Karin Driesen / Staff Writer | Posted: Saturday, February 12, 2005 12:00 am
When Oxana Volkova saw a pelican up close at the Pismo Pier, it was the first time she had seen such a bird outside a zoo. She said that/s just
one of the experiences she will take back to her native Russia from her stay in America.
PISMO BEACH 77 Volkova left her home country last month and came to California to work as an au pair, a foreign person who stays with a local family and helps with child care and house work. She will live with her host family in Shell Beach for the next year.
"It/s a great opportunity. I heard a lot about America, and it/s a great chance to travel," Volkova said about her decision to come here. "And I really want to improve my English skills."
She is using her experience caring for the host family/s boys 77 one 4 years and the other 5 months old 77 to supplement her studies in child psychology. She has one and a half years of studies left before completing her degree at a university in Russia.
Volkova is one of several au pairs currently living with host families from Santa Maria to San Luis Obispo. They are participating in Cultural Care Au Pair, a nationwide program that matches local families with foreign people looking for work and a place to live for a summer or a whole year.
Carina Hilbert of Oceano, the local coordinator for CCAP, said most au pairs are between 19 and 27 years old. Currently there are au pairs from Germany, Russia, the Czech Republic, Panama and Brazil living here on the Central Coast.
"They/re pretty good at English," Hilbert explained. "They take English proficiency tests before they get here, and they/re definitely where you can communicate with them. They may learn more vocabulary when they/re here."
Prospective au pairs and families must complete an extensive application and screening process before the program connects them with potential matches. Then, families and applicants can talk on the phone before making a final decision.
"I really felt like I could pick someone that would be perfect for us," said Debbie Rudd of San Luis Obispo. The Rudds, including two children, are the host family for Kathrin Voight of Germany.
"I felt really comfortable with such a thorough application process," Rudd said. "We also interviewed her on the phone several times."
Rudd and her husband, Brad, both work, and the children go to preschool. She said they chose to hire a live-in au pair because it helps them spend more quality time with their children.
"We spend less time trying to get them out the door to daycare, and it gives us the kind of flexibility so that when I have a lunch break, Kathrin can bring them by," Rudd said.
But the arrangement also exposes the youngsters to another culture because au pairs may teach children stories and songs from their native country or cook traditional foods for dinner.
"One mother told me she really doesn/t need an au pair 77 she works from home and doesn/t need that much help 77 but she just really loves having an au pair and giving her children that experience," Hilbert said.
Most au pairs say they feel like they/re part of the family, and families like the Rudds enjoy that stability.
"Having Kathrin live with us really makes it feel like she/s a part of the family," Rudd said. "It/s just been a great experience having Kathrin be a part of our family."
Many families take their au pairs along on vacations and involve them in other personal ways. In May, Volkova/s host family will take her to Arizona on a family trip. They/ve also gone on such outings as hiking.
In fact, outdoor activities are something Volkova is enjoying tremendously, thanks to the Central Coast/s natural beauty.
"It/s great nature here," she said. "I/m inspired by the nature. I really like it."
When au pairs are not working for their families, they do get some free time to explore. They also take classes at local colleges, a requirement of the CCAP program. They must complete six college credits, as mandated by the U.S. State Department, which regulates the CCAP program.
Volkova, for example, is taking an economics course at Cuesta College/s South County campus.
The au pairs also participate in monthly meetings or training sessions where they learn about a variety of topics. On Feb. 5, five au pairs went through a fire-safety class at the Grover Beach Fire Station, where they learned about basic emergency procedures and practiced using a fire extinguisher.
The program is designed to make sure the au pairs are well trained, but it does come with a hefty price tag. A family can expect to pay about ,14,000 to have an au pair for one year, but Hilbert said that/s well worth the money, especially if there are several children involved.
"If you have at least two children, then the cost of daycare could be as much as that," she said.
More information on CCAP can be obtained by calling toll-free (800) 333-6056 or online at www.culturalcare.com.
* Staff writer Karin Driesen can be reached at 489-4206, Ext. 5015, or kdriesen@pulitzer.net.
Feb. 12, 2005