| Here follows a list of frequently asked
questions and answers: |
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| 1. |
What is an au pair (au pairing)? |
| 2. |
What is a tutor/teaching
assistant? |
| 3. |
What is the difference between
nannies and childminders? |
| 4. |
What about babysitters? |
| 5. |
What is Aupair.za.com? |
| 6. |
What is an au pair agency? |
| 7. |
Is Aupair.za.com
an au pair agency? |
| 8. |
Do I need an au pair
agency? |
| 9. |
What is a summer au pair? |
| 10. |
What are “special
needs”? |
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Down syndrome (or Trisomy 21) |
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Autism |
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Cerebral Palsy |
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• |
Attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder (or ADHD) |
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• |
Tourette Syndrome (or Tourette’s
Disorder) |
| 11. |
How do I search/find
an au pair or family? |
| 12. |
How do I register
as an au pair or family? |
| 13. |
Why do I need to
register as an Au Pair or Family? |
| 14. |
Must both the au
pair and the family be Premium Members in order to contact
each other directly? |
| 15. |
Do I need to be
a Premium Member to view matching profiles? |
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|
| 1. |
What is an au pair (au
pairing)? |
| Au pair or au pairing relates to the French
term "au pair," which means "on par"
or "equal to or living on equal terms" and
describes a young unmarried person between 17 and 30,
living on an equal basis with a host family in a foreign
country. The au pair helps the family with childcare,
housework, or both while staying as a guest of the family
and generally receiving a small allowance (or pocket
money). An au pair will typically be a young woman,
or sometimes a young man, who is accepted into the host
family as an extended family member. Both the family
and au pair are expected to respect cultural differences
and display tolerance towards one another.
Au pairing provides thus the opportunity to single
women and men to study a language and culture while
living as part of a family abroad. Au pairing or the
demand for live-in childcare is nowadays huge, especially
for young women, and is a great, adventurous experience.
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| 2. |
What is a private
tutor or teaching assistant? |
| A private tutor/teaching assistant is
a private instructor/person (or au pair in this case)
who teaches a specific educational subject or skill/s
to an individual student (child/children in this case).
Such one-on-one attention allows the tutor to improve
the child’s knowledge or skills far more rapidly
than in a classroom setting. Tutors are often hired
and paid by families of children with special needs
particular to stimulate development by the one-on-one
attention. Also refer to the topic “What
are special needs?” |
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| 3. |
What is the difference
between nannies and childminders? |
| A nanny or childminder
is a person who looks after the child or children of
another family. Childminders differ from nannies in
that a nanny goes to the house of the child in order
to care for it while childminders look after the child
in the childminder's home. Nannies
are employed by a family in either a live-in or live-out
basis. Duties are typically focused on childcare and
any household chores or tasks related to the children.
Nannies may or may not have any formal training; however,
many have significant actual experience. Nannies typically
work full-time or at least 40 hours a week.
Childminders look after children
all year round for a full or half working day. A single
handed childminder should look after no more than
six children including her own who are under 6 years
of age and no more than 3 of these should be under
1 year of age. A childminder is allowed to care for
3 pre-school children, before they are required to
notify their local Health Board. |
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| 4. |
What about babysitters? |
| Babysitters engage to
care for one or more babies or children for a short
period of time, normally when the parents are not home.
Babysitters are commonly teenagers or students performing
babysitting as an odd job for extra money. Babysitters
can be quite expensive in some countries, but rates
vary considerably according to the location. Babysitters
are distinguished from nannies by the term of employment;
babysitters are normally contracted one night at a time,
while nannies are employed over an extended period of
time. |
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| 5. |
What is Aupair.za.com? |
| Aupair.za.com is an au pair and family
matching database website. It is a safe and convenient
way to search for an au pair or a family over the internet
without leaving the comfort of your own home or office.
Au pairs can search our worldwide website for au pair
jobs or tutor or nanny positions. Aupair.za.com offers
a free service for au pairs looking for au pair jobs
in their home country or au pair jobs abroad. If you
are a family looking for au pairs, nannies or tutors
you are in the right place! Families can quickly and
cost-effectively search our website for au pairs matching
their requirements – there are no registration
or placement fees payable! |
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| 6. |
What
is an au pair agency? |
| An au pair agency is a recruitment or
placement agency operating in a specific area or suburb
of a town or country. An au pair agency screens, interviews
and has personal meetings with potential au pairs. An
au pair agency might even conduct reference checks on
au pairs as well. A once-off registration fee is
payable by interested au pairs and families for services
offered by the au pair agency. Families pay a further
placement fee to the au pair agency once they have
found a suitable au pair. The placement fee is generally
a substantial amount (payable every year to the au
pair agency) and is calculated as a percentage of
the au pair’s annual salary. |
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| 7. |
Is Aupair.za.com
an au pair agency? |
| No. Aupair.za.com is not an au pair or
employment agency. It’s a worldwide database where
you have access to families and au pairs all over the
world. You can use Aupair.za.com to find a suitable
au pair or a host family and make all the necessary
arrangements yourself without the use of an authorised
au pair agency. |
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| 8. |
Do I need an au
pair agency? |
| No. The only exception is the United States
of America that has 11 authorised agencies that administer
their au pair programme and provide documentation for
the au pair’s J1 visa. An au pair would need a
J1 visa in order to au pair in the USA. |
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| 9. |
What
is a summer au pair? |
| In the USA, a summer au pair takes care
of children during the long summer holidays. A summer
au pair needs to attend a summer au pair program in
the USA. The Summer Au Pair USA program offers full-time,
live-in childcare for families with children over the
age of 2 years. A summer au pair gets the same live-in
benefits and compensation as full-time au pairs, but
on a pro-rated basis for their 2 or 3 months of employment. |
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| 10. |
What are “special
needs”? |
The term special needs refers to those
children whose development, behaviour, or ability to
learn and communicate are such that they need extra
special care to realise their potential and lead happy
lives. Children with special needs may have: mild learning
disabilities or profound mental retardation; food allergies
or terminal illness; developmental delays that catch
up quickly or remain entrenched; occasional panic attacks
or serious psychiatric problems, etc.
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• |
Down syndrome
(or Trisomy 21) |
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A genetic condition caused by the presence of an extra
chromosome 21. Typical physical features may include
a single transverse palmar crease, an epicanthic fold
of the eyelid, shorter limbs and poor muscle tone. Individuals
with Down syndrome can have a lower than average cognitive
ability, often ranging from mild to moderate learning
disabilities. Although some of the physical genetic
limitations of Down syndrome cannot be overcome, education
and proper care will improve quality of life.
Visit http://www.downsyndrome.org.za
for more information.
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Autism
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Autism is a complex developmental disability that
begins in early childhood and persists throughout adulthood
and is a result of a neurological disorder that affects
the normal functioning of the brain, affecting crucial
areas of development: communication, social interaction,
and creative or imaginative play.
Visit http://www.autism-society.org
for more information.
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Cerebral
Palsy |
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Cerebral palsy is a medical condition caused by a
permanent brain injury that occurs before, during, or
shortly after birth. The primary characteristic of cerebral
palsy is a lack of muscle control and movement.
Visit http://www.cerebralpalsyinfo.org/
for more information.
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• |
Attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or Hyperkinetic Disorder) |
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ADHD is a developmental disorder, largely neurological
in nature. The disorder typically presents itself during
childhood, and is characterised by a persistent pattern
of inattention and/or hyperactivity, as well as forgetfulness,
poor impulse control or impulsivity, and distractibility.
Visit http://adhd.com/
for more information.
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Tourette
Syndrome (also known as Tourette's Disorder) |
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A neurological disorder which becomes evident in early
childhood or adolescence between the ages of 2 and 15.
Tourette syndrome is defined by multiple motor and vocal
tics (involuntary movements) lasting for more than one
year.
Visit http://www.tsa-usa.org
for more information. |
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| 11. |
How do I search/find
an au pair or family? |
| Simply click on the “Search for
an au pair/family” button on the main menu. |
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|
| 12. |
How do I register
as an au pair or family? |
| Simply click on the “Register as
an au pair or family” button on the main menu
and complete the registration form. Please enter all
information accurately. |
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|
| 13. |
Why do I need to
register as an au pair or family? |
| By registering on this website, your information
will be used to create a personal profile which will
be viewed by au pairs and families when searching for
a suitable au pair or family. So by registering your
information will be used to help you find an au pair
or family matching your needs. |
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| 14. |
Must both the
au pair and the family be Premium Members in order to
contact each other directly? |
| No. Either the family or the au pair has
to become a Premium Member. |
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|
| 15. |
Do I need to
be a Premium Member to view matching profiles? |
| No. You can use Aupair.za.com by searching
and viewing matching profiles without being a Premium
Member. |
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| Should you have any further questions
or require more information, please send an email to
info@aupair.za.com
for further assistance. |
