Much more than a childcare option, an Au Pair is a temporary family member with an international twist. Au Pairs live with the host families and take care of their children.
Au Pairs travel to another country to learn the language and explore their culture. At the same time, they assist a host family in their daily activities.
What does an Au Pair do – Duties
Some of the most common Au Pair responsibilities are:
- Driving the host family’s kids to school and picking them up
- Playing with the children
- Cooking snacks and lunches for the kids
- Helping with some house chores like cleaning the table or keeping the children’s bedroom in order
- Reading bedtime stories
Host families also have responsibilities during the stay. They need to provide a private bedroom for their Au Pair, full board and pocket money. The salary is different depending on the host country and the working hours, however, the family must always pay it on time and according to what both parts agreed on the contract.
In addition, families should also allow their Au Pair to attend a language course. During the stay, Au Pairs should also have enough time to relax, meet new people, and explore the country they are living in.
Who can be an Au Pair
In general, Au Pairs must meet the following requirements to be part of the program:
- Age: between 18-27 years old
- Being eligible for a visa to the host country
- Willing to discover a new country and stay up to 12 months
- Being able to afford the travel costs (if the family is not willing to pay for them)
- Having experience in childcare
Families willing to host an Au Pair can start their search on AuPair.com. Once they have found their ideal candidate and had a video interview, they will only need to send the contact and request the visa if needed.