Thursday, November 9, 2006

AuPairCare High-Quality Child Care Creates Smarter Kids

AuPairCare High-Quality Child Care Creates Smarter Kids

Studies show that high-quality child care, such as the live-in child care offered by AuPairCare, contributes to higher achievement scores in adolescents.

San Francisco, CA (Vocus) July 15, 2010

As children go back to school this fall, one of the most important tools for success is not a good breakfast or new school supplies – but high-quality child care, such as the live-in child care offered by AuPairCare international au pairs. As reported by a national research study published in Child Development magazine, good child care not only affects children during the preschool years, but could create a significant difference in academic development and performance during adolescence as well.

According to Child Development, children are better prepared for school when they are placed in high-quality child care – defined as routine child care provided by warm caregivers that are both sensitive to children's needs and offer cognitive stimulation of the children in their care. When tested during their adolescent years, children who had been in higher-quality child care scored higher on cognitive and academic achievement tests than peers who had been in lower-quality care.

AuPairCare is a high-quality child care option that provides families with carefully screened au pairs that have experience and interest in caring for children, while also offering second language learning and cultural awareness. AuPairCare recruits its au pairs from more than 40 countries around the world, affording a wide array of international au pairs that can immerse children in a new language and culture through long-term exposure and reinforcement.

“We did our research and AuPairCare was the best option – not only was it the most affordable, flexible solution, but also provided added benefits such as a low child to caregiver ratio, consistent care from the same person and the convenience of home child care,” according to Alison and Jack Stiefel, host parents with AuPairCare.

Research also shows that introducing children to a second language as early as possible fosters healthy brain development, encourages positive social skills, and lays a solid foundation for effective communication skills that last a lifetime. Not only does teaching a second language to children help enhance their cognitive development, resulting in better grades and higher test scores later in life - but children who have studied foreign languages also tend to score higher on standardized tests, including both verbal and math portions of the SAT.

“AuPairCare’s host parents tend to be smart, motivated parents who want only the best child care and education for their children,” said Heidi Woehl, vice president of AuPairCare. “These parents love the au pair program because their children receive safe, high-quality care and are exposed to new languages and cultures that stimulate their learning and exposure to the world.”

About AuPairCare
AuPairCare is a leading au pair agency providing live-in childcare services to American families since 1989. Designated by the U. S. Department of State, AuPairCare offers superior childcare to fit families’ unique needs. AuPairCare has made more than 40,000 successful au pair placements across the U. S. AuPairCare is a division of Intrax Cultural Exchange, a family of organizations devoted to cultivating international understanding through cultural exchange and educational programs, with operations in more than 80 countries worldwide.

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