Similarly to the Au Pair, the Host Family also needs to fulfill the Au Pair program obligations.
What are the duties and responsibilities of the Au Pair Host Family? The complete explanation can be found in the following article, but if you prefer a compact list, here we go - the Host Family has to:
provide the Au Pair with a private room
provide the Au Pair with full board
pay the Au Pair pocket money
respect the Au Pair’s schedule
respect free days, vacations and bank holidays
arrange the schedule so that the Au Pair can attend a language course
If you have read the requirements for the Host Families and you meet them, it is time to figure out what are the Host Family’s duties! Below you can find a list of responsibilities a Host Family needs to follow throughout the Au Pair stay:
Provide a homelike space & full board for the Au Pair
The Host Family should provide a private room as Au Pair accommodation and at least three meals a day. The Au Pair will live with the Host Family and will be considered as a family member with the same rights.
Respect weekly limit of the working hours
The Au Pair has a maximum allowed number of working hours per week depending on the host country. As a rule, it varies from 25 to 45 hours and must not exceed the maximum limit.
Pay pocket money on time
The Au Pair will get a monthly / weekly sum of pocket money from the Host Family. Make sure the sum of money corresponds to the host country program standards. We do recommend the Au Pair to open a bank account in the host country so that the Host Family can monthly / weekly transfer the money.
Give the possibility to the Au Pair to attend a language course
Au Pairs need to attend a language course during their stay abroad. Make sure your Au Pair has a schedule that allows him / her to attend a language course. The Host Family also needs to cover transportation costs necessary to get to the language school. In some countries, the Host Family shares the expenses of the language course. It depends on the program policy in each country.
Respect days off and vacation policy during the stay
The Au Pair has at least 2-5 weeks paid vacation during a one year stay plus weekly days off. Learn more about holiday standards in different countries of the Au Pair program. If the Host Family decides to invite their Au Pair to join them during their family holidays, both Au Pair and Host Family should agree in advance if that counts as working hours or as a holiday.
Other responsibilities
In many countries, the Host Family will need to provide the Au Pair with health insurance or pay for the basic medical expenses in case of illness, injury, pregnancy or birth.
Au Pair insurance
How does it work for an Au Pair? Is the Host Family in charge of the Au Pair's insurance? Usually - no, but better check it! Read more
If you are providing a driving vehicle for your Au Pair, make sure you have a corresponding insurance so that the Au Pair can use the car without any risk.
We recommend to discuss with your future Au Pair all the important information. A timetable or a list of the house rules will help the Au Pair to get to know you better and probably avoid possible misunderstandings and conflicts during the stay. In addition to this, both parties can mention the core conditions of the stay in the Au Pair contract.
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