Marietta Family Hosts Georgia Au Pair of the Year

Caring, dependable child care can be hard to find, and exceptional child care is even rarer. But the Euston family hit the jackpot when they welcomed German au pair Magarita Sonnenberg into their home.

Sonnenberg provides live-in care for the Euston's three children, and her dedication and enthusiasm in caring for them led the Eustons to nominate Sonnenberg for Au Pair of the Year.

Sponsored by the International Au Pair Association, the Au Pair of the Year Award honors au pairs who are caring, dependable and exceptional providers of child care to their host family. From the nominations, Cultural Care Au Pair selects winners from each state, and Sonnenberg was selected as the winner for Georgia.

Sonnenberg is living with the Euston family in Marietta as part of the Cultural Care Au Pair intercultural exchange and child care program. She cares for the family's children, 10-year-old twins and a 6-year-old, in exchange for the opportunity to live in the United States, take classes at an American university and be part of an American family.

The Eustons' three children wrote how much they love their au pair and how she loves to draw with them and take them to soccer, according to a press release. They also wrote about how calm and caring she is and how she always looks out for their safety first.

Sonnenberg loves her host family and her experiences in the United States as part of their family so much that she is extending her stay with them for an additional six months, the release said.

"Margarita has gone above and beyond to create a healthy and enriching environment for her host children, while also challenging herself to learn a new language and culture. She is a great role model for her host children and other young people in the community," Wendy Jarrett, child care coordinator for Cultural Care Au Pair, said in the release. "Margarita's commitment and dedication to her host family and community certainly make her the Au Pair of the Year in Georgia."

The International Au Pair Association established the Au Pair of the Year Award to recognize the many great young men and women participating in the au pair program, a demanding cultural exchange and child care experience.

Since 1989, Massachusetts-based Cultural Care Au Pair has placed more than 85,000 au pairs in American homes.