au pair

Au Pair Host Family duties - what are you responsible for as a Host Family?

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 you 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
Host family responsibilities
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 are! 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 a family member with the same rights. 
 

Respect weekly limit of working hours 

The Au Pair has a maximum number of working hours per week depending on the host country. As a rule, they vary from 25 to 45 hours and must not exceed the maximum limit. 
 

Pay pocket money on time 

The Au Pair will get a monthly or weekly amount of pocket money from the Host Family. Make sure the amount 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 easily transfer the money monthly or weekly.
 

Give the Au Pair time 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 them 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 of 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 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 vehicle for your Au Pair, make sure you have a corresponding insurance so that the Au Pair can use the car without any risk. 
 
Host family responsibilities
We recommend discussing all the important information with your future Au Pair. 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
 
As an online matching agency we have also gathered other useful information about the Au Pair experience in the Au Pair Wiki and our Au Pair FAQ
Free Registration as Family

How can I contact an Au Pair?
You need to visit the Au Pair’s profile and drop a message there. You can also add an Au Pair to your hotlist. In both cases, the Au Pair will get notifications from you instantly. If you have a basic account, you can send standard invitations to Au Pairs. The Premium Membership allows personalized messages as well. Please get more information here
How long does it take to find an Au Pair?
It depends on several factors. Make sure your profile is full and interesting for other users. Make sure that you meet the Host Family requirements set by the Au Pair program. Be active and contact about 10-15 Au Pairs per day. If you follow the three tips above you can find a suitable match within one to four weeks. Check out our Host Family guide for more advice and ideas on how to find an Au Pair faster.
What are the requirements to host an Au Pair?
There are three most important requirements: the Au Pair accommodation, full board and monthly/weekly sum of pocket money. We recommend to go through the full list of requirements for Host Families. If you meet them, you can register as a Host Family today and find an Au Pair that matches your criteria.


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