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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

Au Pair Agencies...recommendations please...

36 replies

ingles2 · 30/09/2007 20:40

Especially ones that are registered with aupair2aupair site and cover Kent. TIA

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Original poster
ingles2 · 03/10/2007 20:08

No...you?

OP posts:
granarybeck · 03/10/2007 15:55

Have any of you used great au pair?

cloudberry · 03/10/2007 07:23

We've had 6 au pairs through Aupair World and only 2 were any good! Just food for thought. As a result we are abandoning au pairs as more hassle than they're worth and I'm going to ring Millenium Au Pairs on Ingles' suggestion to see if they can find me a mother's help.

foofi · 02/10/2007 21:21

I had 3 au pairs through an agency, and eventually decided that they don't do much for their money, and the references don't mean a lot anyway, so with the 4th I registered with AuPairWorld. It costs peanuts, comparatively, and is just as likely to find you someone you like (or don't).

granarybeck · 02/10/2007 21:12

Gosh! I thought they were expensive enough!!

Original poster
ingles2 · 01/10/2007 20:30

No I don't granary..I've tried 2 agencies, the 1st was utter rubbish and then this one...who have been great...until now. Mind you I had a look at millenium who look great and are offering the same facilities as my agency (aupair2aupair is really important I've discovered!)but at £100 less per placement!! definitely a better deal!

OP posts:
granarybeck · 01/10/2007 17:15

No, ingles we haven't used them before - we're new to au pairs. However, the HR director at my husband's firm recommended them and has used them successfully several times as has a number of dh's colleagues. I don't know if they've got good 'after-placement' support though. I keep asking dh to go and have a proper chat with some of the women that have hired through them but he just comes back with the most basic details!! At the moment we have only registered with them. Do you usually try a few agencies at the same time?

Original poster
ingles2 · 01/10/2007 16:29

Thanks Squiffy...Got to be one who drives, we live in a rural house! The girl I've got at the mo is czech and a really good driver, however earlier this year I got a girl from Romania who said she could drive bla bla bla, checked license...was a provisional! as you can imagine she left quite quickly!

OP posts:
Squiffy · 01/10/2007 13:46

There's one that specifically covers Kent - here. I've used them before and they are good although normally they only have French and Eastern European nannies on their books which can cause issues if you need one that drives.

Original poster
ingles2 · 30/09/2007 22:14

Thanks granary...Have you used them before? I'm just asking because I've been really surprised at the lack of after support from my current agency. I've got a nice au pair, been here 3 weeks and they've phoned her a couple of times and asked if she was being treated properly but have not heard anything from them myself, enquiring whether I'm happy.. . Wondering whether this is normal seeing as I'm the one who's paying!!

OP posts:
granarybeck · 30/09/2007 20:48

We have just registered with milleniumaupairs and have already had a lot of potentially suitable applicants.