Anne Hammond, Local Coordinator
Anne is a local childcare coordinator who lives in West Linn, Oregon, just south of Portland, with her husband and two children. She grew up in the Portland area and feels connected to the community, but she has also made international travel a priority in her life: she has visited Ecuador, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Germany, Poland, France, Mexico, Jamaica and Sweden.
“When I’m speaking with a family for the first time, I ask them about their family’s needs and interests and their current childcare situation. We go over the program basics and I give them some ideas about what they can expect in hosting an au pair. I share some of my personal experiences with the program while answering their questions. I let them know what my role is and that their family and au pair can expect to receive great support from me throughout the year!”
Why did you decide to become a local childcare coordinator with Cultural Care Au Pair?
My sister has had five au pairs with Cultural Care, and they have each been wonderful, unique additions to her family. I have enjoyed getting to know them and thought Cultural Care Au Pair would be an interesting company to work for. I enjoy being a resource for my host families and meeting young people from all over the world and helping them get the most out of their experience in the United States. To me, being a positive part of a young person’s experience in the U.S. is very important for our worldwide image.
What has been a favorite memory of being a local childcare coordinator?
One of my favorite memories as an LCC was last Halloween when my group went to a haunted house. We laughed a lot that night. We relied on each other to get through the house and I think became closer as a group. Apparently, haunted houses are unique to the United States and none of the au pairs had been to one. It was neat to see their reaction to it. I know my host families appreciate that their au pairs belong to a fun, supportive au pair group and that I offer their au pairs the opportunity to experience our community and culture.