# Cultural Care - Host Family — user reviews > 137 indexed App Store user reviews of Cultural Care by Signum International AG, rated 4.70/5 from 1,319 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cultural-care-host-family/id6448572381/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cultural-care-host-family/id6448572381.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 1,133 · 4★ 93 · 3★ 23 · 2★ 18 · 1★ 52 ## What do users think of Cultural Care? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 🚀 Finally an app - 💡 Love the chat feature - 👍 Filters are way better **Cons** - 🐛 Terrible app - 🐛 Dehumanizing - 🐛 Absolutely awful - 🐛 Worst app ever - 🐛 Too many horrible updates - 🐛 Needs significant enhancements - 🐛 Unable to match on app - 🐛 Terrible compared to old website - 🐛 Disappointed - 🐛 Not great - 🐛 Horrible app - 🐛 Very frustrating experience - 🐛 Terrible - 🐛 Do not put your bank information in this app - 🐛 This is awful - 🐛 Super buggy - 🐛 Embarrassingly terrible - 🐛 Couldn't be worse - 🐛 Terrible - 🐛 An unrecoverable failure - 🐛 Frustrating app - 🐛 Worst App Ever - 🐛 Horrific customer service, even worse version update rollouts - 🐛 Couldn't be worse - 🐛 Terrible App - 🐛 Want to give zero stars - 🐛 0 out of 5 Stars - 🐛 TERRIBLE - 🐛 Beyond embarrassing for cultural cares - 🐛 Broken app - 🐛 Security? - 🐛 Rollback the rollout - 🐛 Disastrous - 🐛 Horrific experience - 🐛 Shame on cultural care! - 🐛 Not user friendly - 🐛 DISASTER - please rollback ASAP - 🐛 Awful Relaunch - 🐛 App needs so much work - 🐛 Awful, awful, awful - 🐛 Garbage - 🐛 Host family nightmare - 🐛 Terrible execution. Big miss for CC despite all the hype. - 🐛 Not good - 🐛 Poor interface - 🐛 Terrible app - 🐛 Lots of glitches and issues - 🐛 Definite downgrade - 🐛 Filled with bugs and removed the best web search features - 🐛 Profile Non-Migration - 🐛 Terrible - 🐛 Overall improvement but frustratingly buggy - 🐛 Flaky - 🐛 Awful search functionality **Commonly reported bugs** - Login screen freezes - Incompatible with older devices **Most requested features** - Dark mode option - Advanced analytics dashboard ## Newest reviews (17 of 137) ### 2/5 — Great Until it Wasn’t *2026-08-15* The app works extremely well! I was able to navigate with ease. I quickly connected with a Local Coordinator and crafted a strong authentic family profile. I contacted 11 au pairs interviewed four and found the one! I completed all of the requirements to match, minus one…the first one. I got on a call with the enrollment/matching specialist and learned the combination of my youngest child’s ASD + g-tube is too much for this agency to accept our family. If only the app would not have allowed me to skip step 1, I could have put a months worth of effort into an agency that sees us as worthy of their childcare. ### 3/5 — Fees *2026-07-22, version 2.4.367* there should be more incentives for host families who have used the company 14 years. These fees are ridiculous and way too high. ### 2/5 — Glitchy app experience *2026-05-19, version 2.4.318* 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. ### 2/5 — Unhappy with app *2026-04-14, version 2.4.289* Not user friendly, very glitchy ### 2/5 — Poor user experience *2026-01-17* 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. ### 2/5 — Better but still a ton of room for Improvement *2025-12-02* 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. ### 2/5 — Odd restrictions *2025-10-24, version 2.4.180* 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. ### 2/5 — Meh *2025-07-22* It’s ok. Cultural Care ‘s previous web based app allowed for much more details from the Au pair as well as host family. The filters were more robust and better. And why even try to support video chatting through the app … there are companies that solely devote their app to this, did you think you could do it better? Because I have never been able to complete a call with this app that didn’t sound like I was being attacked by a swarm of cicadas. And I don’t need a bunch of pictograms to figure out if we have the same hobbbies **Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback, very sorry to hear about your poor experience. We're always working to improve and welcome input from our families. If you're open to sharing more specific feedback about your APP experience, please email me at Christian.Geelan@CulturalCare.com to set up a time to speak. ### 3/5 — Recommended Tweaks *2025-07-21, version 2.4.107* Since the app is the only way to search candidates, it’d be helpful for profiles to have a flag if you’ve already contacted them. Hard to keep track without it. Would also like to be able to see which account is being debited…I can’t find where to access the account info we added forever ago for payments ### 1/5 — If no stars was a thing *2025-07-16* Shame on the agency for promoting a culture of no communication. Au pairs declining chats without even so much as a single inquiring question or minimal dialogue is truly ridiculous. The app is awful, latency is a huge issue. I’ve had to use WhatsApp for nearly all conversations. App notifications don’t work well or hours later. If an au pair replies to my chat at 7am there will be an appt notification hours later and it is timestamped 5am. I get app developments a huge effort for something like this. But it’s truly unremarkable that it’s nearly one year later and this experience is still so mediocre. When an au pair declines you, they still surface in your search results so you could technically chat again. Which happened to me bc I had so many decline. The filter options are painful to navigate. Each search gives a whole new list of au pairs and it’s confusing. Terrible cannot even rely on my LCC for help who is more than willing to support! She has no visibility into anything. My LCC is the best part of this entire experience and after 12 years the agency has managed to mess that part up too. The amount of au pairs rematching with 2-3 families is disturbing. This doesn’t feel like a cultural exchange or an opportunity for global families. **Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback, very sorry to hear about your poor experience. We're always working to improve and welcome input from our families. If you're open to sharing more specific feedback about your APP experience, please email me at Christian.Geelan@CulturalCare.com to set up a time to speak. ### 2/5 — App lacks good search functions *2025-07-16* This app at first glance seems nice but it lacks features that the website used to provide. It is lacks the ability to be able to search on whether the au pair: has worked in a nursery school/preschool/daycare; Wants to work with the age range of your child(ren); groups ages versus allowing user to select; doesn’t allow the option to hide au pairs who are not interested; groups many of the components in the filters an instead making the user click on every profile; it does not alert a user when an au pair is available and meets your search criteria. These are just some examples of the poor functionality of the app that could be very easily addressed. **Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback, very sorry to hear about your poor experience. We're always working to improve and welcome input from our families. If you're open to sharing more specific feedback about your APP experience, please email me at Christian.Geelan@CulturalCare.com to set up a time to speak. ### 1/5 — Terrible app - no actual support *2025-07-13, version 2.4.97* Finding an au pair using a dating app formula is perhaps the lousiest possible way to interview someone I’ve ever seen. If you have a perfectly manicured profile, and can show off how fun your family is in 6 pictures you will do fine. Good luck if you have several little ones and don’t live in NYC or CA. ### 1/5 — Unhelpful *2025-04-29, version 2.4.42* The app is terrible. It doesn’t function as promised and the support is only helpful during business hours. You’re better off using the website and calling when you need assistance. The information for prospective au pairs is less than before and not well organized. Selecting au pair flights doesn’t work. And host families are not notified of action steps they need to take. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t take Credit Card Payments *2025-04-29, version 2.4.42* They won’t take credit card payments, only direct withdrawals from bank account ### 4/5 — Great program, Generally good app *2025-04-26* There are a few things that would make the app better. Most of the things revolve around filtering. Right now you can sort of filter based on what you want but it doesn’t work perfectly. Like if I Want an au pair that can ski AND hike I can select those but it will give me au pairs that like to ski AND/OR hike. And we have both dogs and cats and you can only select all pets which again results in an AND/OR. We cannot find people that like both dogs and cats. That means I have to open and scroll. Would be great to be able to exclude things as well. Like exclude people with dietary restrictions. Also it offers me au pairs that don’t include willingness to care for all ages of my children. So I need willing to care for 2-4 and 5-10. But it will show me au pairs who have only selected 5-10. Additionally. The notifications can be a bit redundant. I don’t need to you remind me to talk to an au pair. We typically start chatting in whatsapp after connecting. But the app will remind me I haven’t talked to an au pair for a few days. This requires me to clear the notifications. I only need to be notified of new chats. The other notifications are useless. **Developer response:** Thanks for your feedback—we’re glad you're enjoying the program so far. We're always working to improve and welcome input from families. If you're open to sharing more about your APP experience, please email me at Christian.Geelan@culturalcare.com to set up a time to chat. ### 1/5 — Still a terrible app *2025-04-18, version 2.4.32* I really want to love this app but overall, the experience is frustrating and inefficient. If you’re planning to rely on this app for matching, here’s what to expect: 1. Favorites & Chat Glitches Once a chat ends (even if the au pair disconnected), that person stays in your “Favorites” list — and you can still message them again, which feels awkward and unnecessary. You’d expect past chats to show history or be archived, but instead the app just opens a blank new chat. 2. Search Filters Don’t Work Well The filters are a mess. You’ll see au pairs who don’t match your selected age groups, dietary needs, or driving experience — even if you’ve specifically filtered for those. For example, I selected “3–5 years driving experience” and saw candidates with only 1 year. It wastes a lot of time. 3. Hard to Compare Childcare Experience Profiles lean heavily on vague narratives and don’t offer a clear list of previous childcare jobs. To figure out their real experience, you have to dig through scattered references and interview notes. What I really want is a simple breakdown: dates, number of kids, ages, responsibilities. Instead, it’s like solving a puzzle. 4. Persistent “Recommended” Matches Even after I ended the chat and marked “not interested,” the same au pair kept showing up at the top of my search results. That kind of glitch really undermines confidence in the algorithm. 5. UX/Navigation Frustrations • The “Not Interested” button is hard to find — hidden under the “Chat” button at the bottom of the profile. • There’s no swipe functionality to go back and forth between profiles or other areas of the app — which is standard in most apps now. • Overall, navigation feels clunky and not user-friendly. ### 1/5 — Makes process harder *2025-03-25, version 2.4.16* This app makes finding an au pair unnecessarily difficult. The company has removed the ability to search profiles for key words, so it’s impossible to look for people who are infant qualified (because who cares about having assurance that your babies will be safe) or have certain types of childcare experience (e.g. teachers, daycares, nannies). Consider other options ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — No longer able to hide au pairs from search *2026-07-22* I’ve just about had it with this terrible app. The updates and improvements have not happened fast enough, and it is in no way better than the old website. Choosing an au pair is NOT a tinder date. It’s an investment of time and effort and there should be more than a Gen Z app available for paying customers. There should also be substantially more information on profiles should someone want to include it and better search functionality, including keywords. The number of obviously fake or planted reviews to up the score to 4.7 is frustrating and makes me question the integrity of the company itself. It’s very clear which reviews were submitted by seasoned hosts and au pairs alike. **Developer response:** We appreciate your feedback and are very sorry for any inconvenience caused. As with any new launch, we’re working through initial issues, and your feedback is instrumental in making improvements. We’re rolling out updates frequently, so please enable automatic updates to get the latest fixes. We value your business and hope you will choose to continue hosting with us, if you wish to discuss this further, please email us at support@culturalcare.com. ### 1/5 — Still worse than the old website *2026-07-10* 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. ### 1/5 — Rollback the rollout *2026-04-28, version 2.4.308* 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. ### 1/5 — Beware of non refundable fees if your match doesn’t work out *2025-12-02, version 2.4.218* 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. ### 1/5 — Glitchy app, company has bad priorities *2025-11-02, version 2.4.180* The app is terrible and the company is clearing getting their employees to write reviews. It rarely works, it’s super glitchy, and cases just disappear. ### 1/5 — Still too hard to use — takes 10× longer than competitor sites *2025-10-15* 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. **Developer response:** Thanks for your feedback. We're always working to improve and welcome input from families. If you're open to sharing more about your APP experience, please email me at Christian.Geelan@culturalcare.com to set up a time to speak. ### 1/5 — Very minimal info on profiles *2025-10-07, version 2.4.173* There’s very little info provided in each profile compared to the information that other agencies provide. Childcare experience is often a one-lines that’s pretty vague. ### 1/5 — Amateur hour *2025-08-22, version 2.4.147* Feels like a bunch of high schoolers developed this app ### 1/5 — No way to exit from watching a video *2025-08-07, version 2.4.120* The most recent update doesn’t let you exit after watching a video so you have to exit the entire app ### 1/5 — Do not recommend *2025-07-29, version 2.4.111* My first aupair used my Amazon account and went shopping with my credit card but she did change the address to her new location. Contacted cultural care and they just said it was an honest mistake and did nothing else about it. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Great system for Au Pair *2025-09-12, version 2.4.157* This app has made the search for an au pair very user friendly. I was able to navigate with ease. ### 5/5 — Great app *2025-08-12, version 2.4.124* The app makes the process easier. We were able to find the candidates very accurately. Happy to be part of this cultural exchange! ### 5/5 — Great Company *2025-04-01* The app is good but the company is great. As a working family we were able to afford a live in Au Pair for our two kids through Cultural Care cheaper than day care. Our LLC Beatriz has been a great help in maintaining the service and making our Au Pair feel welcomed in our country and our home. Our Au Pair also speaks a foreign language with our kids so they can grow up bilingual. I highly recommend this company for working families. **Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback. We are so glad to hear, that you are enjoying the program. ### 5/5 — Well thought out app, comprehensive *2025-03-12* The update to the app has me won over. It’s easy to use, communicate with au pairs, but the best part has been once you match. The UI is intuitive and everything is at your fingertips. Beatriz helped walk me through the functionality and made it very easy for me to use and operate. **Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback. ### 5/5 — Finally an app *2025-01-15, version 2.3.5* Finally Cultural Care has an app! After using the previous matching system for years, I am so glad they finally got an app. I was able to create a profile and get a hold of au pairs faster than I ever have. The chat and video call features are really great ### 5/5 — GREAT APP - Really User Friendly *2025-01-15* First time matching and was nervous seeing some of the reviews but was pleasantly surprised and had a smooth experience from start to finish. Nice being able to communicate within the app and not have to share personal contacts until we are ready. I would recommend highly. ### 5/5 — Love the chat feature *2025-01-15, version 2.3.5* I love the chat feature. I was dreading going back into matching and having to connect with my next au pair by email but it is so much easier being able to chat. What a relief and good new direction that saves time! ### 5/5 — Finally *2024-12-19, version 2.3.5* I'm glad they finally have an app - it's much more convenient to be able to screen candidates this way. ### 5/5 — Love the chat feature *2024-12-10* I love the chat feature. I was dreading going back into matching and having to connect with my next au pair by email but I now I can connect with an au pair by chat, audio or video call. The chat feature makes it so much easier to have a quick conversation and schedule an interview. Good new direction that saves time! **Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback. ### 5/5 — Amazing app *2024-11-28* The Cultural Care Host Family App is a fantastic tool that has truly enhanced our au pair experience. The app’s user-friendly design makes it simple to navigate and manage all aspects of hosting. From detailed au pair profiles to customizable search filters, finding the perfect match was seamless and efficient. The app also offers a helpful messaging feature, making communication with potential au pairs and Cultural Care staff quick and easy. It’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into creating a platform that prioritizes convenience and clarity for host families. What sets this app apart is its range of supportive resources and tools. The built-in calendar is a standout feature, allowing us to coordinate schedules and plan important dates effortlessly. Additionally, the library of tips and guidelines has been invaluable for understanding and managing our host family responsibilities. Whether you’re new to hosting or have years of experience, this app ensures a smoother, more enjoyable process. We highly recommend it to anyone embarking on their hosting journey with Cultural Care! --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-02.*