How to deal with uncompleted Au pair endings?
An au pair in my cluster recently had to return home unexpectedly to be with an ailing family member. Unfortunately, these types of things do happen and occasionally an au pair will need to return home before her program year is over. Before making the decision to return home, au pairs should consider all the ramifications of leaving the program early and discuss them with their host family.
Flight: Au Pair Agreement of Aupare Care states that flights home will be paid only for au pairs who successfully complete the program. The au pair's travel insurance will pay for flights home in the event of certain emergency situations, but not all. Therefore, au pairs considering returning home to be with a family member dealing with medical issues should talk to their Area Director to be sure they understand the travel insurance and if they can get flight costs paid at least partially if not in full.
Flight Documentation: Au pairs who are leaving the program should always give their Area Director their flight information. The Department of State requires that Aupare Care provide this information for SEVIS (Student Exchange and Visitor Program) when an au pair leaves the program. Au pairs for whom no flight information is entered may be considered AWOL by the Department of State and therefore have difficulties entering the country again later as a tourist or student. We do understand that during those times, you just think about your family but leaving things professionally is also important for future. Giving your Area Director your flight information to document ensures that you leave the US in good standing.
Completion Certificate: When an au pair finishes her program year, Aupare Care issues a completion certificate to au pairs. Many need this certificate to give to universities or employers to show how they spent their year. These certificates are also not issued when host families and au pairs mutually decide to end their program early; therefore host families and au pairs should take this under consideration. Saying goodbye to your au pair is never easy, especially when it happens earlier than expected. Knowing more about the process and implications of ending early can make the transition easier for all involved.
Remember it is very important to leave in good faith and with positive relationships, else it can be bad for you in future as you might get blacklisted for actions done previously.
