FAQs
The time it takes to match with a Care Professional varies from a few days to a few weeks depending on the family’s requirements and desired arrival date. Apex Social Group has a constant supply of available candidates ready to interview and match.
After a family has matched with a Care Professional, the Care Professional can typically arrive at the family’s home in as little as five weeks. During that time, the candidate will be working on securing their J-1 visa, completing Apex Social Group’s training program, and making preparations to come to the U.S.
Most Care Professionals are newly degreed professionals who live in the US or come to the U.S. on a J-1 visa, live with a family and work up to 45 hours a week providing child care. They are motivated to apply their skills, education and experience in a family setting in exchange for weekly pay and the opportunity to live with a family for up to two years. A Career Nanny is a private childcare provider who works for a family on a live-in or live-out basis. A Traditional Au Pair is typically a high school graduate with babysitting experience who lives with a family to provide help with the children during a gap year between high school and college. Does Apex Social Group have male Care Professionals?
Yes. Male Care Professionals are an excellent option for some families. Families who match with a male Care Professional often have boys and are looking for a role model or ‘big brother’ to join the family. Families who have children with special needs can also benefit from a male Care Professional who is able to manage the physical requirements of certain care situations.
Yes. Male Care Professionals are an excellent option for some families. Families who match with a male Care Professional often have boys and are looking for a role model or ‘big brother’ to join the family. Families who have children with special needs can also benefit from a male Care Professional who is able to manage the physical requirements of certain care situations.
Care Professionals initially come to the U.S. on a 12-month J-1 au pair visa and can extend for an additional 6, 9, or 12-months. This allows families to benefit from up to two years of live-in childcare from the same Care Professional.
Care Professionals are employees of the host family and receive a weekly stipend paid by the family. Because the stipend is paid for domestic service in a private home, the stipend is not subject to mandatory U.S. income tax withholding. Visit our tax page for host families here.
Yes, we as an agency require that you protect your Care Professional by providing Workers’ Compensation Insurance. Your homeowners insurance agent can usually provide you with information on how to proceed.
Yes, if the Care Professional is required or permitted to drive your car, you will need to add them as a driver to your car insurance policy. The Host Family Service Agreement provides additional details about insurance requirements.
With Apex Social Group, Care Professionals receive comprehensive preparation and training that focuses on connecting their career goals and passion for children. Our Care Professionals receive personalized coaching and world-class training that prepares them to model Apex Social’s Standards of Excellence, which in turn also equips them in their careers.. .. Apex Social provides personal and professional enrichment that engages them long-term to provide continuity of care for families.
Families agree to provide Care Professionals with up to $500 annually for continuing education. As part of their visa requirement, European Care Professionals are required to complete at least six semester hours of credit at an accredited post-secondary institution.
Yes. Almost all Apex Care Professionals have a valid driver’s license, which is one of the top benefits of the Care Professional program. They are generally licensed to drive in their home country or state. European Care Professionals arrive in the U.S. with an international driver’s permit. Families will need to provide the appropriate coverage under their auto insurance and be prepared to help the Care Professional adjust to driving in the U.S. and in their local area. Families are also encouraged to check with their auto insurance provider and local DMV for any state-specific requirements that may exist.
Every placement has a local coordinator who lives within one hour of the family and who conducts monthly Care Professional meet-ups. An Apex Social representative also meets with the family to conduct an in-home interview, provide an orientation when the Care Professional arrives, and offer helpful advice and information through a monthly check-in. Our Team brings vast knowledge about how to be successful with live-in childcare from our many years of supporting these placements.
Apex Social Group maintains a 24/7 support line in the event of an accident or other situation that affects the health, safety, or welfare of a Care Professional. Simply call 1-844-787-6566 and follow the instructions to be connected with an Apex Social Group staff member who can offer assistance.
Stephanie
Host Mom, CA
We are longtime customers and I can say without hesitation that we wouldn't survive without them. Each of our caregivers has been phenomenal, and a beloved member of our family. They are making our children's lives dramatically better and we hope they are part of our lives forever. We love the APEX team and deeply grateful for all they do.
Katherin
Host Mom
"Bianca was able to jump right into our routine: changing diapers, preparing gluten-free meals, shuttling to and from therapy appointments, and participating in various activities with our children. With her help over the last year, we were able to successfully toilet-train Jack, have made great progress toilet training Ben, and expect Elizabeth to follow in the steps of her siblings soon. Any parent knows that this is no small feat!"
Peter and Amy
Host Parents, San Francisco
"Luise is our fourth Care Professional through Apex Social Group and all have been special and wonderful care givers. But there is something unique about Luise. Only a couple weeks into her stay with us, she already felt like a member of the family. She is quiet, but in a warm way and she doesn’t hesitate to tell us how much she is enjoying her time here. We often joke about how we’re pinching ourselves that a Skype interview could work out so well for us all."
Daniel
Host Dad, Colorado
"We believe love is a very powerful motivator so we are excited to see our professional Care Professional’s relationship with our son evolve as she builds a personal relationship with him. Throughout this entire process, Apex Social Group has been amazing! We can’t thank you enough… Thank you again for all your hard work and for founding this company… I cannot overstate what an impact your company has made on our family!!!"
Cassandra
Host Mom, Atlanta
"I never imagined that in just 8 weeks that someone could have such a profound and positive impact on our lives. Mona, our Care Professional from Apex Social Group, has brought laughter, love, professional expertise, and her cultural traditions to our house. From her first week with us, Mona sought ways to connect with our two children, ages 6 and 2. Our six-year-old son has a rare genetic condition, which includes cognitive disabilities and developmental delays. Mona quickly identified what made our son smile and was not afraid to jump in and engage in his favorite activities. We are so thankful to have been matched with Mona."
Misa
Host Mom
"The Care Professionals that Apex Social Group finds are of the highest caliber. We get the feeling that if the Care Professional is not good enough for Susan’s family, then they are not good enough for any of her host families either. We love how her team helps hand-pick which of the girls would match best with the host family."
Luisella
Host Mom, Baltimore
"Julia gets as excited as I do when Mikey or Ella accomplishes something they’ve been working on. We really admire Julia’s dedication, work ethic, and the drive she has to help both of our kids succeed. Julia’s background as an OT has been very beneficial when I have sought advice on how to help Mikey with certain behaviors. She also works with his OT on helping generalize at home what he is learning at school."
Katherine
Host Mom, New York City
"One of the biggest strengths is the level of maturity, knowledge and concern that Apex Social Group's Special Needs Care Professional exhibit. Our Care Professional is committed to doing a great job and the occupational therapy training she received in Germany has been a godsend. I am confident that my daughter is receiving the support she needs."
Julie
Host Mom, Southern California
"Our Care Professional is exceptional. She is a pediatric nurse with infant experience. Beyond her excellent qualifications, she is also a kind, energetic, and caring person with high integrity. She takes excellent care of our kids and has become part of our family. We are grateful to Apex Social Group for finding her."
Dana
Host Mom, Maryland
"When Johanna joined our family, our son was 19 months old and had already been through three childcare providers. No one seemed able to respond to his special needs and stubborn personality in a way that would allow him to blossom. Johanna had been in our house for less than an hour when my husband and I snuck into the kitchen to slap high fives. We could already tell that she was perfect. She knew just the right way to approach our son. Our son is thriving under Johanna’s care. Thanks to Johanna’s patient work with him, he is continually developing new skills, making new sounds, and growing into his potential."
Scott
Host Dad, New Jersey
"Conny has lived with my family for over a year and has elected to continue her stay with us for an additional year. I’m a single father of 4.5-year-old twins and Conny has handled the unique challenges that we have with professionalism, love, grace and patience. My children warmed up to her immediately and she was able to establish a strong bond that has endured. Her calm yet enthusiastic demeanor has worked wonders with the kids. She never has a bad day…even when she’s having a bad day!"
Allison
Host Mom, NJ
"Apex Social Group solved our childcare problems and has allowed me to return to work full-time. With two special needs children, I was unsure I would be able to find an Care Professional with the right qualifications. But Apex Social Group put us in touch with two highly qualified candidates right away. I particularly liked being able to review information about the available Care Professional candidates online at the beginning of the selection process. I also thought the process was relatively speedy."
Katherine
Host Mom, Chicago, IL
"One of the biggest strengths is the level of maturity, knowledge and concern that their Care Professionals exhibit. Our professional special needs Care Professional is committed to doing a great job and the occupational therapy training she received in Germany has been a godsend. I am confident that my daughter is receiving the support she needs."
Teresa
Host Mom, Virginia
"Simone arrived in August. She continually entertains and works with our wheelchair bound angel, from creating projects to involve her fine motor control to exercising her daily so her spastic limbs move better. She sings traditional German folk songs while feeding our daughter, who depends entirely on caregivers to feed her as well as perform all the activities we take for granted with a child who is typical. Our lives have been blessed having this saint living here and she has totally become one of our family!"
Holly
Host Mom, San Francisco
"After working with another agency and experiencing a challenging year with our first Care Professional, we switched to Apex Social Group. We are thrilled with our current Care Professional and feel that only now is our family experiencing the true spirit of the Care Professional program. Janina is like part of our family and we never would have found her if it weren’t for Apex Social Group.
Peter
Host Dad, San Francisco
"Our family had been hosting Care Professionals for 4 years through another agency before switching to Apex Social Group this year. While I believe every Care Professional experience depends almost entirely on the interaction of the Care Professional and the host family, my impression is that Apex Social Group does a better job vetting their candidates, and their matching coordinators are more familiar with each individual candidate. This allows them to provide more useful assistance in finding a good match."
Hillary
Host Mom, Washington D.C.
"The best part about Kati is something we never could have known from her application – she is always smiling and happy. She leaves everyone around her in a good mood. She is cheerful, joyful, and –important for our family – funny too! She can dance, play, and be a role model. She connects with our 10, 8, and 6 year olds. They can’t get enough of her. We truly love her and she will forever remain part of our family."
Sharon
Host Mom, San Francisco
"Svenja our Educator from Germany joined our family 6 months ago and it is sometimes hard to remember what life was like without her. My son has a sensory processing disorder and behavior problem and she has remarkable patience with him but also has been helping him simultaneously with coping strategies as well as course correction for behaviors. Her approach is firm but kind and my son adores her. She is also confident enough to point out where I was enabling him, possibly making things worse, and did it in a way that felt non-threatening - just kind and well intentioned."
Claudia
Host Mom, Dallas
"Sarah never tired of wanting to know how we do things, why we do things this way, and even why we don’t do them the other way. She wanted to understand so that she could make the most of her time with the kids, and not just be someone watching the kids. This is one of the reasons we wanted to have a professional Care Professional, so that there would be meaningful interaction with our children with lots of fun, yet structure. Sarah’s background as a kindergarten teacher with special needs experience was perfect for choosing activities for our children, whether it was raining or 100 degrees outside."
Lesley
Host Mom, Maryland
"Mateja came to us as an Care Professional back in February, taking a break from her work as a pediatric nurse in Austria. Very soon after she arrived though, she became part of our family, a younger sister to us and an aunt to our children. That is really the only way to label our relationship. Mateja has bonded with our family and provided such outstanding care to our children, going above and beyond, through efforts that could only come from a place of deep and genuine affection."
Vacelia
Host Mom, Florida
"Sarah is very kind, gentle and has a positive attitude. She is very knowledgeable and works very hard to care for our son. Our son has cerebral palsy: he is non-verbal, visually impaired and does not walk on his own. He requires full care. Sarah never complains and she has won his heart. She has meshed into our family like we have known her a million years. I cannot say enough about Sarah. She is an excellent representation of what an Apex Social Group should be. We are first time users of Apex Social Group and due to Sarah we will continue as long as possible. She is more then we had ever hoped for."
Stephanie
Host Mom, CA
We are longtime customers and I can say without hesitation that we wouldn't survive without them. Each of our caregivers has been phenomenal, and a beloved member of our family. They are making our children's lives dramatically better and we hope they are part of our lives forever. We love the APEX team and deeply grateful for all they do.
Katherin
Host Mom
"Bianca was able to jump right into our routine: changing diapers, preparing gluten-free meals, shuttling to and from therapy appointments, and participating in various activities with our children. With her help over the last year, we were able to successfully toilet-train Jack, have made great progress toilet training Ben, and expect Elizabeth to follow in the steps of her siblings soon. Any parent knows that this is no small feat!"
Peter and Amy
Host Parents, San Francisco
"Luise is our fourth Care Professional through Apex Social Group and all have been special and wonderful care givers. But there is something unique about Luise. Only a couple weeks into her stay with us, she already felt like a member of the family. She is quiet, but in a warm way and she doesn’t hesitate to tell us how much she is enjoying her time here. We often joke about how we’re pinching ourselves that a Skype interview could work out so well for us all."
Daniel
Host Dad, Colorado
"We believe love is a very powerful motivator so we are excited to see our professional Care Professional’s relationship with our son evolve as she builds a personal relationship with him. Throughout this entire process, Apex Social Group has been amazing! We can’t thank you enough… Thank you again for all your hard work and for founding this company… I cannot overstate what an impact your company has made on our family!!!"
Cassandra
Host Mom, Atlanta
"I never imagined that in just 8 weeks that someone could have such a profound and positive impact on our lives. Mona, our Care Professional from Apex Social Group, has brought laughter, love, professional expertise, and her cultural traditions to our house. From her first week with us, Mona sought ways to connect with our two children, ages 6 and 2. Our six-year-old son has a rare genetic condition, which includes cognitive disabilities and developmental delays. Mona quickly identified what made our son smile and was not afraid to jump in and engage in his favorite activities. We are so thankful to have been matched with Mona."
Misa
Host Mom
"The Care Professionals that Apex Social Group finds are of the highest caliber. We get the feeling that if the Care Professional is not good enough for Susan’s family, then they are not good enough for any of her host families either. We love how her team helps hand-pick which of the girls would match best with the host family."
Luisella
Host Mom, Baltimore
"Julia gets as excited as I do when Mikey or Ella accomplishes something they’ve been working on. We really admire Julia’s dedication, work ethic, and the drive she has to help both of our kids succeed. Julia’s background as an OT has been very beneficial when I have sought advice on how to help Mikey with certain behaviors. She also works with his OT on helping generalize at home what he is learning at school."
Katherine
Host Mom, New York City
"One of the biggest strengths is the level of maturity, knowledge and concern that Apex Social Group's Special Needs Care Professional exhibit. Our Care Professional is committed to doing a great job and the occupational therapy training she received in Germany has been a godsend. I am confident that my daughter is receiving the support she needs."
Julie
Host Mom, Southern California
"Our Care Professional is exceptional. She is a pediatric nurse with infant experience. Beyond her excellent qualifications, she is also a kind, energetic, and caring person with high integrity. She takes excellent care of our kids and has become part of our family. We are grateful to Apex Social Group for finding her."
Dana
Host Mom, Maryland
"When Johanna joined our family, our son was 19 months old and had already been through three childcare providers. No one seemed able to respond to his special needs and stubborn personality in a way that would allow him to blossom. Johanna had been in our house for less than an hour when my husband and I snuck into the kitchen to slap high fives. We could already tell that she was perfect. She knew just the right way to approach our son. Our son is thriving under Johanna’s care. Thanks to Johanna’s patient work with him, he is continually developing new skills, making new sounds, and growing into his potential."
Scott
Host Dad, New Jersey
"Conny has lived with my family for over a year and has elected to continue her stay with us for an additional year. I’m a single father of 4.5-year-old twins and Conny has handled the unique challenges that we have with professionalism, love, grace and patience. My children warmed up to her immediately and she was able to establish a strong bond that has endured. Her calm yet enthusiastic demeanor has worked wonders with the kids. She never has a bad day…even when she’s having a bad day!"
Allison
Host Mom, NJ
"Apex Social Group solved our childcare problems and has allowed me to return to work full-time. With two special needs children, I was unsure I would be able to find an Care Professional with the right qualifications. But Apex Social Group put us in touch with two highly qualified candidates right away. I particularly liked being able to review information about the available Care Professional candidates online at the beginning of the selection process. I also thought the process was relatively speedy."
Katherine
Host Mom, Chicago, IL
"One of the biggest strengths is the level of maturity, knowledge and concern that their Care Professionals exhibit. Our professional special needs Care Professional is committed to doing a great job and the occupational therapy training she received in Germany has been a godsend. I am confident that my daughter is receiving the support she needs."
Teresa
Host Mom, Virginia
"Simone arrived in August. She continually entertains and works with our wheelchair bound angel, from creating projects to involve her fine motor control to exercising her daily so her spastic limbs move better. She sings traditional German folk songs while feeding our daughter, who depends entirely on caregivers to feed her as well as perform all the activities we take for granted with a child who is typical. Our lives have been blessed having this saint living here and she has totally become one of our family!"
Holly
Host Mom, San Francisco
"After working with another agency and experiencing a challenging year with our first Care Professional, we switched to Apex Social Group. We are thrilled with our current Care Professional and feel that only now is our family experiencing the true spirit of the Care Professional program. Janina is like part of our family and we never would have found her if it weren’t for Apex Social Group.
Peter
Host Dad, San Francisco
"Our family had been hosting Care Professionals for 4 years through another agency before switching to Apex Social Group this year. While I believe every Care Professional experience depends almost entirely on the interaction of the Care Professional and the host family, my impression is that Apex Social Group does a better job vetting their candidates, and their matching coordinators are more familiar with each individual candidate. This allows them to provide more useful assistance in finding a good match."
Hillary
Host Mom, Washington D.C.
"The best part about Kati is something we never could have known from her application – she is always smiling and happy. She leaves everyone around her in a good mood. She is cheerful, joyful, and –important for our family – funny too! She can dance, play, and be a role model. She connects with our 10, 8, and 6 year olds. They can’t get enough of her. We truly love her and she will forever remain part of our family."
Sharon
Host Mom, San Francisco
"Svenja our Educator from Germany joined our family 6 months ago and it is sometimes hard to remember what life was like without her. My son has a sensory processing disorder and behavior problem and she has remarkable patience with him but also has been helping him simultaneously with coping strategies as well as course correction for behaviors. Her approach is firm but kind and my son adores her. She is also confident enough to point out where I was enabling him, possibly making things worse, and did it in a way that felt non-threatening - just kind and well intentioned."
Claudia
Host Mom, Dallas
"Sarah never tired of wanting to know how we do things, why we do things this way, and even why we don’t do them the other way. She wanted to understand so that she could make the most of her time with the kids, and not just be someone watching the kids. This is one of the reasons we wanted to have a professional Care Professional, so that there would be meaningful interaction with our children with lots of fun, yet structure. Sarah’s background as a kindergarten teacher with special needs experience was perfect for choosing activities for our children, whether it was raining or 100 degrees outside."
Lesley
Host Mom, Maryland
"Mateja came to us as an Care Professional back in February, taking a break from her work as a pediatric nurse in Austria. Very soon after she arrived though, she became part of our family, a younger sister to us and an aunt to our children. That is really the only way to label our relationship. Mateja has bonded with our family and provided such outstanding care to our children, going above and beyond, through efforts that could only come from a place of deep and genuine affection."
Vacelia
Host Mom, Florida
"Sarah is very kind, gentle and has a positive attitude. She is very knowledgeable and works very hard to care for our son. Our son has cerebral palsy: he is non-verbal, visually impaired and does not walk on his own. He requires full care. Sarah never complains and she has won his heart. She has meshed into our family like we have known her a million years. I cannot say enough about Sarah. She is an excellent representation of what an Apex Social Group should be. We are first time users of Apex Social Group and due to Sarah we will continue as long as possible. She is more then we had ever hoped for."