Superaupairs.com: Frequently asked questions: What is Au pair?

What is Au pair?

An Au pair is a single girl who helps a host family with childcare and/or housework while staying as a guest with a host family and generally receiving a small allowance. In many cases, the Au pair is from another country and has aimed to learn a foreign language or culture during her stay. Boys are also allowed to be Aupairs but not many families are interested in hosting them.

Who can be an Aupair?

Any single girl or boy can qualify to be an Aupair within the required age limit. Each country has its own regulations on the age for aupairs. Please check on the link for host countries to see the requirements for aupairs in each particular country.

What are the duties and responsibilities of an Aupair?

As an Au pair, you will be required to help your host family with taking care of children and assist in light household work. You will need to help the children with feeding, bathing, preparing them for school, taking them to school and the little ones to kindergarten, picking them from school, preparing meals, playing with them, helping them with homework and all other child related activities. You will be asked to help with baby sitting on some occasions. You will also help the family with light housework like cleaning, washing, ironing and taking care of pets.

How many hours will the aupair be required to work?

The AuPair is required to work maximum 30 hours weekly, usually 5-6 hours per day. If the AuPair works extra hours, the host family is obliged to give her/him more spare time as a compensation, or to pay extra allowance. The host family may require the AuPair to baby-sit the children up to 2 evenings per week.

Will the Au pair attend a Language Course?

AuPair is a cultural exchange program and the aupair is not only expected to improve childcare skills, but also language of the host country. Your host family will find you suitable language college in or near their town/city. The classes will be appropriate to your engagements and you will have enough time for self-training and doing your homework at home. Attending this course is the best opportunity for you perfect your spoken language skills and your writing ones as well. This will be useful to your future life and career.
The host family will pay your transport to and from the college/school, but you are supposed to pay the fee for the course itself. In some cases, the host family may decide to pay for your language course but this is not obligatory.
The ability to speak a basic language of your host country is a specific requirement for visa issue for the host country, so you may be requested to present a language certificate from the college in your country when applying for aupair visa.

How much pocket money will the Aupair earn?

The AuPair will be given pocket money while she lives with the host family. The Aupair program guidelines allow Aupairs to be paid 260 Euro per month for the Western Europe and the UK, or $ 139 per week for the USA. Please check on the Salaries link to get the idea of how much allowance to expect from a host family in various countries.

Your contract is simply an agreement with the host family and you will not receive any bills for your pocket money. Some families can pay more depending on the kind of work and responsibilities assigned to the au pair (Au pair Plus)

How will the Au pair be accommodated?

The host family will give a detached room in which the Aupair will live comfortably. Usually the rooms are furnished with a desk, where you can do your homework for the language course. It may also have other additional facilities. Your room will be located closely to the one of the children so that you may supervise them. In most of the cases you and the children have to share a bathroom.

Who pays for the Aupair transport?

The host family will pay the Aupair transport expenses to and from the language school/college. Some families give the AuPairs their family cars . AuPair is responsible for paying travel expenses from his/her native country to the host country as well as every personal travel during the stay. In some cases the family might pay the traveling to the AuPair’s home country but this is not obligatory.

Who will be responsible for Aupair’s insurance needs?

The host family will be responsible for the whole sum of the Aupair’s health and accident insurance during the stay in the country. You have to be in good physical and psychical health when you arrive – this has to be certified by your personal doctor in a Medical Report.

Is the Aupair entitled to a holiday?

The AuPair is entitled to 2 weeks full paid annual holiday after completing the first 6 months from placement. As an Aupair you may decide to visit your friends, or you may even go back to your country to see your family. It is possible for the host family to invite you to accompany them on their holiday and this will be your 2 week paid annual holiday.

Will the Aupair need a visa for the host country?

Most countries will require the aupair to have a visa. Member states of the EU do not require a visa for Aupairs to travel within them. Information about visas are provided on the link to host countries on this site. You can also find out more information by making an enquiry from the consular office or embassy of the host country.

What happens if there are problems of Aupair integrating into the family?

Most often the Aupair will see a culture rather different from his/ her own and it is important to be open-minded and curious to learn new things. Some customs and traditions may seem abit strange but this will help the Aupair to enrich his/her view of life. No one expects the Au pair to like and esteem everything they come across but the host family and the Aupair are expected to respect each other’s culture. If there are problems our partner who is the mediating agency will help both the Aupair and the host family to integrate. The partner agency will change family for the Aupair if still there are problems. Our office is open all weekdays from Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 5.00pm incase you need to contact us for whatever reason.