How can I find an au pair host family without using an agency?

9 Proven Tips to Find a Host Family in One Week

1. Make sure your profile is filled in completely: Families want to know your childcare experience, motivation, and preferences before sending a message, so fill in all the blanks and introduce yourself to your prospective Host Family. Be honest about your story and your motivation as an Au Pair.
2. Upload friendly photos: Choose natural, happy photos of you with children, friends, and family. Don’t upload selfies or party pictures. A few pictures of you interacting with kids will make a big difference. Remember that the main role of an Au Pair is childcare. Find all our tips on how to chose the best pictures for your Au Pair profile here.
3. Be flexible with your searching criteria: If you limit your search to one country or focus on finding families from one specific city, you’ll get fewer matches. Keep your search open to several destinations and age ranges of children.
4. Write a personal “Dear Host Family” letter: Introduce yourself warmly and explain what makes you excited about joining a Host Family. Include:
   - Your childcare background
   - Your hobbies and daily routine
   - Why you’d like to be part of a cultural exchange
   
   Tip: Write the letter in your host country’s language. Small grammar mistakes are okay and show your Host Family that you’re willing to learn! We gathered more tips on how to write the perfect “Dear Host Family” letter here.

5. Contact 10 - 20 Host Families per day: Be proactive! Don’t wait for families to contact you. Send friendly messages, reply quickly, and show genuine interest in their profiles. With a basic account, you can send a contact request to families. If the family is Premium, you can have a private conversation with them. Learn more about how our messaging system works here.
6. Add references and certificates: As an Au Pair, you should have enough experience in childcare, so that you will be well prepared for looking after the kids abroad. Upload childcare or babysitting references, recommendation letters, or course certificates. Families feel more confident when they see verified experience. You can use this section to upload a language or a medical certificate, too.
7. Record and upload an introduction video: A short video where you introduce yourself helps families get to know you better. Speak clearly, smile, and talk about your motivation. In this video, you will get advice on how to record a good video of yourself.
   
   Bonus: You can include clips of your daily life, hobbies, or time spent with kids.
8. ​Schedule multiple video interviews before deciding: Once you and a Host Family establish that there’s mutual interest, it’s time to meet in a video call. At this point, you can exchange contact details and move your conversation to an external platform that will allow you to meet in video. This will help both sides see if it’s a good match. Don’t make any decision without meeting a family at least 3 times in a video call. Click here for our tips on how to prepare for your video interview.
9. Discuss and sign the contract details: It is important to discuss each point of your Au Pair contract with your Host family, already during a video call. Take some time to talk about your expectations as an Au Pair and check that they are in line with the Host Family’s. Ask them to tell you what a typical day would look like and talk about your future tasks. Remember that both the Au Pair and the Host Family are required to sign the contract before the beginning of the stay. Click here to learn more.