Work as an Au Pair in America

From caring for Californians, to telling tall tales to Texans, each au pair placement is personally matched and suited to your own personality and lifestyle, as well as to those of your new host family. Becoming a fully fledged international member of your new family, you’ll work and live together for a year, and in return for up to 45 hours a week of childcare you’ll have all your accommodation and meals provided.

With the chance to extend your stay if things go well (or if you can’t bear to tear yourself away from the kids you’re looking out for), during your placement you’ll receive a weekly allowance of $195.75 to spend as you wish (thats around $10,000 for the full year!), and have 2 weeks (11 days) of holiday time. Between the end of your placement (and before your visa expires) you’ll also have a 30 day space in which to travel around the US and do a little sightseeing.

Round trip flights are included as a part of this trip, and will be booked once your visa application has been approved. Flights are arranged into New York in order for you to attend an initial five day orientation. Domestic travel costs after this to your placement family location are also included. Should you need to leave your programme and fly home early however, your return flights would not be included.

Who Can Be An Au Pair?

If you have a want and love to work with kids, have 200 hours of documented childcare experience, are aged between 18 and 26, are fluent in English, have passed your secondary school exams, are able to drive, can swim, are a non-smoker, and are willing to dedicate 12 months or more to the programme, then this could be the perfect stateside trip for you!

Please note you must never have participated in an Au Pair program in the United States before, must never have been married, must have no children, and should never have been treated for mental illness or convicted of a criminal offence. You may be unable to participate if you have ever been denied a visa to the United States. Neither you, nor your parents should hold US citizenship.

What Does An Au Pair Do?

Your role, jobs and duties during your placement will largely consist of childcare and light housework tasks, such as preparing a few meals, doing laundry, putting the children to bed, driving them to activities, helping them out with homework, joining in with play activities, and helping the kids tidy their rooms! You'll be expected to work for no more than 45 hours a week, or no more than 10 hours a day, and won’t be expected to do general housework or chores unrelated to the children. As a member of the family however, you should expect to help out alongside everyone else!

Where Do US Au Pairs Live?

Whether you’re keeping kids calm in Kentucky or Kansas, or want to nurture nippers in New York or Nebraska, host families are scatted in nationwide locations. Specific matches cannot necessarily be guaranteed, though can be attempted (though your applications may take slightly longer).

New York Orientation

Before you begin your year long placement, you’ll need to attend a five day welcome and programme training orientation in New York City. Your inclusive flights will be initially booked for a New York arrival, and you’ll have four nights accommodation in a New York hotel included. Dinner costs, airport transfers and any other incidental costs are not included however, so you’ll need to bring some spending money to cover these costs. Breakfasts and lunches will be provided for you during your orientation and training sessions. During your orientation you’ll learn everything you need to know about your placement, be able to ask any questions you might have, and having plenty of time to get out and explore the Big Apple! If you need onwards airfare to reach your placement location, your flight tickets will be given to you during this orientation (domestic travel to your host family’s home is included, and will have been paid for by your hosts).

Finding You a Family

After you are accepted you will be matched to your ideal host family. If you’d prefer to work in a certain place, you will be able to make location requests as families are located across the states and around most major cities, but bear in mind that specific matching’s may slow down your applications process. Though there are families scattered across the states, placements are most widely available on the east and west coasts. Family dynamics are also widely varied, with different circumstances, numbers of kids, and parent relationships changing depending on individual placements. You will receive an email containing your family’s information (names, locations, and details on the children you’ll be working with) once you’ve been matched up, and of course can state your preferences for your position. Some families like to call their new au pair after you’ve both been matched, so don’t be surprised if you get a call from your family during the space of these first few days!

All host families are either US citizens or legal permanent residents, are fluent in spoken English, will be welcoming, and will be able to provide you with your own private bedroom during your stay.

Educational Allowance

During your placement you’ll be required to take 6 credit hours of college level classes, and will receive a $500 allowance towards this from your host family. Usually made up of two classes (as classes tend to be worth 3 credits apiece), your classes will be at an approved educational institution. If this allowance isn’t enough for the courses you’d like to take, you’ll need to make up any additional costs yourself. Courses can be taken in pretty any subject and tend to vary depending on location so don’t worry; from art, cookery or music classes to skiing, you’ll have a wide selection to choose from!

Monthly Cluster Meetings

A chance for you to catch up with other au pairs in your area and a local co-ordinator, once a month (and these are compulsory) you’ll attend a meeting with your local au pair ‘cluster’. Giving you the chance to raise any issues or questions you might have, cluster meetings offer great in-country support, and give you a chance to socialise and compare experiences with other foreign au pairs who are going through the same things as you!

Steering away from the ‘mothers meeting’ approach (you’ll probably have had enough of that!), cluster meetings tend to be  fun social events and outings, and are a great way for you to explore your local area in more depth. Typical meeting activities include holiday parties (Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving etc.), sporting events, trips to local museums and attractions, theatre trips and more. More serious cluster activities include meetings about child development, safety, and career counselling sessions.