Au pairs in the United States of America

Educare

Host Families and Agencies

Thousands of American families and foreign nationals have participated in the Au Pair Program. Most have found it to be a rewarding experience, but it is important to fully understand the program before deciding to participate. This brochure explains the program and answers some frequently asked questions. The Au Pair Program was established in 1986 as an educational and cultural exchange with a strong child care component. Program participants enter the United States for up to 12 months to care for the children of the American family in whose home they will live.

At the same time, the au pairs are required to complete an educational component of six semester hours of academic credit or its equivalent. At the end of one year, au pairs return to their home country. "Au pair" is French for "on par," reminding host families that, although an employee, their international visitor is to be treated as a member of the family.
The rules are clear: au pairs are provided a private bedroom, meals, remuneration tied to the minimum wage, one and one-half days off weekly plus a full weekend off each month, two weeks´ paid vacation, and the first $500 toward the costs of required course work to be completed at an accredited institution of higher education in order to satisfy the requirements of the educational component of the program. Au pairs are not to work more than 10 hours a day/45 hours a week. They are not to serve as general housekeepers or assume responsibility for household management.

In August 2001 the regulations governing the Au Pair Program were amended to create a sub-category called EduCare. This component is specifically designed for families with school-aged children requiring limited childcare assistance.
Au pairs participating in the EduCare component may not be placed with families having preschool aged children unless alternative arrangements are in place for these children. EduCare participants are not to work more than 10 hours a day/30 hours a week. They must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours of academic credit, or its equivalent, during their program. Host families provide the first $1000 to the au pair toward the cost of the educational component. All au pair participants are paid in accordance with the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. As a matter of administrative convenience for both the Department-designated sponsors and participating host families, EduCare participants receive 75 percent of the predetermined weekly wage that is required for au pair participants. If these rules cause you any concern, you may wish to reconsider participating in the Au Pair Program.

There are other considerations as well. Are you willing to communicate your expectations at the beginning of your program? When occasional problems arise, one mistake that host families and au pairs make is to hope that conditions will improve and problems will correct themselves. As you consider whether the Au Pair Program is right for you, host families should think about how they will adjust to having an international visitor in their home. Au pairs should think about how they will adjust to living with a new family in a different country. For each, the values and cultural perspectives of the other may be vastly different. The following questions and answers might help you to make that decision.

Jobs & AuPair | Au Pair Vermittler, Aupair Agenturen | Eltern, Familie, Erziehung | Gastelternforum | ReiseTops