I want to share a true story that happened to me.

I want to share a true story that happened to me. I'm a German girl who went to China as an au pair through Star Exchange in 2019. I had just graduated from high school that summer and was eager to experience Asian culture, so I signed up for Star Exchange's au pair China program. I was eventually matched with a family in Beijing. They are a family I still keep in touch with to this day, and I truly consider them my family.
I want to commend Star Exchange and their Chinese team, Rising Star. In early 2020, when the COVID-19 outbreak hit China just before the Chinese New Year, the staffs kept us au pairs constantly updated with various information about the situation and were very respectful of our wishes.
Due to fears about the pandemic, some au pairs immediately requested to return to their home countries. All the staff members responded promptly, cooperated efficiently, and provided various protective products such as masks and gloves. At that time, I wasn't too worried about the virus, so I decided to leave in March 2020. International flights were already scarce, but the staff from Star Exchange and Rising Star helped me book a ticket, accompanied me to the airport with my Chinese family, and prepared masks and gloves for all of us. At that time, entering Chinese airports required presenting a travel code (in green), but the Chinese travel code system was just starting to be implemented and wasn't very complete. It didn't have a function to input passport numbers, only Chinese ID information. Therefore, the staffs of SE and RS prepared an explanation letter for me in advance, explaining why I couldn't provide a travel code, and contacted the local airport ahead of time to ensure I boarded the plane smoothly. In comparison, I have a friend who found a family in Guilin, southern China, by herself two months after I arrived in China (because she only wanted to go to Guilin, but at that time there were no host families located in Guilin among the many host families of Star Exchange). When she wanted to return to Germany during the COVID-19 outbreak, everything seemed very difficult. She had a kind Chinese host family, but they were not familiar with arranging flights quickly or coordinating with airports, and at that time, the pandemic was severe. Her host family couldn't take her to the airport because they had to take care of their children (as schools in China were closed at that time), so they could only contact a taxi. I want to say that having a responsible organization is really fortunate! They truly have your best interests at heart.