"I thought, 'Let's see, what is the best way to learn English? Go ... move ... out of the country,’ " she said.

Halfway around the world in Chapel Hill, Lyria Boast was having trouble managing her time. Her daughters, 5 and 10, were on different schedules and her husband was often out of town on business.

"There was a lot to think about then," she said.

With the help of an au pair agency, the Boasts found Cruz on their front doorstep in the fall of 2006.

Sort of a Spanish Mary Poppins.

Everything but the umbrella.

Au pair services are gaining momentum in Chapel Hill, said Angela Eberts, the founder of Au Pair USA in Chapel Hill. She started the program in 2004 and has 15 members. It is a one-year program, but six au pairs have applied to stay an additional year.

"They become part of your immediate family," Boast said after her first year with Cruz.

Boast knew other families with au pairs and they gave positive reports, but ultimately she chose an au pair over daycare or a nanny because they usually have more flexible hours and cost less. Along with room and board, most receive about $200 to $300 a week in spending money.

Boast was also enthusiastic about the cultural exchange at work, which she describes as a two way street.

"It's been in language and food that Spanish culture has come into [my daughters’] lives. They know that a tortilla, in Spain, is a potato omelette. Not what they used to think."

Au pair (pronounced O Pare) means “equal,” as in “on equal terms with the host family.”

Au Pair USA is one of several major au pair agencies in the country, all of which follow strict state department regulations.

Before reaching the host family, the au pairs are screened and issued a student (J-1) visa. They spend a week in New York City training and reviewing the agency’s policies. With student visas they are expected to take at least six credit hours of course work in the states. They usually take English classes.


'A Day'

Cruz's day looks like this: She wakes up at around the same time as the girls. They head off to school, and she heads to Caribou coffee to study English for the TOEFL exam in April.

When the girls get home at 3, she makes them a snack and then it's off to their various activities — gymnastics, ballet and soccer — depending on the day. If needed in the evening, she will help out with dinner.

Before bed she reads to them, "because it grows the imagination," she said. "You can have a conversation with both of [the girls] and they can help you to improve your English."

With Cruz in the house, Boast has found time for PTA meetings, Girl Scout activities, night classes and weekend dates with her husband. She is also the new cluster co-ordinator for Au Pair USA, which means that she checks in with the au pairs, organizes monthly meetings and consults with potential host families.

It is an unusual relationship, said Eberts. It’s a business relationship, but with a lot of emotional aspects because the au pair is living in the family’s house.

Boast said a major success factor is providing the au pair with her own space.

"You want to give them time to get away from you," she said.

Boast and Cruz, for instance, try to sit down each week to draft a schedule -- "so no one is caught off guard," said Boast.