Yes, some au pairs drive. In my experience 90 % come over with International Driver's Licenses. However, the process to get these licenses vary greatly from country to country. Based on the hundreds of au pairs I've worked with over the years:
25% I would put in my car the day they arrive in the US,
25% I would ride with for a week to make sure they understood the local signs and area;
25% I would work with for a month or two before they drove my car alone; and the last
25% I would never put in my car.
If you need a driver, the trick is to figure out what group your au pair is in.
Some countries have very rigorous training to get a license like Germany. If they have driven the autobahn there probably isn't many places in the US they couldn't drive. Other countries or in rural areas, even though the au pair may drive daily, it could be on a one lane village road and it may take months for the au pair to feel comfortable on a beltway.
Au pairs with race car in VA Beach!
When you interview the au pair; ask specific questions about driving if it is important to your family. Do you drive daily, weekly, monthly? Whose car? Are you going to school, work, or shopping every once in a while? How many lanes are on the road? What kind of weather conditions do you drive in? Be realistic, if they are in Ecuador they will probably not have experience driving in the snow.
Most US Citizen's understand that our driver's license process differs from state to state; so it is hard for me to go through the process for all 50 States on what your au pair should do when she arrives. Just know that she should be getting a US license from the state where she resides with you. Check with your local representative to find out what her process will be and how you can help her.
One last thing, insurance. You need to add her to your car insurance if she will be driving your vehicles. In my experience this is a very easy phone call to your agent. I just explain I have a new au pair, how long she has been licensed (in her country), and that she will be occasionally driving my car. My rates have varied over the years, but never gone up more than $25 per month for them to be added to an existing policy. The rates do vary by the age of the au pair, so check with your agent if you think it might be an issue.
Personally I highly recommend letting an au pair drive, even if it is just for personal reasons. There is nothing worse than an au pair who is stuck at your home with no way to get out and see friends or local attractions. Even if you share a vehicle, which is what I have always done, they can use the car in the evenings if they are off and you're not using it. This way they don't feel so trapped, and you don't feel like a driving service.
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