WHAT IS AN AU PAIR? (mother's help, tutor)

An au pair provides cultural live-in childcare. It is a cost effective way for families to enjoy a more intelligent form of childcare and for the au pair to ‘live the language’ combining formal learning in a language school with practising their English skills in your family.

Many au pairs already have good English skills and help with homework, listen to children read and play games so that learning can be fun and educational for all.

In general they wish to improve their language skills either before they continue their studies or before they enter the job market. Some may consider a career in childcare or teaching.

Please scroll down for PRACTICAL GUIDE

Mostly, au pairs are young people who will stay with a host family as a temporary additional member of the family. The au pair will help look after your children and do housework in exchange for a comfortable room, pocket money, food & drink, the chance to learn English and to get a taste of the host family’s cultural and social life. We encourage host families to involve their au pair in family activities from shared meals to sports and days out. It is important that the au pair is given the opportunity to attend language classes.

Sometimes families look for help with an elderly relative or help with pets instead of, or as well as, help with the children.

PRACTICAL GUIDE TO AU PAIR HOSTING

If you are in need of help and able to welcome and accommodate an au pair into your household, you may benefit from the cultural childcare they can provide. An au pair should not have sole care for a child under the age of two.

To ensure you are introduced to au pairs most suitable to your family’s needs, you may want to consider the following.

Traditionally, according to immigration rules, an au pair should be single, age between 18 and 27. Au pairs can live up to two years as a member of the family and help in the home for up to 25 hours per week in exchange of an allowance (pocket money) and full board room accommodation.

However, within the EU, there are now NO upper age limits or restrictions and au pairs in more flexible variations have evolved in recent years.

To facilitate the most flexible au pair solution, our au pair agency can offer both candidates from the EU/EEA, who are highly flexible and able to travel at short notice and au pairs with visa requirements, who can often stay longer (usually 12-24 months) but the visa application usually takes a couple of weeks and they can only take up au pair positions (25 hrs). This is reflected in our pricing.

Au Pair (25-30 hours per week)

• Works 5 hours per day, 5 days per week
• Baby sits 2-3 evenings per week
• Receives 2 free days and 3 evenings off
• Recommended pay from £70 - 25 hrs
• No sole care for children under 2

Au Pair Plus (30-35 hours per week)

• Works 6 hours per day, 5 days per week
• Baby sits 2-3 evenings per week
• Receives 2 free days and 3 evenings off
• Recommended pay from £ 85  - 30 hrs
• No sole care for children under 2

Mother's Help* (35+ hours per week)

• Works up to 10 hours, 5 days per week
• Baby sits 2-3 evenings per week
• Receives at least 1 free day and 3 evenings off
• Weekly pay from £100 - 25 hours, from £120 - 35 hours, from £150 - 40 hours
  
• More responsibility, younger children and/or longer hours

Tutor** (25-30 hours per week)

• Works 5 hours per day, 5 days per week
• Baby sits 2-3 evenings per week
• Receives 2 free days and 3 evenings off
• Recommended pay from £100 - 25 hrs
• Real focus on educational support, school age children
  

*mother's helpers or tutors are not officially part of the au pair cultural exchange scheme. They are candidates who are willing and able to take on higher levels of responsibility, but not fully qualified like a nanny or teacher. Please read more information about mother's help or more information about tutor program.

We can help find candidates from the EU who are willing to work over 35 hours and/or offer more experience. Pay varies depending on age, experience and hours. Tax and NI contributions are payable as soon as pay is more than £115 per week. (£ 6,035 tax year 2008/09)  

WHAT EXPERIENCE CAN I EXPECT?

Many host families only require a genuine affection for children from their au pair. Practical experience is an advantage, even if it is only babysitting, as is an outgoing nature for coping and living with new people in a foreign country. We expect an au pair to be honest, mature and responsible.

Au pairs with extensive childcare experience are very popular. Some have a background in education or have been au pair before. Expect to pay more for experienced au pairs.

Consider if your family has specific needs. A family where sole care is required, especially with more than 2 children, very young children or a child with special needs will benefit from a person with experience, more like a mother's help. A family with teenage boys may consider a male au pair to connect with the boys through sports and hobbies and a young mum may wish to consider a mother's help to assist her.

Ensure your profile reflects your requirements.

An au pair is not a domestic help, nor a nanny. Help and enthusiasm is expected, experience is a bonus. They should not be expected to take charge of all household chores or all childcare.

EXPECTED DUTIES

Duties will vary by family, but most families expect the following to be part of the au pair’s duties. The balance of the au pair position should always be on childcare, rather than household duties.

• Wake the children in the morning and get them ready
• Help the children to tidy their rooms and make their beds
• Prepare breakfast and lunch for the children
• Clean up breakfast dishes
• Make sure children have books and homework for school
• Drive children to/from school (if needed)
• Tasks while children are at school: shopping, light housework
• Prepare a healthy afternoon snack
• Assist the children with their homework, initiate and supervise play
• Help the children with their bath routine and help get them ready for bed

We ask the host family to outline their expected duties in the profile. Prior to the arrival of the au pair it helps to prepare a detailed handbook, for which we provide a template. It outlines jobs and basic house rules so that expectations are clear and the au pair has a fair chance of not only meeting but exceeding your expectations.

Please scroll down for a list of unsuitable tasks (as outlined by BAPAA)

HOURS, COSTS AND POCKET MONEY

Pocket money varies depending on the number of hours and the level of experience of the au pair. For more detail, see our salary guide in the FAQ section.

In all cases, families should provide a comfortable room and full board for the au pair. Working hours should allow an au pair to study and attend structured classes. Two days per week should be free and suitable compensation should be agreed if extra work is required.

During school holidays you may ask your au pair to care for the children all day at extra pay.

Some families, especially in remote areas, will also contribute towards travel expenses. There are also families who are prepared to pay for, or contribute towards the cost of English lessons.

If you have broadband internet that they can use to keep in touch with home, it will minimise the risk of them being homesick.

An au pair pays for her/his own flight but should be collected from the airport.

It is very important to agree in advance what you expect from each other.

WHAT ABOUT FREE TIME?

An au pair should have 2 days off per week and at least 3 evenings per week of free time (2 evening babysitting are included). At least one full weekend per month should be given. An au pair should have 2 weeks per year paid holiday, one week for every 6 months.

List of duties considered unsuitable for an au pair

Gardening
Window cleaning
Spring cleaning
Cleaning the oven, other than simple wiping out
Washing carpets
Washing the car
Weekly shopping
Pet training
Clearing up after untrained pets
Making parents bed*
Ironing for parents *
Cleaning parents’ en-suite bathroom*
Polishing silver and brassware*
Cooking the family meal, unless the au pair enjoys cooking and has chosen to do this for the family

*these duties can be included where there is less childcare and the children are out of the house for most of the day.

Au pairs should not be required to do housework such as ironing, when looking after children of primary school age or toddlers

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