Featured Au Pair: Camila from Colombia

When our last match ended, Camila became available and started immediately. Prior to Camila, our son (3) was having behavior issues which stemmed from quarantine. Since Camila arrived, he's been transformed.

Camila has an endless reserve of energy and creativity - every day, she's keeping both our son and daughter (10 months) engaged despite the limited options available during quarantine. Both my wife and I work full-time from home. Camila has been able to take the kids out almost everyday to new and exciting places - parks, aquariums, zoos, farms, lakes and more. She's a super hero in this family and has saved us from needing to make radical adjustments during COVID which might have included reducing our work schedules to part-time or investing in alternative child-care options. Her energy is amazing - not just the amount of it, but her attitude which is always positive and caring. She never seems down, bored, tired, or frustrated. She meets every situation with optimism and high spirits which our family, and our son in particular, respond very well too.

She's also part of the family in a way that many au pairs are not - she eats her meals with us and hangs out regularly with the family on the weekend. She's also been gracious in sharing the culture of her country with us, cooking arepas for the family and bringing back Colombian food from their independence day, celebrated in July.

Another aspect of Camila that we've been thrilled and relieved by is her maturity, particularly with respect to social distancing. She has a small group of friends who she does see, but she has been just as cautious as we are when it comes to going out, meeting people, and avoiding groups. We know it is hard to be an au pair during this time where you must remain somewhat confined with the host family, making it almost impossible to travel around the country and visit other parts of the US - something which is sold as part of the au pair experience. Camila has handled this immensely well, finding ways to maximize her experience here within the rules and common sense of social distancing.

It's really hard to imagine a better partner in childcare for our family than Camila. She's extraordinary.

The Bennet Family

Potomac, MD