By Richard Carrier
Contributing writer

A classic continental way of providing child care services has come to Powhatan. The families of James and Jennifer Roberts and John and Karin Carmack have contracted for au pair services through Cultural Care Au Pair, based in Boston,  Mass. The Roberts’ two children, Denali and McKayla, now have Pipsa, a 19-year-old girl from Finland, as their childcare provider. Harrison and Jackson Carmack look to Marius, a 21-year-old German man, for weekly childcare.

“Its just so cool,” said area Cultural Care Au Pair representative Marisha Fiden. “Who would have ever thought this would come to Powhatan?”

Fiden, who has been with the 20-year-old company since last fall, has placed au pairs in 14 other area homes, but these are her first in Powhatan county. Fiden, who was born in Powhatan, pointed out both the cultural and financial benefits to this method of providing childcare. “These young people come from all over the world,” she revealed, “and provide a cultural experience for both the child and the family, as well as affordable child care.”

The majority of the au pairs come from South America and Germany.

All au pair agencies in this country operate under federal regulations and both potential au pairs and host families go through a screening process. Starting with the original application by the host family, the process evolves into matching potential au pairs with the host family’s needs and expectations.

Selected au pairs come to this country on a 13-month student/work visa, which can be renewed for a second 12-month period.

The selected au pairs must continually take college courses while they are in this country and must also work. Regulated schedules include up to 45 hours per week with a maximum of ten hours per day work in the family’s home.

Au pairs are paid $176.85 per week plus room and board. The host family needs to be prepared for $300 per week in expenditures, including the au pair’s weekly salary.

School fees, travel expenditures to and from the au pairs’ home country, and agency fees make up the vast majority of these expenditures.

Fiden is responsible for one-on-one contact with the individual au pairs in her area (a 60-mile radius from her office in Midlothian) once a month and meets with the host family at least once a year to check on their general welfare and on-going compatibility.

“These kids are just so great and this is a way to get wonderful childcare with an international flair,” Fiden said.

Karin Carmack agreed that “so far it’s working great. We’re enjoying the experience.”

Her au pair, Marius, gets her two boys, ages three and five, up in the morning, plays with them, drives them wherever they need to go, feeds them and puts them to bed.

“Everything a mother would do,” Carmack said.