Become a Host Family in the USA

Finding suitable childcare can be tough. If you are looking for flexible and affordable childcare, you might want to consider hosting an Au Pair. This way, you’ll know your kids are being well taken care of and learn about a new culture.

Find out if you can become a Host Family in this article!

The Au Pair in America program combines affordable and qualified live-in childcare and cultural exchange. There is no other form of childcare that is so flexible, cost-effective, and reliable.

Please remember: to become a Host Family in the USA and be a part of the legal Au Pair program, the family needs to get in touch with an agency that is designated by the US Government. Only if you register with a US Government-designated agency, can the foreign candidate get the J-1 visa! If you want to participate in the program through our partner agency, Agent Au Pair, please get in touch with them directly.

There are many good candidates on AuPair.com who apply for the USA, but only a few of them will get a J-1 Visa. From some Au Pair countries, the visas are denied in nearly 100% of cases. To save your time, before you start searching for your Au Pair, please contact Agent Au Pair directly and ask if they would be able to help you to invite an Au Pair from your selected country. If you need an Au Pair urgently, they also have candidates who are already screened and available for placement.

Benefits of hosting an Au Pair in the USA

There are many benefits of hosting an Au Pair from another country to take care of your children. A few of the benefits are:

Screened applicants with verified childcare experience
Cultural exchange and a special experience for the entire family
Reliable, affordable live-in care for about $ 340 per week
Guaranteed hours of childcare per week
Flexible schedule
Some help with easy household chores*
Support from a local agency

*only related to the Host Kids and the Au Pair’s personal space (e.g. cleaning his/her room and tidying up the Host Kids bedrooms, collecting their toys and doing the kids’ laundry). Click here for more information.

As a Host Family, it is important to welcome the candidate and make them feel part of the family. In addition there are certain requirements that Host Families have to fulfil to participate in the Au Pair program in America, and that will be checked by the local agency.

Can you become a Host Family in the USA?

With an Au Pair, you will not only have a live-in childcare provider, but also a new member of your family who will be part of your everyday life.

To join and stay in the program the Host Family has to fulfil the following points:

Have at least one child under the age of 18 years
Room with a window for the girl/boy and daily meals
A weekly payment of minimum $195,75 pocket money
Pay up to $500 for an educational course for the Au Pair
The Au Pair can stay for at least 1 year
US citizens or legal permanent resident in the USA
The spoken language at home is English
Understand that the participant is not allowed to work more than 45 hours per week - babysitting included
Give them at least one weekend off a month and 1,5 days off a week
Provide at least 2 weeks of paid vacation for each 12 months term
Provide the Au Pair with transport to the monthly meetings and educational classes

If you fulfill the requirements above and after reading the benefits you think that an Au Pair would be a great childcare solution for your family, register with us and our partner Agent Au Pair will contact you.

Free Registration as Family

Hiring an Au Pair in the USA without an agency

Note: Never invite someone to stay with you with a 6-month tourist visa or the ESTA form. This is illegal and can have serious consequences. Please never tell your Au Pair that it is possible to go to the USA without a US Department of State designated Program. It is not and every US Host Family should know it!

We check the Host Family and Au Pair profiles on a regular basis and will block any profile where we find evidence of encouraging people to do illegal actions. We want to keep all our users safe and will not allow any actions that do not meet the law.

Why AuPair.com?

For many years, we have provided participants of the Au Pair program with all the necessary information and the opportunity to find each other. Since we have an American partner, we can provide a special service to the Host Families and offer the following benefits:

Exclusive access to AuPair.com Au Pairs
Reliable, affordable live-in care for only $340 per week
Personalized service from experienced professionals to place Au Pairs quickly
A wonderful cultural experience for the entire family

Our partner Agent Au Pair will help you through the application and placement process and support your family and the Au Pair during the year.

How to host an Au Pair in the USA?

In order for the Au Pair to be legal in the USA, every candidate has to fulfil certain requirements to get the J-1 visa. Check if your possible new family member meets the following points:

is between 18 and 26 years old
understands and speaks English on an intermediate level
is not married
does not have children
is in good health, must not smoke, and can’t have severe chronic illnesses
is willing to stay with you for minimum 1 year (maximum 2 years))
has childcare experience of at least 500 hours in the past 2 years
has a driver’s license and driving experience
has a clear criminal record

Usually all the Au Pairs that Agent Au Pair introduces to a family fulfil all these requirements. Still, you should always talk to your candidate about these points.

Step by step to become a Host Family in the USA:

Register on AuPair.com

You can register with us, create a profile and start looking for an Au Pair on our website. You’ll have to invite the candidate to register with our partner agency, Agent Au Pair, so the applicant can become an official and legal Au Pair. You can also contact our Agent Au Pair to get more information for Host Families in the USA.

Find your Au Pair

Maybe you have found your match on our website. Then you should encourage them to fill out Agent Au Pair's application form in order to be connected with our US partners. Once you register with an agency you will also have the opportunity to search in their Au Pair pool for a candidate.

Get in touch with potential candidates

Contact the Au Pair and make an appointment to talk on Skype. This is the best way for you to meet her/him on a more personal level and get to know your possible new family member. You can talk about the schedule, your kids, your family’s hobbies and everything else that seems to be important to you. If you have talked to more than one candidate you have to make a decision and let the Au Pair and the agency know.

Agent Au Pair takes care of everything

Once you’ve chosen a candidate Agent Au Pair, or the agency that you are registered with,will take care of the organisation. They will take care of the Au Pair’s flight and all the important documents.

Sign the agreement

Every cooperation between a candidate and a Host Family is based on a written agreement that you will get from the agency. You need to sign it, so the Au Pair can have all the needed documents to apply for the J-1 visa.

Prepare yourself and your house

Welcoming someone as a new family member is something special so you should get prepared. If you want to decorate the Au Pair’s room a little bit or need to get some new furniture, you should take care of it as soon as possible. Maybe you want to give him/her a small welcome present, such as a city guide about your hometown or a giftcard for the closest coffee shop, so your candidate is wide awake in the morning to bring your kids to school.

Welcome your new family member and enjoy your time together
Click here if you are looking for some gift ideas to welcome your new Au Pair and start this exciting adventure together!