How do you "close the deal"?

[MrsFogi]

I'm interested in what people do once they've found the au pair they like and the au pair indicates that they'd like to join your family. If there are a number of months until the au pair is actually due to start how do you go about maximising your chances of the au pair actually turning up? I always feel like I'm playing some sort of jeopardy in that we usually find au pairs 3-4 months before the start date but I'm always so worried they will let us down at the last minute (it's never happened but I've heard of so many people this has happened to). So I suppose what I'm really interested in is:

• when do you send the invitation letter/get the au pair to sign this?
• do you ask for proof that the travel has been booked? How soon after them accepting the position do you expect them to have booked their travel?
• how much do you keep in touch during the intervening months?
• anything else you do between decision and arrival?

Thanks

I agree an arrival date with them, and ask what town they're flying into, flight number and arrival time. Once I have that, I'm pretty sure they've booked and are coming!
After that, we'll email a few times to keep in touch, send a few pictures of my DDs, send a card at Christmas with pictures drawn by the girls, etc. I'll also check details via email like reassuring them they don't need to bring bedding or towels ... and ask if there's anything they want to know. Our first au pair asked if we had a swimming pool, which made me worry a bit, but she arrived and had a great time!

After we've interviewed, I send an email saying that we'd love to host them and if they'd like to accept they need to send me all the documents I'd previously asked them to send (so copy of passport, driving licence, disclosure of any medical conditions, police check, form to say they have no points on their licence.) I normally recruit 3 months ahead.

Once they have that, I ask them to book flights and send me a copy of the flight confirmation. Then I send out the letter of confirmation.
It was slightly different with my current au pair as she was driving with a friend from Portugal!

As Gus does, we then keep in touch with regular photos and news. I do wait sometimes for them to contact me, so that its not too one-sided.

Thanks for your answers. Underneaththash - can you tell me what the form is to show no points on their licence?

Sorry - just seen this, it depends on the country they are coming from, sometimes its on the licence sometimes they have to get an extra form from the police.