TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN — Dr. Chris and Lisa Holtz knew they had to come up with a childcare plan before expanding their family. What they didn't know was that the plan would involve expanding their family even more than they expected.
The two pediatricians have been Cultural Care Au Pair clients since the birth of their first daughter, Lilly, now 4. The Holtzes are also parents to Gracie, 2, and, in a way, Jil Stasch, the couple's 18-year-old. -old au pair from Dusseldorf, Germany. She is the third live international nanny the couple has employed throughout their children's lives.
Cultural Care Au Pair, a national company, matches American families with international men and women between the ages of 18 and 26 seeking an opportunity to broaden their cultural horizons by providing live-in childcare services. Contracts are valid for one year, but au pairs and families can extend these contracts in certain cases.
Bonnie Witkosky, local childcare consultant for Cultural Care Au Pair, said the program is growing in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties, especially among professionals whose schedules don't always work around that of a daycare center.
In the case of the Holtz family, irregular work hours combined with a lack of family members living in the area left them without a plan B in case of an emergency.
Lisa Holtz, 39, is from the Philadelphia area and Chris Holtz, 45, is from New Jersey.
“We should go closer to home,” Lisa Holtz said.
With an au pair, the Holtzes can maintain their regular daily schedules knowing that Stasch is able to attend to all of the children's needs, from dressing them, cooking meals, and driving them to groups and other activities.
“If our child gets sick, there's no way I'm leaving work. She's our emergency contact,” Lisa Holtz said of the family's au pairs. “It has saved us on snow days or during (the children's) illness.”
Lisa Holtz described finding an au pair through the website, www.culturalcare.comsimilar to online dating — the couple enters their requirements into a search engine and sifts through thousands of profiles to select their au pair.
For the Holtzes, it was finding someone reliable with a bubbly personality who also enjoyed interacting with children. The program has requirements that au pairs must meet depending on the age of the children in the family.
After selecting a suitable profile, the au pair and the family conduct interviews via Skype.
“You have a gut feeling,” Lisa Holtz said. “People can say things that ultimately aren't true, but in the end you can tell if someone is a good person.”
The program operates under the J-1 visa, which places restrictions on working conditions. Lisa Holtz said the pair are “sticklers for rules,” so they find it easy to work with guidelines. Au pairs cannot work more than 45 hours per week and are granted two weeks of paid holiday during the year.
While the program focuses on creating a cultural exchange experience for au pairs and their host families, that doesn't mean the selection process isn't rigorous. Witkosky said applicants are interviewed and screened before being matched with their host families, and there is “zero tolerance” for any offenses or behavioral issues.
Au pairs also undergo a four-day training course once they arrive in the United States, which includes CPR certification and other necessary childcare information.
The cost of the program is the same whether a family has two or 10 children, which Witkosky said makes it a viable option for those with larger families. According to the company's website, the cost for the plan is $18,953.25 annually or $1,579.44 monthly. This includes the weekly allowance of $195.75 paid to the au pair by the family. Witkosky said au pair applicants must also pay a fee to be part of the program.
Witkosky said she earns a “small amount” as an employee of the program. She recently left her job as national sales manager to focus on growing the program in her territory and considers it a labor of love.
“I love it, I love what I do,” he said. “I know I've impacted lives. It's time to do something I really like.”
Witkosky has been a liaison for au pairs from Brazil, Hungary, Germany, Colombia, Poland, Denmark and France. He has clients in Mountain Top, Dallas, Kingston and Clarks Summit. Its territory includes 142 postal codes and it works with au pairs from 33 countries.
To say that culture shock can be an issue is an understatement. Chris Holtz said one of the most important things to consider is making the au pair feel comfortable in their new environment. To combat feelings of homesickness, he likes to prepare dishes from his au pair's home country as often as he can.
The Holtzes said they still keep in touch with their former au pairs and even plan to return for a visit soon.
“We send birthday cards, birthday gifts (to former au pairs),” Lisa Holtz said. “… We share meals, holidays, sit and talk. He's not just focused on work.”
While Stasch said she feels like she's part of the family, she also maintains an independent lifestyle. She lives in an apartment above the Holtzes' garage — a rarity for au pairs in the area, according to Witkosky. Stasch also enjoys visiting fellow au pairs in the neighborhood (there's one who lives a block away), but her favorite thing, like many teenagers, is to go shopping.
“Everything is bigger in America,” Stasch said. “The stores are so big and they're always open.”
Au pair Jil Stasch, 18, of Dusseldorf, Germany, far right, participates in the Cultural Care Au Pair program with the Holtz family of Mountain Top. From left are Bonnie Witkosky, Cultural Care Au Pair childcare consultant, Dr. Lisa Holtz holding Gracie, 2, Dr. Chris Holtz holding Lily, 4, and Stasch.
Jil Stasch, 18, of Dusseldorf, Germany, far right, participates in the Cultural Care Au Pair program with the Holtz family of Mountain Top. From left are Bonnie Witkosky, Cultural Care Au Pair childcare consultant, Dr. Lisa Holtz holding Gracie, 2, Dr. Chris Holtz holding Lily, 4, and Stasch. Tony Callaio | For the Times Leader
Stasch plays with Gracie Holtz, 2, and Lily Holtz, 4, daughters of Drs. Lisa and Chris Holtz, Mountain Top.
plays with Gracie Holtz, 2, and Lily Holtz, 4, daughters of Dr. Lisa and Chris Holtz, Mountain Top. Tony Callaio | For the Times Leader
The Cultural Care Au Pair business is developing in NEPA
