Don’t try to “fix” something that isn’t broken!
Friend,
A beloved childcare option for working parents is under attack.Â
For decades, American families with young children have taken advantage of the popular au pair program. In exchange for providing accommodation, regular meals and a weekly stipend, families receive reliable and responsive childcare from a foreign national seeking to improve their English and experience American life. But now, the Biden administration is proposing new regulations that would gut the program, making it unworkable for the thousands of families who participate in it each year.
Under the seemingly noble guise of strengthening labor protections for au pairs, the Biden administration is proposing to reduce the allowable working hours from 45 to 40 each week and doubling or even tripling their pay, costing families an additional $10,000 to $20,000 each year.
Both State Department and sponsor surveys "indicate broad satisfaction with the au pair program among current au pairs and alumni," begging the question: Why fix what isn’t broken?Â
These proposed regulations, along with a host of other bureaucratic changes, will make the au pair program too inflexible and expensive for many families, which is a loss for working parents and au pairs alike.
Roughly 20,000 families use au pairs each year, including my family with three young children. For families with multiple young children, it’s often the most affordable childcare option. If these reckless changes advance, it will force more families into an already scarce childcare market.
The Biden administration claims it wants to improve childcare options for working parents, but this proposal would do the exact opposite.Â
Friend, you can help make a difference. Join me in fighting to keep the au pair program a flexible and affordable option for families.
