How Does In-Home Child Care From An Au Pair Stack Up to Daycare?

Perhaps you've heard about the lifestyles of people who hire a live in au pair to care for their children. You've probably thought about what it would be like to have your very own live in caretaker. But how does an au pair actually stack up against traditional daycare in the US?

Cost

There are a few factors that impact the cost of an au pair. First of all, the cost of hosting an au pair for a year is usually set by the program you choose, rather than the number of children you have. Regular daycares charge by the hour or by the day for each child and offer minimal discounts for multiple children. However, au pairs require room and board. If you already have space available, this comes at very little cost to you, but if you don't have space it can complicate things. Nevertheless, you can find au pairs for notably less than what you could be paying for daycare, especially if you have two or more kids.

Flexibility

Another benefit of in-home child care is the flexibility it offers to you and your family. When you host an au pair they agree to provide care anywhere from 30-45 hours per week depending on your contract. These hours are generally wide open to your needs including evenings and weekends with only a few restrictions. By contrast, most regular daycare providers have very strict hours during the week and may not offer weekend care at all, forcing you to hire a separate babysitter for evenings or off hours.

What You Get

Many regular daycare programs offer socialization and limited activities during the week. However, an au pair offers a much more complete educational experience including cultural immersion, language training, and the ability to take your children on a wider variety of field trips and adventures as the opportunity arises.

When you compare in-home child care to traditional daycares side by side, it's easy to see that the cost is actually quite competitive and the value of the experience is far superior. You will enjoy more flexibility and your children will receive a more diverse education throughout your au pair’s stay.