Cultural Care, Inc.

I'm happy to report that we have reached out to the family to review their concerns and have reached a mutually agreeable resolution.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # [redacted]. Please add your rejection comments below. 
This business has not submitted any of the following:Answered any of the allegations presented and even exaggerating the amount of money offered.  Provided any specifics to the allegations.  Offered a full refund as requested.  Offered a public letter of apology as requested.  Offered to change their one sided contract to protect future customers (host families).No one is asking Cultural Care to reveal any specifics of either false CPS investigation but they can certainly explain their actions involving the au pair they placed in our home and what occurred during and afterwards.  Cultural Care also failed to mention the contract that needed to be signed in order to accept their "buyout" money.  This contract limited our family from any further litigation.  It has also been reported that the au pair in question is now placed in a new home; potentially putting a new family at risk.  We may have to allow this complaint to stay negative and allow the State Department of the United States to finish the investigation that has been started.  We do not accept the information as reported by Cultural Care concerning this incident.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # [redacted]. Please add your rejection comments below. 
I completely understand and agree that Cultural Care was unaware of any falsification during the screening process.  However, given that falsification has taken place based on au pair's own admission AND Cultural Care is responsible for the quality of the screening (they advertise 'the highest screening standards in the industry' and it is a requirement by US Dept. of State), they have failed in that duty.  The outcome of their failure was that we did not get the service we paid for and therefore we are entitled to a full refund.We have spoken with the Program Director on 12/01/15 when we willing to consider staying in the program even though we had serious doubts about Cultural Care's ability to screen candidates.  During our conversation on 12/01/15 the Program Director committed to sending us a list of available candidates.  We did not hear anything until 12/11/15, when we received an e-mail outlining our options (and not the promised list of candidates).  Since we had to wait for so long, we had no choice but to move from a temporary childcare arrangement that we had to a more permanent one (please keep in mind that our au pair quit on 11/24/15).  Once again, by the time the Program Director finally reached out to us again it did not make sense to stay in the program.  I am uploading e-mail transcripts with the Program Director to substantiate this timeline.  However, the issue of replacement au pair is not that relevant here given the failure of the screening process.  Delays of offering a replacement au pair only shows poor quality of service and inability of Cultural Care to address urgent issues in a timely manner.
Regards,
[redacted]

We work diligently to set appropriate program expectations for all parties.  At times the program may prove to not be successful for every participant and, in those cases, we have policies in place with respect to the options available to a family including a refund policy that is provided prior to program participation.  We have reached out to the family to discuss their experiences and to try to work through a mutually agreeable resolution, however, we were told that nothing short of a full refund would be acceptable and we were hung up on.  We wish the family well and remain available should they wish to resume that discussion.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #[redacted]. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
Regards,
[redacted]

We disagree with the description of the
events as presented in the family's posting. 
With respect to any reporting regarding the welfare of children, we defer
to the investigators at CPS and feel it inappropriate to comment on any
activity in that regard.  The refund due
to the...

family per their contract has been processed.  In recognition of their departure from the program,
an additional refund was offered which the family declined.

We regret that the program was not a successful experience for the [redacted] family.  The family elected an extended payment program which means that they had not paid enough into the program to be eligible for a contractual refund.  We have been in communication with the family and our...

most recent outreach efforts from their Director of Customer Service went unanswered.  We welcome the opportunity to speak with the family to see if there may be a mutually agreeable way to bring closure to their experiences.  The Director will reach out again and we are hopeful we'll be able to connect soon to discuss their concerns.

Please read through the email communications I have had with Cultural Care Au Pair TO WHICH I NEVER RECEIVED A REPLY. I simply asked why we were kicked out of the program and they were unwilling to give me the reason. My emails are below and my request starts on May 14th. Please read through all the emails. Thank you for your helpSincerely, [redacted]Email from [redacted] to [redacted] on June 8th - I HAD NEVER RECEIVED A REPLY. Subject: Refund information [redacted]Sent ItemsMonday, June 08, 2015 8:25 AM[redacted], As discussed (seem email below), we are first going through small claims court. As such, they have requested the information (see highlighted below) which I have asked you for which you deny us.  The court isn't setup in the structure you request (individualemailings between lawyers). Should I tell them (I speak to them again on Tuesday) that you are unwilling to provide us with the requested information? Obviously we are taking this very serious and plan to go through the small claims court first and then a seriesof next steps if that doesn't result in the full refund. Our daughter suffered two dislocated elbows, which the doctor can provide verification for. The fact that we were removed from the program because I reported this is absurd.From: [redacted].[redacted]@culturalcare.com]Sent: Friday, May 29, 2015 3:09 PMTo: [redacted]Cc: [redacted]@[redacted].comSubject: Re: Refund information ?Hi [redacted],Since you have hired an attorney, please share your attorney's contact information for me. When I have obtained that information, I'll place your attorney in touch with our corporate attorney. Sincerely,[redacted]ActionsIn response to the message from [redacted], 5/15/2015To: [redacted] ?[[redacted].[redacted]@culturalcare.com]??; [redacted] ?[[redacted].[redacted]@culturalcare.com]? Cc: [redacted] ?[[redacted]@[redacted].com]??; [redacted]@[redacted].com Sent ItemsThursday, May 28, 2015 8:36 PMHi [redacted],  As discussed, in order to advance discussions with our lawyer we need a documented/writtenstatement from your company listing the rationale for our being removed from the program. Thank you for your cooperation. [redacted]
Regards,
[redacted]
 
 From:[redacted] [mailto:[redacted].[redacted]@[redacted].[redacted]] Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2015 4:46 PMTo: [redacted]Cc: [redacted]@[redacted].comSubject: RE: Supervisor Information Hi [redacted],  I’ve been informed that there are several actions I can take in order to defend my position and achieve what is rightfully at the very minumumour $8,500 deposit back. The first action will require almost no effort on my part, this I had started today. After going to the small claims court I was informed I need the written documentation of the allegations against us. If you can please provide thatfor us.  Of course the next set of steps require more time but we have a family of lawyers here who can help us if small claims isn’t an easy/fast wayto recoup our loss. I have yet to write my yelp review, nor my friends and family as they have noticed the significant emotional/mental/physical anguish this has caused my family. The further we go down these steps the more time and energy I’m expending. Myjob and family has suffered. My daughter has suffered. Yet, we can’t stop until we achieve what is rightfully ours. After all, we were the victims here not your company who has failed in many many ways. I’ve asked many of my friends on a prominent mother’sgroup website and the support letters are pouring in. Obviously I’m not the first victim here.  [redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # [redacted]. Please add your rejection comments below. 
The business considers this closed.  I do not.  Please let m e know how to proceed.
Regards,
[redacted]

While we are unable to provide any additional refund offer above and beyond the exception we have already made, we do have your proposed agreement modifications under review by our legal counsel and we will be in touch with you as soon as we have confirmation on whether we will be able to proceed with your requests.  It is up to you as to whether you feel you need representation at this time for any further action.  However, I would respectfully request that further correspondence be done directly via email as the Revdex.com should not be used as a method of communicating on these details as this goes beyond the scope of the organization's intent.  I can be reached at [redacted]@culturalcare.com

We regret that the [redacted] family had a disappointing experience and was frustrated by what they feel was a lack of commitment from the au pair and a lack of support from Cultural Care Au Pair.  There was a delay in the scheduling of the requested meeting due to a vacation on the...

part of the person they were requesting the meeting with, coordinating schedules with the family and the Thanksgiving holiday.  We did not receive this feedback until discussions arose regarding the refund.  Had we been alerted to the urgency of the matter, we would have arranged for another representative to conduct this meeting.  It is also important to note that Cultural Care did not accept noncompliance or minimal participation from the au pair as the LCC would arrange for separate touch base opportunities with the au pair in the event she could not attend a meeting with the rest of the group.The family's frustration is particularly disappointing given the successful full year they previously had with this au pair and that they they extended for another program term.  We have spoken with them regarding their experiences and that while the decision of the au pair to leave their home was disappointing, their own decision to withdraw from the program means that they are subject to the refund policy contained within their host family agreement.  While the au pair may have provided minimal notice, the family asked her to leave before that time.  Given the immediate childcare need presented, Cultural Care staff were prepared to assist and support the family in finding a replacement au pair as soon as possible.  We were not given that opportunity and the family, instead, chose to withdraw from the program.  The contractual refund was processed in March of 2015 and no further refund is due.  We wish the family well moving forward and, again, regret the negative end to their otherwise successful program experience.

We regret that the [redacted] family made the decision to depart the program, however, we respectfully disagree with their representation of what transpired.  We cannot be responsible for the decision of either an au pair or a host family to end a given placement.  In this situation, the au...

pair did not feel comfortable remaining in this placement and made the decision to depart.  While our offices are closed on Sunday, the Director of Customer Service reached out to the family on the next available business day.  We provided 5 potential applicants for review over the course of a 3 day period which included applicants who were already in the U.S.  The family was quite clear about specific matching criteria regarding driving experience so there were some additional au pairs who were available, but were not suitable and they provided a clear directive that they did not want to consider applicants who were not strong drivers. Reasonable efforts were, in fact, made to find a suitable au pair for this host family.  It is our understanding that they secured alternative care during this time period through a former care provider.  By the 3rd day of matching, the host father demanded a full refund of their program fees.  A refund pursuant to the policy outlined in the host family agreement executed by the family when they joined the program was issued in the amount of $2952. There was no breach of contract and we acted in good faith throughout this unfortunate situation.  We wish the family the best moving forward and thank them for their participation on the program.

At no point has a resolution been reached in this matter, nor have I hired an attorney to represent me.  
[redacted], M.D.

Ms. [redacted]’s negative
impression of the program is disappointing and we regret any way in which she
did not feel supported throughout this process. 
Many of the details contained within this complaint are not consistent
with our records or statements from those involved with the family...

and au pair
throughout the entirety of their program term. 
While we will not address every matter contained in this complaint,
there are some things which are important to clarify.  First and foremost, both au pairs and host
families are customers of the program. 
We are committed to supporting both as they navigate through this
cultural exchange experience.  The LCC
role provides localized support and includes monthly personal contact with the
family and the au pair.  This took place
every month, often several times a month with this family and there are
multiple records to support this.  In
fact, the family received an email confirming that the monthly contact had been
entered by the LCC in our system and were asked to let us know if the
information entered was incorrect every single month.  A vital part of program success is the
ability to communicate about things that may be going well or may be of concern
between the family and the au pair.  The
LCC cannot be a substitute for any host parent to communicate issues directly
with their au pair.  The au pair was
willing to remain until the family found a replacement, but was unable to make
this offer because Ms. [redacted] became so upset when she was informed of her
intended departure and demanded that the au pair leave.  Lastly, a family is not charged for the time
an au pair is not in their home.  We are
happy to look into the alleged discrepancy between the 22 and 20 program week
calculation.  Additionally, an offer was
made to the family for an increase to the refund and we were told this was not
acceptable and that she would be retaining legal counsel.  To date, we have not received outreach from
counsel.  Our original offer remains
available at this time and we will have our team review the 2 weeks in question
should Ms. [redacted] wish to resume contact with the regional team to bring this matter
to closure, however no further refund will be possible.

The safety and well being of all program participants is extremely important and we are very sorry for any injuries that have occurred.  This au pair was one week shy of completing her term with this host family and while the circumstances of the final days together are unfortunate, a full...

refund of their term is not due.  This was explained to the host mother by her Program Director at the time that the au pair was removed from the home.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # [redacted]. Please add your rejection comments below. 
We were initially considering continuing the program after our first au pair quit.  We were told that we would get a list of au pairs to select from.  We have never received the list of au pairs.  After waiting for 10 days we have made other permanent childcare arrangements in order to provide a stable environment for our son.  At that point continuing with the program did not make sense.As far as our au pair's experience, there was absolutely no confusion that her experience was falsified.  She admitted so herself several times in front of a Local Coordinator from Cultural Care.  With regards to Cultural Care's screening process, I assume that they have performed the steps that they claim to have performed (I have no way to verify it).  However, it doesn't change the fact that that they have failed to uncover false claims by a candidate.  Cultural Care is responsible for conducting background screening and is responsible for the results of the screening.  They completely failed on this point.  Their failure led us to believe that the candidate was qualified to take care of our son when in fact she was not.  Since, as a result of Culture Care's failure, we did not receive the service we paid for, we demand a full refund.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # [redacted]. Please add your rejection comments below. 
It is easy for a business to say they disagree with our description yet gave no explanation or details aside from offering a small percentage of money over the contract amount.  If money was our only issue, we would have accepted their offer.  Another reason for not accepting their small refund amount was the fact that we were to sign an agreement limiting our rights in the future.  The following customer service failures are not disputable: 1. They did not inform us we were having an exit interview until their agent showed up at 7 pm at night.  2.  They informed us we were having a support meeting which was untrue.  3. They did not inform us of a previous CPS investigation at the prior host family (details of the investigation was not needed but their au pair being the reporting party would be relevant). 4. [redacted]'s telling us the program is obviously not a good fit for our family.  5.  [redacted]'s treatment of our family as if we were criminals after we reached out for help was uncalled for. 6. Ignoring our complaints about our au pair being manipulative and lying to both the prior host family, our family, and Cultural Care. 7. Willfully disregarding our concerns while knowing the contract is heavily weighted in their favor.  8. Withholding our contact information from future host families that are interviewing our former au pair and putting these families in the same vulnerable position we were placed. We have found there are very few protections for host families when entering an agreement/contract with Cultural Care.  We would totally accept a mistake made by a company, human error, a forgotten email or anything similar.  This is not the case.  This is a systematic disregard for customers who, in good faith, have put their trust and money in a company that is extremely large.  This is a systematic way of doing business that has put money above customer service.  They are in the business of people, relationships, cultural exchange and families.  We have embraced this from day one and had this program for all the right reasons.  We feel a company as large as this bears a certain amount of responsibility when dealing with customer issues.
Regards,
[redacted]

In an effort to come to a more amicable conclusion, we will readjust the refund offered to the family based on 9 program weeks used, therefore increasing the offer by 3 weeks at the full rate.  We will have the family's Program Director reach out to provide an overview of the adjusted offer for the family to review.  Again, while no contractual refund is due, we appreciate the frustration on the part of the family and hope that this will help to bring closure to this situation for all involved.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # [redacted]. Please add your rejection comments below. 
 I have responded back to the business regarding their most recent message and I am awaiting a reply.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # [redacted]. Please add your rejection comments below. I expressed concerns with the local rep about timeline in question and was NEVER given the option to speak to anyone other than the local rep.  If other options were provided, I would have pursued other avenues.  As a first time host mom, I did not know who could help other than the local rep. My husband were left on our own to manage our childcare issues with no experienced support.  As I stated before, our support system was weak which contributed to our childcare crisis. 
Regards,
[redacted]