Au pair means person who is responsible foreign national aged 18 to 26 who want to provide childcare while learning about American culture. Great Au Pair thoroughly screens and trains each au pair to provide trustworthy and adaptable care. They can stay in the United States for up to two years if they understand English and have a driver’s license.
Eligibility Criteria
Our au pairs must meet the following criteria in order to be eligible for the program:
1. You must be between the ages of 18 and 26.
2. You must be a non-US citizen and live in a country that Great Au Pair serves.
3. Have at least 1,200 hours of experience caring for children and love them.
4. At least 600 hours of experience caring for children under the age of two are required (if the au pair will be working with kids under the age of two)
5. Know how to communicate effectively in English.
6. Have no criminal history
7. Complete secondary school.
8. Possess a current driver’s license
9. You must be in good health and a nonsmoker.
10. Be willing to spend a year in the United States
11. Prior to arrival, complete the 32+ hour Great Au Pair Training Academy.
What is an Au Pair’s Role?
Your au pair will work for up to 45 hours a week in exchange for room, board, and a weekly stipend, assisting you with temper tantrums, conquering your child’s laundry, assisting with morning and bedtime routines.
Whipping up kids’ meals and school lunches, solving burning math questions, transporting kids to school and activities, playing and having fun, and most importantly, providing you with the peace of mind that you are getting the best childcare possible.
There just aren’t enough hours in the day for most parents to mark everything off their never-ending ‘to do’ list, let alone have fun with their children and find time for themselves. With an au pair, it’s a different story.
History
The phrase au pair is derived from the French term au pair, which means “at par” or “equal to,” implying that the connection is intended to be one of equals: the au pair is expected to become a family member, although a temporary one. rather than a regular domestic helper, albeit on a temporary basis.
The concept and the circumstances
After World War II, the au pair became popular in Europe. Domestic servants were plentiful before the war to care for the children of middle and upper-class families, but after the war, changes in societal attitudes, as well as rises in wages and taxes, rendered the old system unavailable to most middle-class parents.
Simultaneously, societal change increased the number of middle-class girls who needed to work, and rising educational goals for girls made exposure to foreign cultures and language study more common aspirations.
However, because being a “servant” was associated with being a “servant,” an essentially working-class status that even working-class people despised, this potential supply of domestic labor could only be utilized if a new non-servant function was invented.
As a result, the au pair was born. The au pair was not required to wear a uniform and was expected to be treated as a family member rather than a servant.
An au pair is paid a stipend and has his or her own room. Au pairs usually eat with the family most of the time and participate in some of the family’s regular activities, such as outings and travels. Host families, on the other hand, usually expect to have some alone time, especially in the evenings.
An au pair may retreat to his or her room to watch television, study, or socialize with friends during this time. There is often time set up for the au pair to study, particularly the host country’s language. Au pairs should be given uniform contracts with their families, according to the Council of Europe.
Summary
An au pair is a domestic assistant from another nation who works in your home. as well as living with a host family. Au pairs take on a portion of the family’s childcare responsibilities as well as some housework. They are given a monetary stipend to spend on themselves. The au pair is a temporary member of the host family who is not a servant.
Gender preference
Although some au pairs are now male, women continue to make up the vast majority of au pairs. Many nations place restrictions on how many hours an au pair can work.
Transportation of children to and from school, transportation of children to after-school activities, cooking, cleaning, ironing, tidying up, and babysitting are examples of tasks. Depending on the host family, each placement is unique.
There is little or no demand for au pairs in many developing nations because there is still an abundant supply of local domestic labor.
How to find Au pair?
Au pair relationships can be formed in a variety of ways between host families and au pairs. Au pair agencies have always been based in a certain host city. These websites complement their search capabilities by giving a variety of information regarding au pair criteria in various countries, as well as user support for their registered users.
Users of such websites are charged to allow a complete interchange of personal contact information required to complete an au pair placement.
This method often provides prospective au pairs and host families with a broader range of options and more direct control over the selection process than is possible through a regular agency, and at a far cheaper cost than traditional agencies.
Using such services, however, requires a prospective host family or au pair to put in more personal effort in the search process, make their selection, and arrange the legalities of an au pair stay without the assistance of a third party.
Basic application criteria
Potential au pairs must be aged 18–26 (at the time of arrival) and have no criminal record.
Unless you are in a federally funded exchange program, sponsor organizations charge participants program fees. Fees vary from sponsor to sponsor based on the exchange category, the sponsor’s program, program duration, etc. Be sure to check with your sponsor to get a breakdown of all costs and fees.
Duties
Au pairs are typically expected to help with childcare and light housekeeping. They are not accountable for non-child-related housekeeping or common living areas that are kept clean by all family members. The basic responsibilities of an au pair are to care for and entertain the children, as well as to teach the local language if necessary.
An au pair’s responsibilities may include waking up the children, transporting them to and from school, assisting with schoolwork, and bringing the children on outings to parks, playgroups, and other activities.
Au pairs perform following tasks:
-
Washing up after children’s meals and preparing small meals for them
-
Making the children’s beds, doing the children’s laundry, and ironing their clothes
-
Tidying up the kids’ toys, cleaning the kids’ bathroom, and cleaning the kids’ room
-
An au pair is not required to: manage the entire household; make meals for the family dinner preparation for the parents
-
Make the beds and clean the bathrooms for the host parents.
-
Mop the floors
-
Windows should be cleaned
-
Look after the animals
-
Garden/supervise/look after other youngsters who aren’t the host children
The au pair’s responsibilities also include adhering to the host family’s house regulations. This includes adhering to the curfew, bedtime, and dress code, as well as computer and phone usage guidelines.
These regulations may be outlined in a handbook given to the au pair when she first arrives at the host home. Curfews and bedtimes are usually set based on when the au pair will start working the next day.
Rules and Regulations
The duties of the au pair also include following the house rules set by the host family. This includes abiding by the curfew, bedtime, and dress code, as well as following rules for computer and phone use.
These rules may be described in a household handbook, which is provided to the au pair when moving into the host family. The curfew and bedtime are typically assigned based on when the au pair will begin work the following morning.
How much does au pair cost?
| Au Pair | Extra ordinair | Edu care | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match Fee | $475 | $475 | $475 |
| Annual Program Fee | $9,275 | $10,350 | $8,300 |
| Minimum Weekly StipendPaid weekly | $195.75 | $250.00 | $146.81 |
The au pair minimum weekly stipend, room and board, education allowance, and other program elements are subject to change based on any revisions to Department of State regulations for the au pair program, or any other applicable laws or regulations. If this occurs, Au Pair in America will inform families.
Au Pairs from over 50 countries enter the United States on a 12-month visa. Upon successful completion of the first year, they have the option to extend their stay for 6, 9, or 12 months.
A limited number of these Year2 au pairs elect to extend their program duration with a different family. In these instances, host families pay the published match fee and the program fee is pro-rated pending the 6, 9, or 12 months extended stay.
Rights and regulations
As of April 2019, the host family is required to pay the au pair a minimum of NOK 5900 per month (pre-tax) as pocket money/salary. Since the au pair program is a cultural exchange program, the au pair also has the right to attend courses in Norwegian.
The host family must provide a minimum of NOK 8850 pre-tax for the au pair’s Norwegian lessons and study materials. The au pair’s additional rights include, among other things: freeboard and lodging; holiday pay by the Holidays Act; and one full day (24 hours) off per week.
The au pair is required to pay taxes. According to regulations [as of 2016], “the period of work shall normally not exceed five hours per day, and the maximum shall be 30 hours a week”.
If a host family fails to follow the regulations, they can lose the right to have an au pair for one, two, or five years, according to a rule introduced in July 2013. If the host family commits an offense punishable by three months in prison or more, the host family quarantine could last up to 10 years.
Summary
An au pair’s primary duties are taking care of the children and entertaining them. They are not responsible for housework that does not relate to the children’s or communal living areas.
A curfew and bedtime are typically assigned based on when the au pair will begin work the following morning. The au pair system has, in recent years, been a topic of dispute in the Norwegian public.
FAQ’S
People may have following questions.
1. What does au pair mean literally?
equal to
The title comes from the French term au pair, meaning “at par” or “equal to”, indicating that the relationship is intended to be one of the equals: the au pair is intended to become a member of the family, albeit a temporary one, rather than a traditional domestic worker.
2. Can an au pair be married?
Do NOT get Married –Yep! It seems that we have had a few au pairs fall in love while here in the states and they simply cannot get married and stay on the program. If an au pair does indeed get married she will be removed from the program and she will be on her own to get home and will be without insurance.
3. What is the age limit for an au pair?
Au pairs are between the ages of 18 and 26; they all speak at least conversational English, and they’ve all finished the equivalent of high school in their home country.
4. How long do au pairs stay?
How long can an au pair stay in the United States? Au pairs initially come to the U.S. on a 12-month J-1 au pair visa and can extend for an additional 6, 9, or 12-months, allowing a family to benefit from up to two years of live-in childcare from the same au pair.
5. How long does it take to match with an au pair?
Depending on your family’s needs and timing, it can take as little as a few days to find a match once you start the interviewing process. Our selection of qualified, pre-screened au pairs are ready to interview and new au pairs become available regularly. We’d be happy to speak with you about your needs and timing to help you find your ideal candidate.
6. What’s the best way to interview an au pair?
We are here to help guide you through the interview process so that you can find an au pair that you are excited about hosting who has the necessary skills to care for your children. Our Interview guide makes the process straightforward.
7. How do you screen au pairs?
We are very selective about who is accepted into our program. Every au pair completes an extensive application and undergoes a thorough background check and in-person interview. This information is available to families during the matching process.
8. Do all au pairs speak English?
Yes, to qualify for the program au pairs must speak conversational English. Inter Exchange verifies each applicant’s English abilities during the application process.
You will also have the opportunity to interview potential au pairs to make sure you are comfortable with their English abilities. You will be surprised at how quickly an au pair’s English improves once in the U.S.
10. Can au pairs care for infants?
Yes, many of our au pairs are qualified and enjoy caring for infants. Au pairs may not be the sole caregiver until the child is at least three months old.
11. Do you have au pairs who are qualified to care for children with special needs?
Yes, we do have au pairs who are experienced in caring for a variety of special needs situations. Please contact us to discuss your care needs and inquire about au pair availability.
12. Do you place male au pairs?
Yes, male au pairs are a great option for some families. Families choosing a male au pair often have boys and are looking for a big brother to join the family.
13. Do au pairs drive?
Most au pair applicants have a valid driver’s license. If an au pair is a driver, they will be required to obtain an international driver’s license before their arrival to the U.S. During your interview, you may ask the au pair about the extent of his or her driving experience.
If the au pair will be driving your car, be sure to contact your auto insurance company to add the au pair to your auto insurance policy. Additionally, many states require the au pair to obtain a license from the local DMV.
Conclusion
An au pair is a helper from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Au pairs take on a share of the family’s responsibility for childcare as well as some housework. The concept originated in Europe after World War II. An au pair is a domestic helper from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family.
Au pairs take on a share of the family’s responsibility for childcare as well as some housework. They receive an allowance and their room. The minimum weekly pay, lodging and board, education allowance, and other program aspects are subject to change based on any changes to Department of State requirements for au pairs.