Reviews of Cultural Care - Host Family

By: Signum International AG App

List of user reviews and ratings for Cultural Care - Host Family

Total ratings

4.70 (Rating count: 1,254)

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Review summary

Users report a mixed experience with Cultural Care's iPhone app. Some praise improved usability, easier navigation, and in-app communication, including hiding candidates and handling paperwork. However, many reviews flag weak search/filters, unreliable chat/notifications, and frustrations with the website-to-app transition, which removes features and slows interviewing returning host families. The app is usable but often feels time-consuming and frustrating to use.

Pros

App has improved since launch, including features like hiding au pair candidates.
User-friendly and intuitive UI that makes navigation easier.
Central in-app interface for communication and handling paperwork with Cultural Care.
Support experiences (e.g., Beatriz) helping users navigate functionality.
For some users, the app makes finding candidates easier and more straightforward.

Cons

Weak search and filtering: limited filters, no keyword or age-specific search, and difficulty filtering or hiding uninterested profiles.
Latency and unreliability in chat and notifications, plus problematic video calls.
Frustrating transition from the website to the app: missing features, new restrictions, and slower interview flow for returning host families.
Poor integration between chats and candidate profiles: chats not tied to profiles and status not clearly shown.
Overall time-consuming and cumbersome UX that makes finding good matches feel inefficient.

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User Reviews

Recent rating average: 1.70

All time rating average: 4.70

Upgrade to see all 53 reviews

57% (30)

Date	Author	Comment
2026-07-22	Ro*****	there should be more incentives for host families who have used the company 14 years. These fees are ridiculous and way too high.
there should be more incentives for host families who have used the company 14 years. These fees are ridiculous and way too high.
2026-07-10	E2*****	The old website was easier to navigate and had much more functionality. It felt easier to filter candidate selection based on characteristics that mattered to me and I felt like the old profiles gave me more useful information. The roll out was very rocky and it really has never gotten to the level of the old website. Really disappointed in this app and the host family experience being degraded. I tried to give it time to improve but really still very annoyed.
The old website was easier to navigate and had much more functionality. It felt easier to filter candidate selection based on characteristics that mattered to me and I felt like the old profiles gave me more useful information. The roll out was very rocky and it really has never gotten to the level of the old website. Really disappointed in this app and the host family experience being degraded. I tried to give it time to improve but really still very annoyed.
2026-05-19	tr*****	The ap has been horrible for use. I have had notifications that do not come through, if I’m not in the ap I don’t see calls come through either. If I in a chat and I get a text it doesn’t always show up, I have to leave the ap close it and reopen it to see updates. Camera only works in selfie mode which is hard for showing spaces to potential matches.
The ap has been horrible for use. I have had notifications that do not come through, if I’m not in the ap I don’t see calls come through either. If I in a chat and I get a text it doesn’t always show up, I have to leave the ap close it and reopen it to see updates. Camera only works in selfie mode which is hard for showing spaces to potential matches.
2026-04-28	td*****	Hosting an au pair is a massive investment of time, resources, energy, finances, and love. Catering to TikTokers / phone addicted young adults is just so antithetical to the au pair experience that I want for my family. Even if overall experience is ultimately improved with an app, eliminating the functional website alongside the rollout makes no sense. I am not comfortable with uploading images of my home - that can be shared live via video chat. I have logged into the app and somehow am not able to do so with the same information on the website? My login email is associated with another account? Yes, that’s correct. And I would like to access it. While I found photo uploads frustrating on the old website, I far preferred that platform to the new app. Transition documents for au pairs in rematch are not accessible. Entire bodies of text are eliminated due to shortened characters, which means rewriting entire carefully written sections. Having hosted for 5 years, including one with another agency for a specific extension match and then returning to CC because I valued the customer experience even at a higher cost, I am sad to say that I will be leaving again and for good at the end of our current term if changes aren’t reversed and upgrades made.
Hosting an au pair is a massive investment of time, resources, energy, finances, and love. Catering to TikTokers / phone addicted young adults is just so antithetical to the au pair experience that I want for my family. Even if overall experience is ultimately improved with an app, eliminating the functional website alongside the rollout makes no sense. I am not comfortable with uploading images of my home - that can be shared live via video chat. I have logged into the app and somehow am not able to do so with the same information on the website? My login email is associated with another account? Yes, that’s correct. And I would like to access it. While I found photo uploads frustrating on the old website, I far preferred that platform to the new app. Transition documents for au pairs in rematch are not accessible. Entire bodies of text are eliminated due to shortened characters, which means rewriting entire carefully written sections. Having hosted for 5 years, including one with another agency for a specific extension match and then returning to CC because I valued the customer experience even at a higher cost, I am sad to say that I will be leaving again and for good at the end of our current term if changes aren’t reversed and upgrades made.
2026-04-14	Nu*****	Not user friendly, very glitchy
Not user friendly, very glitchy
2026-01-17	KR*****	I miss the old website experience. It should be easy to hide profiles you are not interested in or those who were not interested in you. Would also prefer ability to search for specific ages vs bigger ranges. Also, making video calls from the app is terrible. You have to constantly tap the screen so it doesn’t time out. They should make it easy to share contact info so you can reach out outside the app.
I miss the old website experience. It should be easy to hide profiles you are not interested in or those who were not interested in you. Would also prefer ability to search for specific ages vs bigger ranges. Also, making video calls from the app is terrible. You have to constantly tap the screen so it doesn’t time out. They should make it easy to share contact info so you can reach out outside the app.
2025-12-02	Br*****	The App has been improved since the initial debacle at launch, such as the ability to hide au pair candidates. However basic functionality wasn’t well thought out from the beginning. For example, the fact that chats are not tied tightly to the candidate’s profile, like every other social app, is mind blowing. If you are actively chatting or a chat is terminated, there is no indication of this on the profile or search results. You need to go back and manually remove them from favorites and hide them from showing up on future searches. I’m constantly cross referencing who I initiated a chat with when searching profiles. Additionally, once a chat is terminated and archived, the link to the profile is lost, you are left only with a small picture and first name to figure out who the candidate was. I’ve also seen significant delays in chats and chat notifications where they don’t show up for hours or days.
The App has been improved since the initial debacle at launch, such as the ability to hide au pair candidates. However basic functionality wasn’t well thought out from the beginning. For example, the fact that chats are not tied tightly to the candidate’s profile, like every other social app, is mind blowing. If you are actively chatting or a chat is terminated, there is no indication of this on the profile or search results. You need to go back and manually remove them from favorites and hide them from showing up on future searches. I’m constantly cross referencing who I initiated a chat with when searching profiles. Additionally, once a chat is terminated and archived, the link to the profile is lost, you are left only with a small picture and first name to figure out who the candidate was. I’ve also seen significant delays in chats and chat notifications where they don’t show up for hours or days.
2025-12-02	HG*****	We had an unfortunate experience of separating with the Au Pair less than 2 months into the program. We decided not to bring another au pair to avoid having children adjust to another caretaker. The deposit paid is non refundable however which means we’ve overpaid substantially for the short period of having an au pair (as compared to hiring local help for example). I’d advise you check payment terms and conditions with other agencies before proceeding with one.
We had an unfortunate experience of separating with the Au Pair less than 2 months into the program. We decided not to bring another au pair to avoid having children adjust to another caretaker. The deposit paid is non refundable however which means we’ve overpaid substantially for the short period of having an au pair (as compared to hiring local help for example). I’d advise you check payment terms and conditions with other agencies before proceeding with one.
2025-10-24	ps*****	The new app sets restrictions on when returning host families can start interviewing au pairs… But the same restrictions don’t apply to new families in the program? This transition to the new app has been incredibly frustrating.
The new app sets restrictions on when returning host families can start interviewing au pairs… But the same restrictions don’t apply to new families in the program? This transition to the new app has been incredibly frustrating.
2025-10-15	Gi*****	The app is better than it was at launch, but it still takes 10x longer to find just one good candidate via Cultural Care versus other agencies. Just some examples: • Profiles of au pairs who disconnected from me still appear in searches, and the app doesn’t display our past chat history, making it impossible to know they already rejected me. The app should auto-hide these profiles instead. • Filters - other agencies let you search with more advanced filters like type of experience, experience with certain ages, new to the platform, experience with multiple children, willingness to work with my kids’ age range, etc. • There is no clear summary of childcare experience. It’s scattered throughout references (which I can’t swipe through), the au pair’s summary, and the interviewer notes. • The “Not Interested” link is at the very bottom of the profile and becomes hidden behind the “Chat” when you scroll down. I shared this feedback with Cultural Care last year. The app has improved slightly since then - but in the time it takes me to find 1 good candidate with CC, I can find dozens with the other agencies.
The app is better than it was at launch, but it still takes 10x longer to find just one good candidate via Cultural Care versus other agencies. Just some examples: • Profiles of au pairs who disconnected from me still appear in searches, and the app doesn’t display our past chat history, making it impossible to know they already rejected me. The app should auto-hide these profiles instead. • Filters - other agencies let you search with more advanced filters like type of experience, experience with certain ages, new to the platform, experience with multiple children, willingness to work with my kids’ age range, etc. • There is no clear summary of childcare experience. It’s scattered throughout references (which I can’t swipe through), the au pair’s summary, and the interviewer notes. • The “Not Interested” link is at the very bottom of the profile and becomes hidden behind the “Chat” when you scroll down. I shared this feedback with Cultural Care last year. The app has improved slightly since then - but in the time it takes me to find 1 good candidate with CC, I can find dozens with the other agencies.