Forum Post
Faculty member Anne Marie Guerrettaz provided the information below regarding au pairs:
If you are looking for (creative) solutions to the childcare shortage that affects many faculty, you might consider seeing how WSU can build some alliances with au pair agencies to recruit childcare from abroad. Au pair programs bring international childcare providers to local U.S. families.
As a new parent, I did some research into local childcare options myself over the past months. I was disappointed to learn that au pair services, which are an excellent childcare alternative to local daycares, are not available at all in Pullman. I found this odd since au pair childcare seems particularly well-suited to a college town like Pullman, for a number of reasons related to the various dynamics of it being a university town. Au pair childcare options in Pullman could help address the childcare shortage that Faculty Senate has been grappling with.
Apparently, these au pair agencies all currently lack a local liaison/counselor/representative. They would simply need someone to apply for this role, facilitating relations between the au pair agency and local families. Such a part time liaison position seems like a reasonably easy commitment. Also, these are paid positions.
It looks like anyone local can apply for these paid, part-time au pair liaison/representative/counselor positions.
It would be interesting to see if anyone in Faculty Senate or perhaps in WSU units that work on issues of child development and/or international matters might be willing to spread the word of these liaison opportunities. (For example: WSU’s International Programs, WSU’s Dept. of Human Development, WSU’s Intensive American Language Center, someone in WSU’s COE without a conflict of interest [which I may have as a potential future host family].
Having au pair services available in Pullman would not only help reduce the childcare shortage somewhat, but would also increase student enrollment at WSU; that is because many au pair caretakers are required by the U.S. Dept. of State to enroll in a local university.
I’m glad to explain more if you have questions and think this is something that Faculty Senate would like to support. Since I recently grappled with this issue myself, I wanted to share what I had learned about au pair agencies, in case it is helpful to you all.
Response
The Faculty Senate Executive Officers support this forum post consideration. ~04.25.23
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