The au pair program is a combination of childcare plus cultural exchange that offers your family a flexible, affordable childcare option. Your au pair lives with you as a member of your family for one year with the option to extend an additional 6 to 12 months.
Au pairs are 18 - 26 years old, can speak English, enjoy children and have previous childcare experience. They can assist your family with light household duties, such as preparing the children's meals, picking up after the children, doing their laundry, and cleaning their rooms. Au pairs can also take the kids to appointments, activities, and school as well as teach them about their culture and their language.
Au pairs work up to 45 hours per week, and up to 10 hours per day. They can do split shifts that will allow them to get the kids off to school in the morning, have off in the middle of the day, and back on when the children return home from school. Au pairs can also help out on 3 weekends per month and give the parents time to go out in the evenings.
In my opinion, au pairs are brave young women and men, who set off between the ages of 18 - 26 to live with another family, in another country, in another culture and watch their child/ren. What an adventure.
In general au pairs:
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are young women (though some agencies have male au pairs, in fact the International Au Pair of the Year for 2009 was a young man with a family in Richmond, Virginia) -
speak English (varying degrees) -
have International Driver's licenses (not all do, and experience will vary) -
have childcare experience (again this will vary) -
are here legally on a J1 Visa -
come from all around the World!
