Cultural Care Au Pair is very excited to announce that we have an official winner for our 2019 Host Family of the Year Award! Please meet the Samy family from Darien, Connecticut! They were nominated by their current au pair, Noemi.
The Samy family has been with Cultural Care since 2014 and Noemi is their third au pair! Host parents Katherine and Sharad and host kids Seren, Cariad, and Macsen show their love for each other and for Noemi, their Italian au pair, every single day.
Noemi says that while she is caring for the kids, their home together is full of love, fun, and support. But she says the thing that is most important to her is that they always look for ways to make her feel part of their family. Part of that experience has been learning the Samys’ family traditions, which are an entire cultural exchange of their own!
Noemi says, “My host family makes me feel part of the American culture by taking me with them during every holiday break, which can be thanksgiving and Christmas with the whole family, or the 4th of July, when we organize the parade for the whole town. We are also going to India all together, as my host dad comes from there and it will be the first time for the kids getting to know that part of their culture.”
The Samy family has made sure that Noemi makes the most of her time in the USA, but she says “the most beautiful thing that I’m learning here with the Samy’s is the meaning of the word ‘love’. You experience it in many different ways during your life, and of course I just got to learn few sides of it until now, but the one I discovered here has been the most powerful and extraordinary for me yet.
With them, love is hugs, kisses, raspberries wars, tickles, snuggles, but also bike rides, picnics, painting outdoors, swinging, playing in the snow, swimming in the ocean, a movie night all together, Christmas songs every time of the year, waking up with them standing by the side of your bed, and falling asleep with them while reading a book.”
In the final phrase of her nomination essay, Noemi summarizes her year and a half long experience with the Samys perfectly: “My host family is probably the craziest, noisiest and most hectic you can find but it will always be my happy place, which I now call home.”
Cultural Care was thrilled to help the Samy’s Local Childcare Consultant (LCC) and Noemi present the award to the family. Noemi made the family a traditional Italian dinner, and while the family was all spending time together, she brought out their award!
Part of the award is a gift certificate to go toward a family photo shoot and we can’t wait to see what this picture-perfect bunch does next!
Congratulations again to the Samy family!
