The annual general meeting of the Aupair Society e.V. took place at DR-WALTER in Neunkirchen-Seelscheid. The au pair insurer is a founding member of the association, which has been in existence for 24 years and is committed to improving the au pair system in Germany. DR-WALTER invited the member agencies and other supporting members to its headquarters for this year's meeting.

Diverse association activities
As is customary at an annual general meeting, the board reported on the activities of the association in the past financial year. The Au Pair Society organizes an annual nationwide Au Pair Day in Berlin. In June 2023, 57 au pairs from 21 countries took part. In addition to a visit to the Reichstag and a city tour, the au pairs enjoyed a picnic together and got to know each other. A weekend trip to Paris was also organized from 11 to 13 November 2023.
The association, which currently has 16 member agencies, not only organizes leisure activities, but also offers an emergency hotline to help au pairs in need. This service was used 65 times last year.

New board and new members
A new board was elected for 4 years until 2028: First chairman is now Oliver Rolle (au-pair-berlin) and second chairman Michael Zubke (Aupair Zubke). Anett Sievert (AHA! Au-pair-Agentur) was elected treasurer and Jasmin Dorsch (Kulturist) and Kristin Otto (Ayusa) were elected as assessors. The number of members of the Au Pair Society is declining. It was therefore all the more pleasing that the young agencies Aupair Agency Germany and Culture Bridge introduced themselves at the Annual General Meeting and were accepted as members.

Lecture on au pair insurance
Katja Keuneke, Head of Claims Department, gave a presentation on au pair insurance. She used several examples to explain medical inflation. While around EUR 3,544 was charged for an uncomplicated appendectomy in 2019, four years later the average cost for the same treatment was EUR 5,430. Other hospital costs also increased by up to 33% between 2019 and 2023. In order to keep au pair insurance premiums stable, a responsible approach to benefits is necessary. Keuneke recommended that au pairs and host parents find out about the insured benefits in good time and not just in the event of a claim. For example, if the au pair goes to the dentist with acute symptoms and not only the affected tooth but also other problematic teeth are treated, this can lead to disappointment and anger. Services that go beyond pain-relieving dental treatment are unfortunately not included in the low-cost travel health insurance, which is not full private health insurance. Keuneke also cleared up misunderstandings about liability insurance: An au pair is a temporary family member and there are no liability claims between people living in a domestic partnership. However, DR-WALTER's au pair insurance policies offer a "PLUS" that covers damage to the host family's immovable property.

Au pair of the year
A highlight of the Annual General Meeting is always the announcement of the Au Pair of the Year. The jury consisted of agencies that had not submitted nominations and a sponsoring member. The winner in the incoming category was Yari Diaz from Colombia, who was placed by Aupair Zubke. As she had just returned to her home country, her essay and host family reference were read out and a short video of her was shown. Malene Schüler, who was placed by the agency Kulturist, was honored in the Outgoing category. She is currently in Norway, but attended the award ceremony online and read out her winning essay and the host family reference, which she translated into German.  

The next Annual General Meeting of the Aupair Society is planned for February 15, 2025.
Berlin Day 2024 will take place on June 1, 2024.

https://www.aupair-society.de