Affordable Cultural Childcare  •  You Choose your Au Pair  •  Local Community Support
U.S. Government Approved  •  Legal J-1 Visa


What is an "Au Pair"?

An au pair is a young woman or man between the ages of 18-26 from another country, who has a genuine love for children and is willing to share their culture with your family. They have practical and verified childcare experience, have secondary education experience, speak English and possess a driver's license.

Au pairs are enthusiastic and mature with a natural desire to travel abroad to learn about other cultures and share their own. You have the flexibility to set the au pair�s schedule as your pair will be living with your family. We have a wide selection of au pairs from different countries. As the host family, you are able to select an au pair based on your family�s needs; language, age, and gender are up to you to decide.


About AGENT AU PAIR

The Department of State established the au pair program in 1986 as an educational and cultural exchange with a strong child care component. The U.S. government designates certain sponsors to carry out the daily operations of the program and Agent Au Pair is U.S. State Department approved as one of the few designated sponsor organizations.

Agent Au Pair currently provides au pairs from over 40 countries in Europe, Asia and South America who are chosen for their passion to take a year off to satisfy their desire for an overseas experience and care for children.

Agent Au Pair directors have over 2 decades of combined experience in the cultural exchange field and possess a passion for fostering better relationships between foreign exchange visitors and Americans in an effort to promote international cultural understanding and tolerance.


What is the difference between an "Au Pair" and a "Nanny"?

The International Nanny Association defines a NANNY as an individual "employed by a family on either a live-in or live-out basis to undertake all tasks related to the care of children. Duties are generally restricted to childcare and the domestic tasks related to childcare. Nanny's work week ranges from 40 to 60 hours per week. Usually works unsupervised." Nannies vary in age and experience. There has been a marked increase in the last decades in the numbers of professional nannies, nannies who are in the field as a career, not as a temporary stop gap while they decide on college, other work, etc.

An AU PAIR is a young (age 18 - 26) foreign student on a cultural exchange program entering this country on a J-1 visa and residing with a HOST FAMILY. An au pair works no more than 45 hours a week, is required to enroll in an approved course of study and her stay in the USA is generally limited to one year. A small portion of au pairs are classified as elite au pairs and qualify for a two year visa. The visas are non-renewable. The stated purpose of the au pair program is one of cultural exchange. An au pair cannot have sole charge of a child under 3 months of age.


About Cultural Exchange

The time-honored tradition in Europe of an au pair is to allow a young person from another country into your home to learn about your country and language while at the same time provide child care for your family and exchange cultural experiences. This tradition is still very much alive today in the U.S. Agent Au Pair provides the opportunity of a cultural exchange between your family and an au pair.

An au pair is considered part of your family and viewed as an older sister or brother, thereby making a natural pair of "extra hands" in the household to change diapers, read stories to the kids, drive them to extracurricular activities, prepare meals or provide guidance after school.

Au pairs are between the ages of 18-26, have a genuine love for children and are willing to share their culture with your family. They have practical and verified childcare experience, speak English and possess a driver's license. These young people are enthusiastic and mature with a natural desire to travel abroad to learn about other cultures and share their own.

Your children will acquire cultural awareness and gain knowledge about age-old traditions, historical customs and international cuisine throughout this unique year-long cultural program. They will be exposed to a foreign language that will aid in enhancing their perspective about the world. The cost to host families is about $290 per week.

Agent Au Pair recruits and screens the highest caliber au pairs from popular European countries, as well as some Asian and South American countries, who are chosen for their passion to take a year off to satisfy their desire for an overseas experience. These mature, enthusiastic young people must demonstrate a genuine desire to care for children and possess the appropriate level of childcare experience. They are eager to share their language and culture while learning about the American way of life.

All au pairs speak English to an acceptable standard and engage in a multi-tiered screening process by a skilled interviewer whose name appears on the Evaluation Report so host families may call the interviewer to acquire more knowledge of the au pair if they wish.

Because Agent Au Pair is an official United States government designated exchange visitor program sponsor, all host families can be assured that their au pair will arrive with the proper legal documentation by means of securing a J-1 visa before arrival in the United States.


Quality of Life

Having a live-in au pair from Europe generously improves your quality of life. It allows for a dedicated live-in companion with whom your child can bond and build a strong personal relationship. It affords older children the opportunity to participate in more after school activities because the au pair can drive them to their various Cub Scout meetings, soccer practice or sporting events. The host parents will have more quality time with the children because the au pair can clean the children's rooms, do their laundry, and make the children's meals.

Having an au pair offers more flexibility knowing there will always be someone home in case of last-minute plans or sickness. Since the au pair lives in the home, the host parents have freedom to go out in the evening knowing that childcare is already arranged. Leaving your children in the care of the au pair becomes natural for your children and minimizes any worries that you have about their caregiver.

For about $320 per week, an au pair can legally reside in your home for one year through a J-1 visa sponsored by Agent Au Pair. All of the legal documentation is processed by the agency before the au pair reaches your home. All au pairs are covered under an exchange visitor health insurance plan and possess a driver's license.

The host family must provide up to an additional amount of $500 to satisfy the educational component of the exchange program. The U.S. Department of State's educational requirement states that au pair participants are enrolled in an accredited post-secondary institution for not less than six hours of academic credit or its equivalent.

The host family must have interviewed their prospective au pair by telephone at least once before inviting him/her into their home.

The host family must provide up to an additional amount of $500 to satisfy the educational component of the exchange program. The U.S. Department of State's educational requirement states that au pair participants are enrolled in an accredited post-secondary institution for not less than six hours of academic credit or its equivalent.

The host family must have interviewed their prospective au pair by telephone at least once before inviting him/her into their home.


Au Pair Screening

Agent Au Pair maintains the highest standards when interviewing and screening au pairs. Our educated and highly trained staff in our overseas offices conduct specially designed recruiting and screening techniques that enhance the ability to select the best au pairs in the region. Their local residence allows them to screen the au pair by not only an in-person interview but also by checking local references, verifying a police clearance, and administering a psycho-metric test designed to measure characteristics considered most important to be successful on the program. Because of our rigorous selection process, families can be assured that their children are in the most capable hands.

An au pair must meet the following qualifications to participate in the program:

  • Be between the ages of 18-26
  • Have graduated from secondary school or equivalent
  • Have appropriate local, verifiable childcare experience
  • Be physically and mentally healthy as evidenced by a signed physician's report
  • Be personally interviewed in English by an authorized Agent Au Pair representative to evaluate motivation, enthusiasm and maturity
  • Possess a driver's license
  • Have successfully passed a background investigation that includes verification of school, three non-family references, a criminal background check and a personality profile
  • Au Pair Training

Your family can be confident your children are in the safest hands. Upon arrival in the U.S., each au pair attends a five-day training program at the Agent Au Pair Academy in San Francisco. The program covers child development instruction and safety training.

The child development instruction is taught by professional early childhood educators and covers: age-appropriate activities where the au pair gains creative ideas for learning; techniques for implementing games for mental stimulation and building self-esteem; and skills for providing a solid foundation for social, emotional and physical aspects of development. The classes include various means of interactive training, such as role-playing, videos, group discussions, workbooks and handouts.

The child safety instruction is taught by certified American Red Cross staff and covers topics required to pass CPR certification.

The materials are available to take home in the form of an Au Pair Handbook to be used as a reference during the au pair's 12-month stay.


U.S. Government Approved

The Department of State established the au pair program in 1986 as an educational and cultural exchange with a strong childcare component. Au pairs are provided a private bedroom, meals and remuneration tied to the minimum wage. They also receive one and a half days off per week, a full weekend off each month, two weeks paid vacation and up to $500 toward attending an institution of higher education. An au pair can work up to 10 hours a day/45 hours a week. The U.S. government designates certain sponsors to carry out the daily operations of the program and Agent Au Pair has been approved as one of these designated sponsor organizations.

The rules state that an au pair can perform childcare-related work, such as doing the children's laundry, preparing their meals, straightening their rooms, helping with homework or walking/driving them to school or appointments. Duties also include supervising playing times and passive duties such as being home during sleep time. It is important to note, that the au pair is there to assist with childcare and not perform heavy housework. Thousands of families have participated in the program and the high rate of repeat families underscores the success of the overall program.

If you have a child or children with special needs, please indicate so on the host family application and Agent Au Pair will accommodate you accordingly.

Program regulations do not permit au pairs to be placed with families having an infant less than three months old unless a parent or other responsible adult is present. A responsible adult must remain in the home for the first 72 hours following the au pair's arrival.


Host Family Responsibilities

Deciding to become a host family can enrich your family's life by becoming familiar with other cultures while sharing your own. Single parents are also welcome to participate in the program. To qualify, host families must:

  • Be U.S. citizens or permanent residents
  • Speak primarily English in the home
  • Agree to comply with U.S. Department of State regulations concerning the Au Pair Program
  • Treat the au pair as a family member and include in family meals and outings
  • Agree to honor the Host Family Agreement
  • Pay $195.75 to the au pair each week
  • Provide a private bedroom for the au pair
  • Agree to facilitate an open line of communication with the local community counselor
  • Ensure the enrollment and attendance of au pair at a U.S. post-secondary educational institution for six semester hours of academic coursework or its equivalent
  • Agree to give the au pair 1� days off per week, at least one full weekend off each month and two weeks paid vacation per year at a mutually agreeable time
  • Agree that the au pair does not work more than 45 hours per week/ 10 hours per day
  • The host family must interview the au pair by telephone at least once prior to placing with the au pair and prior to the au pair leaving his/her home country.
  • The host family must attend at least one family day conference sponsored by Agent Au Pair during the placement year. Host family attendance is a condition of the program and failure to attend will be grounds for possible termination of future program participation.


On-Going Support

For every participant in Agent Au Pair there is a local community counselor who lives in the community and provides ongoing support to assist you with your new placement, answer questions and give program advise during the initial settlement period and throughout the year. You can also count on support from the regional staff and a 24-hour emergency number.

Host families are comfortable knowing that the local community counselor will conduct an orientation for all newly-arrived au pairs in the region, which includes location of recreational areas, community centers and educational institutions where the au pair might satisfy the post-secondary education component of the program. The local community counselor will host monthly events for the au pairs � such as visiting a museum, attending a parade, or a local cultural event � in which the au pairs can form a support group and meet friends.

Local community counselors are experienced representatives who are trained to mediate and support the relationship between the family and au pair and provide expert guidance and advice to make your year a success. Your family can be assured that if necessary, a replacement au pair is an option.


Application Process

Submit:
  • 1 Host Family Application
  • 1 Personal Reference
  • 1 Employment Reference
  • Application Fee: $300.00 ($150 non-refundable)
     SPECIAL OFFER: $99 APPLICATION FEE THROUGH MAY 28
Download the Agent Au Pair Application Forms here


Costs

Au Pair Weekly Stipend
$195.75 per week (effective July 24, 2009)
The au pair weekly stipend is subject to change based on the federal minimum wage.
Domestic Airfare
The domestic transportation from the Au Pair School in San Francisco to the home is paid for by the host family.

Educational Component: Up to $500 per year
(Mandated by the U.S. Department of State Regulations)

Program Fee: $6,475.00
    includes...

  • international airfare for your au pair
  • recruiting
  • screening and preparation of the au pair in the home country
  • health insurance for your au pair
  • 32-hours of training at the "Au Pair School" in San Francisco
  • documents to obtain the J-1 Visa
  • host family and au pair orientation
  • au pair monthly meetings
  • year-long program support
  • Agent Au Pair's commitment of a one-year program
Program Fee Payment Options:
Payment Schedule
 Payment Type  Due Date  Amount
Matching Fee Upon Confirmed Match $3,525.00
Arrival Fee 21 days before au pair's arrival $2,950.00
   TOTAL PAYMENT $6,475.00

 

Extended Payment Plan
Payment Type
 Due Date  Amount
Matching Fee* Upon Confirmed Match $2,550.00
Payment 1 Due upon arrival $695.00
Payment 2 Due one month after arrival $695.00
Payments 3 - 6 Due ea. month for 4 months $695.00 (X 4)

   TOTAL PAYMENT

$6,720.00
                      * (includes processing fee of $245)
Program Extension Fees: (if applicable)
Extension fees are a percentage of the program fee based on the number of months applicable (the program allows for 6, 9 or 12 month extensions).

Extension fees cover: Legal extension of the J-1 exchange visitor program eligibility; au pair health insurance; program administration; and local representative support. Please inquire for more information about the Extension Fees.






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