BOSTON (WHDH) - A group of au pairs and host families stood shoulder to shoulder at the State House Wednesday to fight against proposed state-level changes to the program.
The Au Pair Families of Massachusetts organization pushed back on a recent state court ruling that would classify au pairs working in Massachusetts as domestic workers.
The au pair families spent the afternoon lobbying lawmakers to pass two bills that are currently moving through the legislature that would give families a financial break and protect them from lawsuits in their new roles as employers of domestic workers.
“Right now, we don’t have an employer/employee relationship with our au pair and that is completely changing,” another mother said. “That is not why these people are here.”
The state changes conflict with the federal J1 Visa Cultural Exchange Program.
Under this program, families pay to bring their au pairs to the U.S. from overseas, and give them room and board, and give them $200 a week.
The au pairs care for the children, get the opportunity to learn English and experience America.
“We’re family and she’s a big sister and we divide and conquer,” one mother said of her au pair.
These families say that classifying them as domestic workers means that families must give them minimum wage, paid vacation and other benefits.
“There are families who have already had to leave the program because they just can’t make it work.,” that mother continued.
22-year-old au pair Leah came from France to care for Madeline Stanely at their home in Norwell.
“I love the children firstly and I really want to learn the new language and I really love travel,” she said. “I really love the program. It is not for me — to be an au pair is not to work.”
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