Au Pair in the USA - information for Host Families

The Au Pair in the USA program combines affordable and qualified live-in child care and a cultural exchange. There is no other form of child care which is so flexible, cost effective and reliable.

Since we have a partner agency in America that is designated by the US Government, a Host Family can find an Au Pair very simple and fast on AuPair.com. Our experienced team and our partner will assist you during the placement process and the whole year of the program. Please remember: To become a Host Family in the USA and be 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 an US Government designated agency the candidate can get the J-1 visa! In case your potential Au Pair needs the J-1 visa, please note that this process involves additional costs. Since the agency is in charge of the whole organisation the Host Family needs to pay up to $7000.

If you register on our website as a Host Family for free you can add Au Pairs to your "Favorites" and send standard messages. You can also get a Premium Membership to contact all the applicants that they like. Once you’ve contacted the Au Pairs you also need to talk about the agency. It is possible to search for a match on AuPair.com and register with an au pair agency afterwards, so the Au Pair can officially and legally be placed with the family.

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. You and your children will love this adventure of having someone living with you. But it is much more than just having a new family member. Few of the benefits are:

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

As a Host Family first of all it is important to welcome the candidate and make her/him feel part of the family. In addition there are certain requirements that Host Families have to fulfil to participate at the Au Pair program 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 child care but also a new member of your family that will be part of your everyday life.

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

You 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 $195,75 pocket money is no problem for you
You can pay up to $500 for an educational course for the Au Pair
The Au Pair can stay with you for at least 1 year
You are US citizens or legal, permanent resident in the USA
The spoken language at home is English
You understand that the participant is not allowed to work more than 45 hours per week - babysitting included
Give him/her 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 health insurance and automobile coverage

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

Family free registration

Make sure that your candidate fulfils all the criteria to become an Au Pair in the USA. Candidates who fulfil the requirements and are already checked by our agency will be marked.

Hiring an Au Pair in the USA without an agency

Note: Do not ever invite someone to stay with you with a 6 months tourist visa or the ESTA form. This is illegal and can have serious consequences. You know your current president’s opinion about illegal immigrants, so we wouldn’t push it.

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 knows it!

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

Why AuPair.com?

For many years we provide 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 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

We and 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:

She/He is between 18 and 26 years old
Language skills: She/He understands and speaks basic English
Your candidate shouldn’t be married
She/He should also not have children
The Au Pair should be in good health, must not smoke, and can’t have severe chronic illnesses
She/He is willing to stay with you for 1 year!
All candidates need to have child care experience of at least 200 hours in the past 2 years
A driver’s license and driving experience are a must
She/He must have a clear criminal record
The applicant should have never been under psychological treatment in the past

Usually all the Au Pairs that Agent Au Pair introduces to a family fulfil all these requirements. Yet 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 agency so the applicant can become an official and legal Au Pair. You can also contact our partner agency 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 her/him to fill out our 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.

We take care of everything

Once you’ve chosen a candidate 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

To welcome 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.