Most Often Q and A from host families.
1. What chores are appropriate for the Au Pair to perform in her daily duties? All child related chores are the responsibility of the Au Pair. This includes keeping the children’s bedrooms tidy and being responsible for the children’s laundry. Au pairs can be responsible for the preparation and clean up of children’s meals. While an Au Pair is not required to clean up after the family evening meal, she should have some responsibility when she eats with the family. Au Pairs are encouraged to act as family members, if they want to be treated as family members. Au Pairs would not be responsible for vacuuming the whole house or doing laundry for everyone in the house. If your Au Pair is “pitching in” on a particularly busy week, please do reward her team spirit with kind gestures, but do not pay her more money.
2. Is the host family responsible for paying for the gas to drive to cluster meetings and education classes. Gas for social use of the car is the responsibility of the Au Pair, but all other Au Pair work, education or cluster meeting gas use is the responsibility of the host family.
3. Au Pairs do appreciate being paid once per week and especially before taking a vacation. Au pairs are to be paid each week for 52 weeks.
4. Are host families obligated to allow the Au Pair to use the car to travel long distances while sight seeing in Georgia? Use your own discretion to determine how far the Au Pair can go. Do keep in mind, that should the car break down or be involved in an accident, the Au Pair will need your assistance to get the car and herself back home.
5. How much can an Au Pair be held responsible for damage to a host family car in an accident? Au Pairs can be charged 500.00 for an accident that was her fault. The money should be collected in small amounts each week until paid.
6. Do I have to allow my Au Pair to spend time with her friends each evening? Getting out and meeting people her own age is important to her overall experience and translates to a happy, balanced care-giver for your children. It is ok, to have a work related curfew. Curfews around 12:00 before a workday seem to work well.
7. If the Au pair is caring for the children while they sleep, is this time counted as childcare hours? If the Au Pair is left in sole charge of the children, this time is counted as her work time.
8. If the Au Pair is not going with the family during vacation time, should she continue to be paid while left at home? This time should not be counted as her vacation time. Host families can instruct the Au pair to perform child-related duties during this time such as cleaning toy rooms or organizing clothing. She can be asked to use this time to take one of her vacations if she is given at least 3 months to plan and save for a vacation. This, of course, is not appropriate if your Au Pair has newly arrived. Au Pairs prefer and enjoy time with the family on a vacation, but a vacation work schedule should be written out and discussed before the vacation, giving clear expectations of what will be needed to make the vacation run smoothly.
9. Having access to a car is needed for the Au Pair who is left at home during the weekend or while the host family is away on vacation.
10. Can I tell my Au Pair she has to ” be ready” in the morning with her breakfast already eaten and herself dressed and ready for work.Yes! Communicate clearly about what your expectations are and remind her during the year.
1. What chores are appropriate for the Au Pair to perform in her daily duties? All child related chores are the responsibility of the Au Pair. This includes keeping the children’s bedrooms tidy and being responsible for the children’s laundry. Au pairs can be responsible for the preparation and clean up of children’s meals. While an Au Pair is not required to clean up after the family evening meal, she should have some responsibility when she eats with the family. Au Pairs are encouraged to act as family members, if they want to be treated as family members. Au Pairs would not be responsible for vacuuming the whole house or doing laundry for everyone in the house. If your Au Pair is “pitching in” on a particularly busy week, please do reward her team spirit with kind gestures, but do not pay her more money.
2. Is the host family responsible for paying for the gas to drive to cluster meetings and education classes. Gas for social use of the car is the responsibility of the Au Pair, but all other Au Pair work, education or cluster meeting gas use is the responsibility of the host family.
3. Au Pairs do appreciate being paid once per week and especially before taking a vacation. Au pairs are to be paid each week for 52 weeks.
4. Are host families obligated to allow the Au Pair to use the car to travel long distances while sight seeing in Georgia? Use your own discretion to determine how far the Au Pair can go. Do keep in mind, that should the car break down or be involved in an accident, the Au Pair will need your assistance to get the car and herself back home.
5. How much can an Au Pair be held responsible for damage to a host family car in an accident? Au Pairs can be charged 500.00 for an accident that was her fault. The money should be collected in small amounts each week until paid.
6. Do I have to allow my Au Pair to spend time with her friends each evening? Getting out and meeting people her own age is important to her overall experience and translates to a happy, balanced care-giver for your children. It is ok, to have a work related curfew. Curfews around 12:00 before a workday seem to work well.
7. If the Au pair is caring for the children while they sleep, is this time counted as childcare hours? If the Au Pair is left in sole charge of the children, this time is counted as her work time.
8. If the Au Pair is not going with the family during vacation time, should she continue to be paid while left at home? This time should not be counted as her vacation time. Host families can instruct the Au pair to perform child-related duties during this time such as cleaning toy rooms or organizing clothing. She can be asked to use this time to take one of her vacations if she is given at least 3 months to plan and save for a vacation. This, of course, is not appropriate if your Au Pair has newly arrived. Au Pairs prefer and enjoy time with the family on a vacation, but a vacation work schedule should be written out and discussed before the vacation, giving clear expectations of what will be needed to make the vacation run smoothly.
9. Having access to a car is needed for the Au Pair who is left at home during the weekend or while the host family is away on vacation.
10. Can I tell my Au Pair she has to ” be ready” in the morning with her breakfast already eaten and herself dressed and ready for work.Yes! Communicate clearly about what your expectations are and remind her during the year.