FAQs

What sort of responsibilities am I expected to take on as an au pair?
Your main responsibility is taking care of the children. A typical day would involve getting the kids up and dressed in the morning, preparing breakfast, taking them to school and after school activities, helping with homework, preparing their meals, doing their laundry and having fun, fun, fun with them.

What hours does the average au pair work and would I get much time to myself?
Au pairs work no more than 10 hours a day and 45 hours a week. Each au pair's schedule is different depending on the family they are placed with and the ages of the children. If the kids are school aged, then you would more than likely start your day around 6.30am to get them up in the morning and off to school. During this time au pairs are generally off duty until the kids get out of school 3pm. Generally an au pair's day ends around 6pm or 7pm when the parents are home from work.

Do you spend all of your time with the children or do you get a chance to meet new people?
Meeting new people and making friends from around the world is one of the main reasons why applicants take part in our programme. We get you involved with other au pairs as soon as you arrive in the US. Your first four days in the US will be shared with a group of international au pairs that arrived on the same day as you. You will be collected from the airport and taken to our orientation hotel where you will all attend four days of orientation outside New York City.

Once you are with your host family, your Community Counsellor - who ensures that both you and the family are having a good year together - arranges monthly meetings and social events for all the au pairs in the area. So, the answer is a resounding yes! You will get to meet lots of other people.

Do you need experience working with children to become an au pair?
All the au pairs must have at least 200 hours of childcare experience gained within the past three years. We are unable to accept applications with less childcare experience. Childcare experience that counts towards the 200 hours include babysitting, working at a day nursery, teaching sports or a musical instrument. We also require all our applicants to hold a full driving license, have completed secondary school education and are able to commit to one year in the US.

You get to study whilst working as an au pair - is this optional or compulsory?
Au pairs receive up to $500 study allowance from their host family to use towards a course of their choice. It is a visa requirement that all au pairs have to complete about 80 hours of study during the year and the host family provides the funds to do so - an added bonus really and a great addition to your CV.

What about the travel aspect of working as an au pair - do you get to travel much?
The month of independent travel is optional but most au pairs make use of this added bonus. They either travel independently or with a group of friends after completion of their programme. We find thta all au pairs want to travel! The J-1 visa is issued for 13 months and so au pairs are encouraged to take this after completion of the 12 months with their host family.

What training do you have prior to starting work as an au pair?
Au pairs attend a four day orientation in Connecticut, near New York City upon their arrival in the US. During orientation au pairs take part in training sessions on childcare issues and learn what to expect from the year. There’s also time to relax and enjoy some sightseeing in the Big Apple!

How is it decided which family an au pair will be placed with - does the au pair get a say?
As anyone who has been an au pair will tell you, a happy and successful year depends much more on being with the right family than where they happen to live. This is why we introduce you to the most suitable families in any one of 165 cluster areas across 35 states. The final decision regarding the family who they will be placed with is completely up to the au pair.

Do all au pairs live with the family?
All our placements are live-in and we do not offer any live-out placements. The Au Pair in America programme is a cultural exchange programme made possible by the fact that au pairs live with the family as part of the family and experience the American culture first hand.

Is au pair work only for females?
We have very few, if any, placement available for male au pairs and we do find it near impossible to place male applicants. However, there are some out there so males can work as au pairs.

How does au pair work differ from babysitting?
The role of an au pair is not only to take care of the children, but to get totally involved with the family, the country and the culture. The word au pair means ‘equal’ and this is exactly how an au pair views herself and is treated by the host family - as an equal part of the family. Au pairs are usually international young woman interested in cultural exchange and experiencing life within the family home.

What happens should the au pair now get on with the family she is placed with?
We are with you every step of the way! During extreme situations we will transfer you to another family. Transfers do not normally happen in the first or last months of a placement, but we do want to ensure that both you and the host family are having a great year together.

What does a family get out of having an au pair?
There are many different reasons why families host an au pair but the most important reason has to be because they get reliable childcare. Our families know that all our au pairs are well interviewed, well qualified and trained to care for their children. Our families appreciate cultural exchange and welcome the idea of someone from another country coming into their home.

What are the living arrangements like for an au pair - did they get their own bedroom and bathroom?
You must remember that au pairs become a part of the family and will share the host family home as a family member. All au pairs have their own room and most have their own bathroom. Sometimes the au pair has to share the bathroom with the family if the house does not allow for an extra guest bathroom. That's all part of the fun though!

How important is it that an au pair can drive?
Driving will be a very big part of your responsibility as an au pair and the reason why all our applicants have to have a full licence. The family will have a car available for you to use if you do not have a car of your own.

Can you match au pairs to a certain area of the US if that is where they want to be based?
A happy and successful year depends much more on being with the right family than where they happen to live. That’s why we always encourage au pairs to choose the family rather than the area. There is unfortunately no guarantee that we can place you in a specific area, but we will try our best.

How much is an au pair expected to be responsible for educating the child in their care?
Families realise that au pairs are not qualified or trained to formally educate their children. The au pair contributes towards the development and education of a child but is not responsible for sole education.

What are the main pros of working as an au pair?

- Being able to spend up to two years in the US.
- Having the opportunity to study at a US college or University.
- Being able to work legally for up to two years.
- Living in a family environment and being treated as a member of a family.
- Experience US life in the local community.
- Two weeks paid vacation and lots, lots more!

Do you meet the family before you are expected to work for them as an au pair?
It is just as important for the family to communicate with you as it is for you to communicate with them. They will contact you via telephone and it will be just as much an interview for you as it is for them. You will both have the opportunity to ask as many questions and get to know each other before your make the final decision.

What are the age limits for working as an au pair?
All our applicants have to be 18 when they arrive in the US. We accept 18 - 26 year olds and the average age of the au pairs on our programme is 22 years.



Name: Au Pair in America
Address: 37 Queen's Gate, London SW7 5HR





Tel: 0845 344 7566