Helping foreign nannies feel at home

Kristen Cushen, au pair coordinator

Friday, June 5, 2009

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by EMILY BARNES Kristin Cushen, center, talks with her au pair Luz Balanza, left, and her sister's au pair Julia Petersen at her home. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

Full circle: When Kristin Cushen talks about her life, the themes of children and travel seem to mark her tale. She moved to Ireland as a single woman to work as a nanny. After she married, she and her husband had five children and adopted one from Ethiopia. And now, she works for an au pair agency coordinating the business's program in Southern Maryland.

"It's all come full circle," she said.

Cushen, of Port Tobacco, recently started working for Cultural Care Au Pair as a child care coordinator, helping families and au pairs — live-in nannies who come from overseas — settle in with each other and enjoy the experience.

Her job starts when a family is matched with an au pair.

Before the au pairs arrive at their new homes, Cushen reviews their applications to make sure they're a good fit for their employers.

For example, some people expect their au pair to speak fluent English, while others want an employee who can teach their child to ride a bike and play sports. Others, like Cushen, value honed driving skills.

Once the au pair arrives, Cushen sits down with the family within two weeks to see how things are going and then arranges a monthly meeting. She also organizes fun activities for area au pairs and stays available to help answer questions and give assistance if any problems arise.

Knowing her stuff: As a mother and employer of an au pair, Cushen felt she had the experience needed for the job.

Cushen first hired an au pair when her husband began to do more business travel and she needed help driving her children to activities.

"She gave me a break. I wanted to be a mom," Cushen said.

The au pair was from Panama and stayed with the family for two years, the maximum allowable by federal immigration law.

At the end of her employment, the au pair had become like a family member.

"She could read my mind, basically," Cushen said.

Her family has hired several more au pairs and now employs a woman from Colombia.

Cushen said she loves the fact that her children have been exposed to so many different nationalities.

"It's a cultural exchange," she said.

Cushen's family picks up Spanish and watches their au pair pile jalapenos on top of her food, while she is improving her English and learning a little about life in America.

"All of [our au pairs] have read the ‘Twilight' and ‘Harry Potter' books," Cushen said.

But she added that more than simply watching and teaching her kids, au pairs help keep her young and are a good all-around addition to the family.

"It's just really fun to have another person to sit and play [the card game] SKIP-BO with," Cushen said.

brodgers@somdnews.com