Top Reasons Why You Should Host an Au Pair

Parents face dozens of difficult choices each day. Choosing quality child care shouldn’t be one of them. Welcoming an au pair into your home as part of your child care team means flexibility, affordability, and the benefits of cultural exchange.

Here are the top reasons why your family should get an au pair:

1. Au Pair Live-in Care is Flexible!

Hosting means your family can have up to 45 hours each week of customizable child care assistance. This means child care to fit your busy schedule. No more worrying about getting the kids out the door to day care or waiting on a babysitter with car trouble. When you get an au pair, your child care provider lives with you and is ready when you are.

2. Child-Related Duties (and Driving Help!)

In addition to child care assistance, your au pair can also help out with other duties related to your children – including laundry, meal prep, and tidying up. Got extracurriculars? Driving your children to and from school, soccer practice, music lessons is no problem… they can be taken everywhere and anywhere they need to go!

3. Thorough Screening

When you get an au pair, much of the legwork of finding and screening candidates is done for you. For instance, Au Pair in America has an extensive three-tiered screening process through both overseas and domestic offices. This screening process includes a personal interview, reference checks, medical reports, English-language assessment, personality assessment, and a criminal background check.

4. Easy Selection & Search

Moving forward with this type of child care assistance, particularly with Au Pair in America, means you’ll have a huge pool of qualified candidates to choose from. You’ll have access to a large online database, as well as the support of a dedicated Placement Coordinator – an expert in searching, interviewing, and matching.

5. Training

Before arriving to their host family, au pairs also attend an orientation program to ensure they’re prepared to provide care for their host children.

Au Pair in America’s Orientation Program provides a mandatory training course, focused on preparing them to take on the important role of providing intercultural child care assistance in the United States. This Orientation program uses a blended learning method, combining readings, videos, quizzes, and live training sessions, as well as a Red Cross course — all focused on keeping children safe.

6. Regulated By the US Department of State to Ensure Safety and Support

Quality au pair agencies provide support at the national and local level, putting your worries at ease. We take this very seriously! Locally, our team of Community Counselors is there to help you throughout your exchange year. In addition to meeting with you at the beginning stages, supporting you throughout the placement process, and conducting your orientation, your Community Counselor will contact you within 48 hours of their arrival, conduct an evaluation session within the first two weeks of her arrival and maintain monthly contact. 24/7 assistance is also available through Au Pair in America’s emergency hotline.

7. Insurance is Covered!

Part of your program fee goes to the au pair’s medical and liability insurance. Au Pair in America is proud to work with Aetna and provide A+ rated medical insurance to au pairs. Insurance includes Telemed appointments, translation services and emergency care in case of serious illness or accident.

8. Educational and Cultural Benefits

Whether your children attend school in person, at home, or some combination, your au pair can help with schoolwork and homework. One of the most important benefits of choosing this type of child care assistance solution? The cultural exchange benefits – sharing food, language, and culture. Your family can travel the globe without leaving the house.

9. It’s a Great Value

Because the cost of hosting is per family, not per child, this may be a cost savings compared to other forms of child care assistance.