Requirements
In order to host an au pair, host families need to meet the requirements set forth by the U.S. Department of State and Au Pair 4 Me:
- Live in the area covered by Au Pair 4 Me (please contact us to verify if we cover your area);
- Be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents;
- Be fluent in spoken English;
- Be personally interviewed by an Au Pair 4 Me representative;
- Pass a background investigation including employment and personal character references;
- Have adequate financial resources to undertake hosting obligations;
- Provide the private bedroom and board for the au pair;
- Complete a detailed application;
- Be willing to comply with U.S. Department of State regulations;
- Adhere to the Host Family Agreement;
- Be willing to treat an au pair as a member of your family.
Program Parameters
The U.S. Department of State and Au Pair 4 Me set forth program parameters that families need to adhere to:
Au pair can provide up to 45 hours of childcare per week as Standard Au Pair and 30 hours per week as EduCare Au Pair;
Au pair can provide no more than 10 hours of childcare per day;
Au pair must receive 1.5 days off per week and one full weekend off per month (Friday evening to Monday morning);
Host family pays an au pair a weekly minimum stipend based on the program option selected;
Families provide up to $500 for Standard and Plus Au Pair and $1,000 for EduCare per year towards classes the au pair can take at a local accredited institution. Families must also facilitate transportation;
Au pair can help with household tasks related to children such as tidying the children’s rooms, doing their laundry and shopping for their groceries but may not be asked to do heavy housekeeping or tasks unrelated to children;
Host Families must provide their au pair with private room and board and treat their au pair s a family member;
Families must attend at least one event organized by Au Pair 4 Me local coordinator during their program year;
Host families and au pairs must maintain monthly contact with their local coordinators. If local coordinator organizes a meeting for their au pairs, families ensure that the au pair has transportation and time to attend these meeting.