace of mind. The extra money is worth every cent knowing someone is actually watching my kids instead of playing on the internet all day. My husband is a lawyer who owns a small firm. We are putting together a complaint with the state of PA if they continue to refuse any refund. But if anyone has any suggestions as to easier ways to get some money back please feel free to contact me.

I just had a very similar situation with Au Pair Care, and am in the process of disputing these charges through my credit card company!

We had a near-identical experience with a different agency. We told them 7 days after she arrived that she was a fraud. They forced us to keep her for 60 days until we finally threw her out when they were doing nothing to remove her. They then promised us a replacement au pair and two weeks before she was scheduled to arrive, pulled the plug due to our "dissatisfaction" with their agency. We are left with no child care in place, two kids, and a baby on the way in February. Planning a suit for unfair business practices. Anyone else gone this route?

Please read: Don't make the same mistake we made.

We have had three aupairs with AuPairCare. The first from Brazil only lasted four months and quit because she demanded her own car. She later rematched with two families, overstayed her visa and found an American to marry so she could stay in the U.S.

The second aupair from South America was great. I wish we could have kept her but she had already been in the U.S. for one year.

The third aupair lasted less than a month, yes, less than 30 days!

We lost over $4300, half our total investment and Aupaircare refuses to refund us any additional funds. Please do not go with Aupair Care...Don't waste your money. Please read the reviews. I would recommend CulturalCare because the aupairs seem to get better screening and they are happier.

AuPairCare failed to adequately prepare our last aupair for her duties. It is our belief the pre-screening was insufficient and the aupair's background regarding child care experience was not fully explored by overseas partners employed by AuPairCare.

The aupair gave us 2 days notice of her departure which left our family with significant financial loss and strain. We were forced to put our child in daycare because they were able to provide care immediately. Although AuPairCare had a rematch policy, we believed it is unhealthy for our toddler to be exposed to a third aupair within 30 days.

We requested AuPairCare reconsider a more just reimbursement for the untimely departure of the aupair. They refused! Again, $4300 for 30 days of care!

AuPairCare should establish a new protocol where the aupair is penalized for failing to provide two weeks notice prior to departure and/or failing to stay less than 30 days with a matched family. This should also include adjusted reimbursement to the host family who is out approximately 50% of the original cost.

The area director called and called us over and over for months pushing us to move forward with the program. When the time came for us to make a decision, she had definitely SOLD US so well that we chose to go with APC. I'm not even going to go into the major details including our crazy AP soliciting herself on Craigslist for "personal jobs", leaving our children unattended, not knowing how to drive, but listed as a "driver", going out until 4am every night, driving with my kids in the car down a one way on several occasions and had to find out through my 5 year old. The list goes on and on and on...That well natured and energetic area director all of a sudden wasn't so caring anymore and apparently or au pair was going behind out back saying she was overworked and exhausted. We have 3 kids, 2 in school all day until 3 so she watches one child who naps 2 hours, so she technically works 6 hours a day, does not work weekends, and we let her off early on Fridays. Tough Life. She is now being RECYCLED to yet another poor, naive family member. These programs need to be immediately banned before a child gets hurt.

This has been our experience exactly. We were with another agency which was much more professional and had much better au pairs to offer and supported us as a family. This agency is about making a quick buck. Our area coordinator nice when she wants something but rude every other time. Our au pairs have been sub par to the first one which lasted 6 weeks was out right dangerous. Our current one complained about being overworked as well when she was not worked any extra. I am sick over the wasted money and effort. It is not you get what you put in. We still have great relationships with our au pairs from the other agency. This place is terrible. I would never ever recommend them.

So sorry, I had a very similar experience.

Totally agree! I have been with Au Pair care for some time now. There has been issue after issue with the couple of Au Pairs that I have had. They have all put my kids in harms way, from no helmets on bikes, taking naps and forgetting to pick up the kids, leaving them outside on the main road while they are inside eating their lunch or chatting with their friends. Then there is the not getting up for work, no control over the children, letting them sit in front of the TV or video games on 70 degree day, the children missing the school bus several times a week, not doing what is clearly written down on the sheets given on day one need I say more.
I have welcomed my Au Pairs into our family, treated them as family, I cook nightly, clean the house, leaving just the kids rooms for the Au Pair, to which i do not think is unfair.
Au Pair Care on the other hand, thinks the families should be honored to pay them $7500.00 to host the Au Pair. My family has been treated, quite honestly like crap. We were told to reapply or leave the program. I did not want to go through all of that again, they have now decided to retaliate, stripping me of every penny they can take. I paid for 12mths, had an Au Pair for four, they took over $1400.00, citing "Did you read the host family agreement"
AU PAIR CARE IS A FRAUD AND DYFS ALONG WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE NEED TO STEP IN.
PS All of my Au Pairs were re-matched with other unsuspecting families. I asked to see what was on their profiles as in comments and we are not allowed to see it, they block that Au Pair from the previous family SHADY. Its going to take a child to die, before anything is done. DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER AU PAIR CARE!

I have been with AuPairCare for over two years and have had nothing but a nightmare experience. The Au Pairs are told first and formost, this is a cultural exchange. When they get here and they realize they actually have to work all hell breaks out.
My children have been left alone, forgotten to be picked up and much more.
I was instructed to write everything down prior to the girls arrival, to which I did.
Still week after week the few things were not done.
The small amount of training they are given in the first few days after arrival is, fast and most of the girls dont understand what is being said. One of the days is a trip to NYC, seriously? They are not rechecked for CPR, they are not taught about dangerous animals or plants. They are not taught about local US laws pertaining to the state they are going too. This is very important. My state requires helmets on children under the age of 16. I wrote this down and I arrive home and they kids are riding their bikes in the middle of a busy road with no helmets and she is inside eating her lunch.
Overall AuPairCare is money hungry and once they get their loot, they dont give a crap.
When you are having a problem, they make it all your fault and heaven forbid you ask for a refund, they will give you half of your money back and say good-bye. NEVER EVER USE AU PAIR CARE!

Terrible customer service. I agree they are greedy and disingenous. When you cancel and decide not to rematch they make a killing when the au pair rematches! Yet they give a stiff penalty for leaving them. I know most au pair companies do the same thing, but I will never use this company again and will recomend that none of my firends ever use them. Their director of client services was not helpful and my area coordinator was very cold. I should have known when I first met her to go with the agency ...

Yesterday I posted a polite but critical commend on Facebook (which they deleted) because of their gross overcharging for airfare ($112 on expedite $460 through Aupair Care). In response they tried to cancel my aupair 7 days before arrival in the US as a scare and pressure tactic. And not without trying to nickel and dime me again. I’ve already filed with the Department of State and may need to also file a predatory business practice complaint with the FTC. LOOK ELSEWHERE.

Avoid AuPair Care at all costs. Very greedy and disingenuous.

I have used Au Pair Care agency and my experience was horrible. I hired the first Au pair who felt depressed and left me after three months. There was no night life in Pittsburgh. I was without help for three weeks because the agency could not give me somebody else before. The second Au pair left for Brazil and did not even give me two weeks notice. She left and she was gone. Again the agency did not help me. And I had no help for three weeks. Now they do not want to give me a full refund. They kept almost $1, 000 as a credit. Can u believe that? A credit toward my next Au pair. The problem is that I'm done with immature Au pairs that cannot take care of their responsibilities and an agency that does not help. I'm a military spouse with my husband deployed. And I work full time. I have four kids. Can u think about the problems this agency created for me and my kids? And believe that this agency is advertised on military.com. I cannot believe that. Shouldn't they help military families instead of making their lives harder? That is alll I have to say.