A friend of mine in France has a teenage daughter who wants to come to the US for the summer as an au pair. Other than signing up for paid sites, which seem to favor longer-term arrangements, does anyone have ideas on how to help this friend search for this kind of summer job? I've been advised not to have her post on Craig's List.

How would you look for an au pair? Would local references be key? Would you just get referrals from friends or would you go through an agency?

Thanks all for your thoughts.
Ann

If you're trying to help the girl find summer employment, you could check with a daycare center or pre-school, put the word out with your friends, or even call the high school to see if they've fielded calls from parents looking for summer sitters.

Of course, that tends to make you a little bit responsible for finding a 'nice' family to au pair for...