Au Pair: Tamara Burke from Australia
Host Family: Palleschi Family in New York (Long Island)
It is with great pride and pleasure that we nominate Tamara Burke for the 2010 Au Pair of the Year Award. Tamara came to us in January of 2008, and it was immediately clear that she was a perfect fit for our family. We have had many child caregivers over the last several years, and no one has been as extraordinary as Tamara.
Tamara came to us from Australia. We have 2 children. Our son is now 6 and our daughter is 4. The very first time we met Tamara, the children ran to her and gave her a great big hug! Her smile is so warm and genuine that she lights up the room. She is such a natural caregiver. Tamara is affectionate, kind, patient, loving and playful with the children. She is imaginative and creative, and often helps the children make crafts, play make believe and read them stories. She has an amazing ability to discipline the children in a gentle yet authoritative way. She always has their well being in mind, and we have never worried about our children's safety in her hands. When our daughter had a medical emergency, Tamara acted quickly to get the appropriate medical help and did everything to insure our daughter's well being. We will always be grateful to her.
We have enjoyed learning about Tamara’s culture, and in exchange, we have enjoyed sharing our culture and traditions with her. She especially loved Thanksgiving, which is appropriately reflective of her deep devotion to family and friendships.
We loved having Tamara as part of our family. We felt that her presence in our home enhanced our own family relationships. We included her in all family outings, vacations and holidays. The children treated her as an integral part of our family. One year when we were hanging our Christmas stockings, our son said, "Why did you hang only 4 stockings? We have 5 people in our family!" As our first year together was coming to a close, we were so fortunate and excited to learn that Tamara wanted to stay an extra year with us! These have been the most wonderful 2 years together, and our children have really blossomed under her care.
It is now time for Tamara to return to her Australian Family. We are saddened to see her go, but we support her as she pursues her education and dream to become a nurse. We know that wherever she is, she will always be in our hearts, and we will always consider her to be a part of our family. We look forward to visiting her someday in Australia, and she knows that she will always have a home here with us in the United States. We are so grateful to the Cultural Care Au Pair Program for allowing us this wonderful opportunity to have her in our lives. We hope that she will be chosen for the 2010 Au Pair of the Year, for no one deserves this recognition more than she does. She is truly exceptional.
Tamara came to us from Australia. We have 2 children. Our son is now 6 and our daughter is 4. The very first time we met Tamara, the children ran to her and gave her a great big hug! Her smile is so warm and genuine that she lights up the room. She is such a natural caregiver. Tamara is affectionate, kind, patient, loving and playful with the children. She is imaginative and creative, and often helps the children make crafts, play make believe and read them stories. She has an amazing ability to discipline the children in a gentle yet authoritative way. She always has their well being in mind, and we have never worried about our children's safety in her hands. When our daughter had a medical emergency, Tamara acted quickly to get the appropriate medical help and did everything to insure our daughter's well being. We will always be grateful to her.
We have enjoyed learning about Tamara’s culture, and in exchange, we have enjoyed sharing our culture and traditions with her. She especially loved Thanksgiving, which is appropriately reflective of her deep devotion to family and friendships.
We loved having Tamara as part of our family. We felt that her presence in our home enhanced our own family relationships. We included her in all family outings, vacations and holidays. The children treated her as an integral part of our family. One year when we were hanging our Christmas stockings, our son said, "Why did you hang only 4 stockings? We have 5 people in our family!" As our first year together was coming to a close, we were so fortunate and excited to learn that Tamara wanted to stay an extra year with us! These have been the most wonderful 2 years together, and our children have really blossomed under her care.
It is now time for Tamara to return to her Australian Family. We are saddened to see her go, but we support her as she pursues her education and dream to become a nurse. We know that wherever she is, she will always be in our hearts, and we will always consider her to be a part of our family. We look forward to visiting her someday in Australia, and she knows that she will always have a home here with us in the United States. We are so grateful to the Cultural Care Au Pair Program for allowing us this wonderful opportunity to have her in our lives. We hope that she will be chosen for the 2010 Au Pair of the Year, for no one deserves this recognition more than she does. She is truly exceptional.