Au Pair International is an extremely unprofessional group. The people seem to really dislike working there and they foster a very anti-host family environment. Our au pair also said she felt like they were very difficult. They talk very disrespectfully to us once they take our money and make it difficult to communicate with them. I have actually been hung up on and avoided for months. I am so glad I switched agencies. I realized what a big difference there was in professionalism! We love our new agency and I wish I knew this years ago. read more

Au Pair International is probably the worst agency out there. First, look at how they advertise or market: They require a $650 fee just to apply (no other agency I checked with has an application fee more than $100), but on their website, they induce you to apply by saying the fee will be waived if you apply be the end of the month. Next month, and every month after that has the same "promotion". Our local coordination, Michelle Hom, is lazy and lies. She never bothered to check our house until after we paid and completed the agreement (the agency is supposed to check before in case your room does not qualify). She then comes to our house and start telling us bad things about Au Pairs, for example, they come here either to play with boys, learn English, or make money - nothing to do with enjoying taking care of children. Other Au Pairs told me that she plays the Au Pairs against the host family as well. They only care if you sign the contract and pay the money because once you pay the money, if you decide to cancel later, you are mostly SOL. No matter what complaints they have received of the Au Pairs, they do not care, but want to rematch them as quickly as possible because the data on the Au Pairs is reported to the State Dept as required by law. For example, if they have a high percentage of Au Pairs who have to return to their country before the end of their contract, it will raise concern among the State Dept. Ilka and Katrina are also complicit. Most of the Au Pairs they have are from South America (such as Argentina). My advice is to stay from these Au Pairs. They are rarely here to babysit or learn English. They come largely for one reasons - you can guess what it is. Our former Au Pair, Valentina, is like that. read more

This is a terrible company. I am speaking of a host family and warning other potential host families who are about to pay big bucks to get an Au Pair from Au Pair International. Do not do it! As a host family, we have made many complaints against our Au Pair but Au Pair international did not take any actions to attempt to correct any problems. We have to fire our Au Pair because she has way too many activities such as getting her degree, pursuing her illegal work career as a photographer, attending many parties and stay up all night until coming home 30 minutes before working, taking many trips, taking way too many sick days (usually 2 to 3 days off after each road trips) and working illegal part time jobs. Due to all the activities, the Au pair has very low energy to take care of my son. I strongly do not recommend any host families to get an Au Pair from Au Pair International. read more

PAY THE EXTRA FOR A LEGITIMATE AGENCY!!!!! After 5 months with this company I can no longer support a review any higher than 1 star. Our Au Pair personally is an amazing girl and we love her dearly. This company however is extremely unprofessional, unorganized and illegitimate. I would say to read the fine print but you would just get confused. We ran into an issue regarding vacation time with the company advising our Au Pair she had 7 "working" days of vacation left prompting her to book a 2 week out of country vacation. After further investigation we found that they were operating out of the Au Pair handbook, which we'd never seen! At that point I began digging through ALL the documents her and I had and found we had completely different documents with completely different requirements! Once I began reading deeper into things I found that even within my own documents I had conflicting information. Come to find out, the document I signed and am contractually obligated to would have only give her 5 vacation days left equaling 1 week. I then reached out to the company to include; Katrina - The Vice President, Michelle - The Director of Compliance, Larissa - Our Regional Director, Cara - Our Local Coordinator and Abbe a Placement Coordinator who also served as an interim Local Coordinator for us in the beginning. I sent them 11 examples of inconsistencies just regarding vacation time in their own documents and asking for clarification and help with our situation and have received nothing in response! Due to their negligence, oversight and advice, my family is out a $200 weekly stipend and a weeks worth of our own vacation time to cover her extended absence! These people see nothing but dollar signs and once they have it, they have no decency towards you if a problem arises. read more

Quite relieved to be away from this au pair agency.. Admittedly I did it to save money which isn't a good thing when looking for someone to take care of the little being that is the most precious in your life. I justified it in my head that the expenses that I was saving with going with this agency I would offset by giving a bigger paycheck to my au pair (we had been six years with another au pair agency which is great but whose fees were $1500 higher than theirs). Our first au pair that we were matched with this was frightful. Really scary, I didn't trust leaving the au pair at all with our child and she really could care less about taking care of child or our child being harmed. When trying to get rematched through our area director she not only blamed us but insulted me. I fortunately had it all in e-mail but I've never had someone be so racist and insulting that I was quite ready to drop the agency. We got rematched with a new au pair who was fine for the 1.5 years that we had her. She had a bond with our children and I trusted her to take care of them but I do worry that some of our youngest child's slow development was in part due to the difference in care. She was nice to our family but with our current au pair we switched back to our old agency and it's amazing how different our new au pair is. The professionalism that she approaches her role, the warmth, the genuine interest.. Moreover, to have an area director that actually contacts both the family and au pair (the area director with API never called us once in the 1.5 years). Sara K. hit it on the button...do stay away from this agency and instead go with Cultural Care, Au Pair, or Eurapair--there are many reputable au pair agencies out there. read more

Our current AuPair fiercely protective of our girls and is equally vested in finding someone who fits in our family when she leaves us in late summer. Additionally, Our previous AuPair has gotten engaged to and she has asked our girls are going to be flower girls in her Irish celebrations, and I will be a bridesmaid! This program has really enriched our family in ways we could not have anticipated. Including having a child who qualifies for speech and language services but is able to say "cheers" in Serbian and Irish as well as basic greetings in both languages. We so appreciate this program and the candidates that we have had that matched with our family. We have had an opportunity already to go to Ireland (last November) as well as an open invitation to Serbia! We have gotten to celebrate Orthodox Christmas and Easter and found a whole subculture (Serbian) literally in our backyard that we did not know existed until Our family participated in this program. This agency has been very easy to work with, and because it is relatively small I feel like any concerns we've had, or our AuPairs have faced, they've worked with us willingly to help. We would (and have) recommended both AuPairs generally, and this agency specifically to others in our area. It truly can be a cultural exchange and for that we're thankful. read more

The agency always put excellent employees who helped me even on weekends. Larissa Sexton, Regional Director, was always very attentive, intelligent and knew how to guide me through each process and difficulties that I had during the course of the program, competent, suitable and very responsible. surely the company only wins with it. read more

I called Au Pair International specifically to determine if they provided Au Pair services in my area. They assured me they did. Therefore I applied with them, spending hours filling out their application, providing an abundance of personal information and references, to whom they sent emails and received responses. Then the following day, they email me and say they do not service my geographic area. If they are so incompetent that they do not even know their geographic service area, how can they supply a dependable service? I would recommend avoiding this incompetent agency. read more

AuPair International worked swiftly with us to support our need for care. Our Au Pair arrives in two weeks. The response time on emails is impressive. The staff are coordinated and work well as a team. After we completed everything on our end, they got the flight booked the same day. We are very happy with the service so far and look forward to welcoming our au pair from Brazil! read more

From first contact, I knew I'd made the right choice for my Au Pair agency. Au Pair International was there for me every step of the way, even answering emails at 10pm when we'd realized our first choice had fallen through because the candidate dropped out of the program. It wasn't the end of the world, and I'm so glad it happened because it WASN'T the best fit for our family... and who Au Pair International recommended next has been the most wonderful thing to happen to our family. From day to day contact during the beginning to fielding the questions I had after placement, everyone has been incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. The transition to placement was seamless as well. The home interview, and visits after our Au Pair arrived, made all the difference in giving us the confidence that we'd made the right choice. Even now, the process as we near the end of our first year is incredibly kind and professional. Everyone at Au Pair International cares the most about who matters the most... your children. You're choosing to bring an Au Pair into your family because you want the best for your children -- and everyone here gets that. They understand that your family is opening their home to someone they've never met, and that process can be awkward and tense and sometimes frustrating, but you don't have to worry because they will be there to help! read more

We used Au Pair International (API) as our Au Pair Agency. Each interaction with the company was disappointing. It started with the unhelpful and vague directions around setting-up the Au Pair's flight to the US. Once our Au Pair arrived her spoken English was not anywhere near the required proficient. When we had spoke to her on Skype she must have translated it or something as she could barely understand us, much less communicate back in spoken English. Per Code of Federal Regulations 22 CFR § 62including section 62.31 the designated sponsor organization (API) are required to have been personally interviewed, in English, by an organizational representative who shall prepare a report of the interview which shall be provided to the host family. In no way could this have happened with the agency not completely misrepresenting our Au Pair's English skills. Another surprise that we encountered was that when we were celebrating our Au Pairs "birthday" she told us it was not her birthday and that the date of birth and name provided was actually not her name. This was a surprise to us. Per Code of Federal Regulations 22 CFR § 62including section 62.31 the designated sponsor organization is responsible that the Au Pair Have successfully passed a background investigation that includes verification of school, three, non-family related personal and employment references, a criminal background check or its recognized equivalent and a personality profile. When we highlighted these and other concerns to the agency and ultimately had to terminate our Au Pair API seemed to care less. They rematched our Au Pair who went to another unsuspecting family. This family I am sure assumed her identity was correct, that she could speak English proficiently, and that she did not have an eating disorder. Surprise for them, not for API. API chose to rematch her because it was in their financial best interest, not the best interest of the Au Pair of the host family. API also told our Au Pair that the host family was responsible to pay her transportation cost to her English education. https://j1visa.state.gov/educational-component/ Clearly states the host family is responsible for the $500 educational stipend and facilitating (not paying) for Au Pair transportation. This caused additional confusion and unmet expectations with our Au Pair. We continued to highlight all of these issues and try to work with API to not only seek resolution for us but to help API solve some of these systemic issues that seem very apparent. API did not want to do anything. They would continue to say someone would look into it or follow-up with us. But nothing happened. Our concerns were finally escalated to Katrina Vanderhulst, Executive Vice President. (katrina@aupairint.com / 720-308-5458). Katrina scheduled follow-up calls twice that she then did not make. API failed to follow-up or do anything to address our concerns. I would not recommend you choose API as your Au Pair Agency. I hope they address some of the systemic issues highlighted in this review, but I doubt that will happen. We are not looking for any follow-up from API because we have wasted too much of our time already. read more

This place is just amazing! They care about their host families and aupairs so much. The employees, especially Katrina are up late working hard to take care of situations. If you have a problem, they will take care of it right away. Instead of just having bad employees, the employees grow, or get cut. The people there are so so so kind and caring about everyone. When I saw the bad reviews, I was shocked. People are mad at the agency because of what the people do. They are not responsible for them. They have so many families, and so little time to deal with everything, so when people get upset that they don't reply in 2 minutes, but they (customers) take 2 hours or more to reply. The employees are doing their best, and the people on here are getting mad at them. I can say with full confidence that aupairs international is the best possible agency to use. read more

I went through this agency to be an au pair in Spain for the summer. They are amazing!!! I was walked through the whole process from start to end. The application process is a bit extensive but that is how you know it is safe. The vetting process for both au pairs and host families ensures that both parties are comfortable. I was able to talk with multiple families and choose the one I thought was the best fit. The placement coordinator I worked with, Jelena Estrada, is absolutely WONDERFUL! She was so helpful with getting me through the application process and she stayed in touch while I was in Spain. Jelena was genuinely excited for me to become an au pair which made my experience even better. If you're looking to become an au pair, Au Pair International is a great agency. I met other au pairs in Spain who did not go through an agency and they had a lot of issues. Some were being paid way under the legal minimum and others were even kicked out by their host family with no where to go. Going through Au Pair International meant I had a contract that ensured I was paid well and not fired without notice. It also meant I had multiple people I could contact if there was an issue with my host family. Au Pair International takes care of their au pairs. read more

Let me just start by saying I have had a phenomenal time working with Au Pair International. I am an Au Pair here in Spain and they made the process so easy and we're there for my 100% of the way. The people are extremely friendly and always willing to help, I love this company and can not wait to work with them next year!! If you are looking to become an Au Pair, API is completely the way to go. They are supportive and committed to helping you find the best possible match for you! Can not say enough words about this company!! xxx read more

lol i just read your response. i think it's actually hilarious how much you lie to try and make yourself look good. KARMA!!!

API was always there for me when I need assistance and this is great cause you're far from your family and this is not your home country, so is good to feel like someone is looking after you! read more

I cannot be more clear when I say Do NOT use Au Pair International for your families childcare. This is the first negative post of my life but wanted to speak up to prevent other families from the same/similar misfortune I had. This agency seemed fine UNTIL my au pair quit very unexpectedly mid-covid AND mid contract; she admitted it was because she wanted to see another part of the country and have a more regular schedule. This agency did NOTHING to help my family despite their contractor (au pair) breaching her contract. Not only was I, a single mom and ER doc, left completely high and dry during this incredibly stressful time at work (and life), they required I pay out her accrued vacation time AND initially expected they would keep the funds I had paid them ahead of time for her 12 months here (from contract) even though SHE BROKE THE CONTRACT WITH NO NOTICE. This agency not once seemed to care that the action of their au pair left myself and my 2 year old son in a very bad place childcare wise, mid-covid. This agency made it feel like they were doing me a favor-and something I had to demand- by returning me my payments for the months the au pair DIDN'T EVEN WORK. Unbelievable!!!! Au Pair International is an agency that does not care about you and your family; their bottom line is their ONLY priority. Sadly, I cannot recommend this agency to anyone, anywhere or anytime. read more

Beware. I have used this agency for two au pair placements. The first au pair was with us for two years. She was good the first year but developed a very bad attitude the second year. Despite many ongoing conversations with both the au pair and au pair agency/area directors about the issues, they didn't do anything. The second au pair placement didn't work out from day one. The agency strongly recommended a young woman for my family, who on paper and via video calls seemed like a fit. The agency urged me to accelerate the process or risk losing her as a candidate. Upon arrival, it was very clear that both she and the agency had hugely misrepresented her capabilities and experience to care for young children. The au pair left after just 10 days. What was shocking is that during the termination process, no one from the agency, including the regional area director, even bothered to reach out to me directly (nor did anyone from the agency respond via email or voice mail). Customer services was non-existent. I will be filing a formal complaint to the state department about Au Pair International's weak screening process and lack of support for host families. read more

We have a child with downs syndrome and contacted Au Pair International around March/April, 2018 looking for help with child care. We had hosted two au pairs previously for 3 years with a different agency and we loved the program in that we helped au pairs from different countries experience US while getting child care from a family-like member. Our experience with Au Pair International, however, turned out to be a night mare. The au pair put our kids in grave danger. It is, however, the unprofessional and callous response of Au Pair International that stung us. They were not empathetic to our au pair rehire requests and instead employed delayed response tactics while holding our deposit amount which prevented us from hiring any other agency. With our deposit amount held hostage and hence the inability to get child care, my wife had to quit her job causing us severe financial distress. As a fellow host family, I would strongly recommend that you do not employ Au Pair International. Below is a summary of our experiences with Au Pair International. Screening - I am very concerned about the misrepresentation of the Au Pair's experience claims on their profile and the due diligence performed by Au Pair International. Our first au pair profile through Au Pair International stated he had experience managing kids. In the 7 days, he lived with us, it was evident that he had never managed kids before! There were a couple of incidents which left our kids in grave danger. However, the two consecutive incident's that led us to terminate him - he left our boys unattended on a busy (45 mph) road completely oblivious of the deadly danger this posed and left the boys unsupervised in a swimming pool. He lacked basic caretaking skills. Before we set onto the path of rematch process, we asked that Au Pair International share their screening process. Sharyce, the South East Regional Director, kept responding that Katrina Vanderhulst, Au Pair International's Vice President, will call to clarify. They have not despite repeated follow ups since Aug 28th! Expectations - To allege that we set the "wrong expectations" and blocking our access, in my opinion, was seemingly retaliatory and discriminatory. To ensure the incoming Au Pair has a clear understanding of his/her responsibilities and workload, we detailed all work responsibilities on our family profile pages. Description of the responsibilities could not be detailed any further short of doing the work! The needs of our special needs child, was described in detail as well. We also validated the Au Pair's understanding of their responsibilities through multiple Skype interviews with our children. I am skeptical now of what training/induction the au pairs receive from Au Pair International. This program is defined as a cultural exchange program while they get paid to perform a defined set of responsibilities. As you have seen above, Au Pair International has been totally unprofessional and completely ignorant of our requests. Please stay away from Au Pair International. Ganesh read more

We've had great success with this company and would recommend them to anyone looking for an Au Pair.

This agency has the worst business practices and does not appear to hire people with any child care experiences whatsoever. In addition, there are area directors that are blatantly biased (racist or adoptionist or both). The first au pair that we hired through this agency clearly had no real experience with toddlers and when she came into our home (we have an infant and a toddler) it was a disaster. We worked with the agency to find a new au pair and they were fairly helpful during this time. But within a few weeks of our new au pair's arrival the area director came into our home and began to say the most horrible things about our toddler right in front of him. Our toddler is adopted and African American. She started saying that he must have fetal alcohol syndrome and his birth/biological mom must have been drinking or doing drugs or both!!! Mind you, this director had never spent more than 15 minutes at our house interacting with our son. She did not observe him. She was not a professional with a degree in childhood education, child psychology or medicine that would make her even remotely qualified to make such accusations. She continued to tell us that there was something wrong with our toddler because he had tantrums (don't most 3 year olds have a tantrum at some point?). She harassed our new au pair telling her to leave our home. The supervisor of the area director was supportive when we told her this information and arranged for us not to have contact with the area director anymore. However, we were never told of any disciplinary action or educational training that this area director would be given so that this kind of thing would not happen again! This sort of negative talk about a child's biological mother in front of him, the implications that adopted children and African American children are some how a problem from the start, and the fact that she said all of these hurtful things in front of our son is astonishing. The agency did nothing to respond to the underlying issues. Finally when the second au pair left (she was also ill-equipped to work with infants and she left our baby unattended on the changing table and he fell off), we asked for a prorated refund for our unused program fees. We thought this was more than fair after everything we had been through with this agency. The agency has refused to refund us the fees! read more

You pay for what you get. They claim they are a boutique agency, which results in a small pool of unqualified, poorly screened applicants. They ignore phone calls, emails and even live chat on line, with no response to address concerns or questions. This is not a big company, so to not follow up with a previous or prospective host family is an issue of poor customer service. I left the program after needing more hours than the state department allows, but were then able to rejoin due to change in childcare and job demands. Responses as to allowing me to host another Au pair were seemingly retaliatory and discriminatory where there were excuses about not covering my area. I have attempted to follow numerous times to Joanna, and Natasha- the area director and now I'm just blatantly ignored. In the beginning all staff were supportive and professional, once they get your money- they are done with you. If you have a complaint, suggestion or question after which- don't expect a response. Poor customer service. Highly disappointing..... read more

PARENTS! NOT API! Run away...the other reviews are dead-accurate! These people will take your money and when it doesn't work out - they do not give your money back. The agreement you have to sign says they do not give it back. The au-pair does not work for them. You pay this company $7000+ to file paperwork, arrange flights and make phone calls. The au-pair is not an employee of API. If it falls apart, which many au-pairs do - you are out of everything and API smiles and walks away...API is not obligated to do ANYTHING! If you still insist on using these scammers - DO NOT PAY ALL AT ONCE! Use the payment plan so you can keep "some" of your money and have some recourse. These people are like passport companies - passport companies don't give you passports, they just do the paperwork for you and mail it. API just does paperwork. The rest is on you and if it fails, API is clear, especially if they already have your money! BUYER BEWARE! read more

I'm shocked at these bad reviews. We've used Au Pair International for over 10 years. Our au pairs have been uniformly awesome. I think that some families have unreasonable expectations, and that, combined with the cultural differences, can create problems. Ultimately, an au pair relationship is a cultural exchange. You have to view it that way. If you are expecting Mary Poppins, only cheaper, you'll be disappointed. I will say that there have been a few times over the years that a member of the office staff (usually new) have been less than stellar (not bad, but not great either). However, this was balanced by other staff members who went (and continue to go) above and beyond. No agency is perfect, but having talked with families who use other agencies, in my opinion the lower ratings do not reflect the quality of Au Pair International. read more

API has all of this info on file + supporting photos. Despite that, they elected to re-match our AP w/ another family & failed to disclose what you are about to read. When I found the new family & reached out to them they told me that API said that my husband and I were "unavailable", despite the new family's request to talk w/ us. API LIED to them - obviously we are eager to tell our side. New family had no idea why the AP had gone into rematch. They were told she "never got to go anywhere/do anything fun" w/ our family. API has attempted to BLOCK ME from posting this review IN EXCHANGE FOR $. API awarded us a full 7K refund in order to avoid a lawsuit. Before they released the $, they asked us to state in an email that we would not discuss this situation. Obviously the request is laughable and in no way a legally valid non-disclosure agreement. People need to know this story. When a company becomes so profit driven that they fail to act in the best interest of children, we have a DUTY TO WARN. API matched us with 24 y/o "Mel" from SW England. Mel had only 2 mo. of formal childcare experience & API sent her here WITHOUT ACTUALLY SCREENING her. Her "screening" was done by "Smaller Earth", a business that "helps you explore the world"..what?! The woman who "screened" our AP does not hold any degree in social work, psychology, etc. She has absolutely no business "screening" anyone. Smaller Earth is a facilitator & use of them to screen childcare providers is FRAUD. Our AP had a basic police database search. All that told us is that she has not been convicted of a crime..yet. We Skyped w/ Mel a couple times & she seemed friendly enough. API PRESSURED US to make the match "quickly". When Mel arrived she was socially awkward & odd. Her personality was superficial & her interpersonal style off putting & wooden. She spent all free time locked up in her rm video chatting w/ her parents; 8+ hr. stretches. She lacked basic adult survival skills & had a LOW IQ. Despite her lackluster personality & intellectual deficits, she appeared to be good enough in terms of childcare. We work from home, so, we were able to monitor her. We never felt comfortable leaving her alone w/ our son. Our local API coordinator,"K." failed to mention that she found Mel odd & Mel's litany of petty complaints (1030PM wknight curfew, our son's laundry) until after Mel left. K. did offer advice on how to obtain "full refund" from API after Mel left! Huh? Needless to say K. was not the "valuable local support" promised by API. If Mel had been a regular employee we'd have fired her, but we felt stuck w/ her. It's an ordeal to get a new AP. We tolerated the status quo for a couple mo. & then a single event turned the situation nightmarish. Through this event Mel's TRUE PATHOLOGY declared itself. I am a Correctional Psychiatrist & quite informed on the matter of Forensics & sociopathy. A sociopath lacks empathy for other living creatures & as such is capable of striking acts of cruelty. They are selfish beyond measure.They can fake good for a bit, but scratch the veneer & you will see their terrifying true character. API PLACED A SOCIOPATH IN OUR HOME. The event I referred to was 2nd trimester loss of a much desired pregnancy. This was the worst experience of our lives & it culminated in a horrific surgery that left me down & out in every way. Mel actually figured out how to worsen our trauma. She monitored her work hrs down to the min despite never having been overworked. She never offered to start a meal or support us in any way other than what was absolutely required. She was broody & sullen, like a petulant teen. 1 wk after the loss she informed me that she was "bored" & would be "leaving" to seek a new family b/c we "hadn't done anything fun in May". I reminded Mel of the lost pregnancy in May. Her response: "YOUR MISCARRIAGE WAS NOT PART OF MY PLAN FOR MY AMERICAN EXPERIENCE". Apparently Mel had been planning her big reveal for at least 1 full day b/c she used that day to cage our toddler up in her rm while she packed, took phone calls/emails, & made plans for departure. In doing so SHE NEGLECTED OUR SON; did not feed him lunch, did not change his diaper (blazing red rash that PM). A BRUISE appeared on his shin that PM.This bruise was in the shape of 4 fingertips & Mel did it. She was NEGLECTFUL OF HER (paid) DUTIES in her last 1-2 wks. She did her best to hide it, but we found heaps of our son's laundry & dirty diaper bins overflowing. She left her living space in a state of filth that can only be described as purposeful (stains/fifth/ROACHES in our beautiful new hm). We declined API's offer of a new AP. We demanded that Mel NOT BE PLACED W/ ANOTHER FAMILY as she is UNFIT to care for children. "For privacy" API couldn't confirm that she was sent back to UK, but assured us that they would act in good faith given our experience - A LIE. Mel is now caregiver to 3 minor children in AL! We have WARNED the new family & now we have warned you. read more

API sent me someone who is on her third family in half a year, failing to disclose her history of negligence and utter irresponsibility. When she came to our house, she was extremely arrogant, on her phone all the time while on duty or not! She took the baby out all day when baby already had heat rash, despite our request for limited outside time. She shook the baby to sleep for hours, feet on the rocker and hand on her phone, and laughed at me when I told her this is not good for baby. Before match, API told me she was just not that good at English and driving; they said the previous family was farmer and had her look after five kids, but in reality, they have three au pairs in the house! I couldn't reach them before matching, and when I wanted to fire her, I finally talked to the previous family. They even told me horror story of how API rematched an au pair who left baby alone and left their house! They also told me her history of such behavior, which they complained and API just blatantly covered up! Our current nanny treats our baby with love and us with respect. This is not where you want to get your childcare from. read more

I am an au pair through Au Pair International. I've had the most amazing experience being with this agency! My placement coordinator Jelena was so welcoming and kind from the beginning of my application process. She met with me in person to talk about the program and was always available and very responsive to any questions I may have. I'm currently abroad au pairing and continue to get support from Au Pair International. I've spoke with other au pairs from different countries that said their agency stopped reaching out to them once they left for their placement abroad. Letting an au pair into your home is a big step. As an au pair you becoming part of the family. When looking for the correct candidate you need to make sure you are open to an au pair being part of your family and they are the right fit for your lifestyle! I've found an amazing family and am having a wonderful time au pairing! read more

Again as one of the reviewers said you pay for what you get. The Aupair we got poorly screened had no childcare experience even though she mentioned on her profile some hundred plus hours. She mentioned she can drive a car but when she came it turned out that she didn't know how to drive at all. We ended up giving her a ride or pay for her UBER rides. I wish I had read the reviews on yelp before going forward with this agency. The Aupair we got had some psychological problem that she was bringing drama to our home once a month. She was talking to her family crying shouting, she was never ever happy with anything even I was working from home and helping her with the baby, I was putting the baby to sleep, preparing his lunch and changing his diapers and giving her a lunch break of one hour she was very tired at the end of the day. She had no energy and couple of times she told me taking care of a baby is too hard she won't have a baby. She stayed with us less than 3 months and she was supposed to stay even shorter but we really wanted her be happy and stay with us. We tried everything even took days off from work to let her go for vacation but she came back complaining. Nothing was interesting to her nothing made her happy and she wouldn't eat anything else than Chinese food. Why would you leave your country if you are such a person? Of course to make money. And more important is how she passed all screening? How can an agency send such a person offshore for childcare. I chose this agency because I thought how bad would it be I am a work at home mom but it was a very overwhelming experience... When we said we don't want this Aupair anymore they didn't even call back for complaints and they tried rematchi g that Aupair with another family! Very unprofessional, those profiles on their web page are all fake don't even trust what is written there. STAY AWAY FROM THIS AGENCY!! REALLY... read more

I would have give zero star if I can. They seems to have lower fees than most agencies but they skimmed by providing the first week of training online. Besides that, I have encountered so much problem to the point that I felt extremely frustrated. One of the staff that was assigned to me left without anyone formally taking over her clients. So I kept leaving voicemails and emails to the staff that already left for over 2 weeks without any response. Her voicemail and email didn't indicate that she no longer worked at API. Then the second staff that was assigned to me seems annoyed when I call her to ask questions or request clients. She just wanted to communicate by email. It took numerous emails to update my address correctly. They billed me the wrong amount, when I complained, they resend the same wrong bill 2 weeks later... For urgent matter, they won't even give you a call, all they did is just send you an email. If I could choose over again, I would choose an agency that provide live training. read more

This is not an organization you want to do business with at all. They simply do not uphold their end of their contract. It is amazing there are so many negative reviews about this company and they are still in business. Our au pair left just short of 6 months and API would not get a replacement for us as stated in their contract until we signed a new full-cost contract. That is not a requirement in the original contract, but they demand it or force you into a refund and then say you left the program as their legal defense. The best part about their tactics is they never document the requirement of you to sign a new contract. Only discuss it over the phone. And when you complain and communicate this is an unfair and illegal requirement - they never document an answer in their written responses. The are professional scam and con artists. The absolutely do not care about you, your family or their obligations. Best experience - their area director brings her children with her everywhere she goes including our home for the interview and then changes their diapers on our couch!. We escalated through the BBB in Denver and it went into legal proceedings sponsored and paid for by the BBB...you guess who won. The chief of the company, while under oath said these exact words "We are not a child care service". Remember that when you look at their website and see their child care programs and just know that when you corner them on their scam, they will throw themself under the bus and still win. If, after all of these reviews, you still choose to use API - use the payment plan. It will be the ONLY chance you have to recoup any of the money they will steal and not give back when they don't deliver on their contracted obligations. We could at least reverse some charges and get some of our money back. Before you sign on the line - call Steve at API and simply ask if they are a child care service - 1-888-649-2876. If he says yes, drop me a line so I can appeal our case on his purjury. If he says no, ask why he advertises as a child care service on his site but won't deliver. These people ought to be shut down. read more