What is an Au Pair?
So, what is an Au Pair? An Au Pair is a young adult, between the ages of 18 and 30, from another country that lives with a host family for a set period. The Au Pair is considered as a full family member during their entire stay and helps with childcare and household tasks.
The main purpose of the Au Pair’s placement is a cultural exchange, which gives the Au Pair an opportunity to improve their language skills and experience another culture. Au Pairs work up to 40 hours per week (this varies from country to country) and in exchange are given free accommodation, meals and pocket money. That’s why aupairing is a perfect option for the adventurous, young person who wants to see and experience another culture while having a home away from home.
Modern families face challenges that didn’t exist a generation ago. A good Au Pair brings value and will make parenthood a little easier by providing your family with quality, live-in, affordable, flexible childcare. As a result, it’s a “win win” situation between the Au Pair and Host family.
Daily responsibilities
Now of course every family is different with different needs and tasks for the Au Pair depending on the age of their children, living situation, etc. But a general rule of thumb for Au Pair responsibilities include:
Because Au Pairs provide live-in childcare, they offer greater flexibility, and care for your children at times that accommodate your family’s schedule. The number of hours worked and amount of pocket money paid is different in each host country. See the Host Countries page for more information on each host country.
See also: What is a Demi Pair?
