I was very lucky with the family, but I know other au pairs who had horribly cruel families, and the agency didn't remove those families from their program.
I'm very grateful to the agency because they made everything possible, but I have to say they weren't completely transparent. They didn't tell me that Mandarin class wasn't during the whole stay, just a percentage of the time. They also told us we would have monthly activities, and the only activity I had with the agency was a picnic with industrial crisps and Oreo (I really liked the girl who organized it, she just didn't have the financial support from the agency).
At the end of the stay, they had to send me money, and they charged me about 40$ of transfer commissions, which they should just pay themselves.
I want to clarify that the people from the agency are lovely and willing to help. Kris and Tongyu were very nice! Thanks for everything!
Response from Wanderlust Exchange
Dear Nicholas,
We appreciate the unique cultural exchange you brought to the family you are working with and the enriching experiences you've shared with the children.
Wanderlust Exchange is dedicated to immersive cultural exchange and educational travel for over a decade. We value au pair experience and is here to ensure each and every of you are in good hands.
We host online & offline cultural activities and the Mandarin school we are working with also host cultural events such as tea ceremony, flower arrangement, painting fans and making dumplings. As for the Mandarin course, the course duration accounts for 70-85% of the au pair program period. This policy is listed in the Services and Subsidies to au pairs.
Thank you so much for your invaluable feedback, we will carry on our work in a more thorough and efficient manner. We appreciate your kind words on our coworkers Kris and Tongyu, who are invaluable members and part of WE Team.
Wish you all the best in your future endeavors!
Wanderlust Team