An Au Pair is typically a young woman between the late teens to mid-thirties whom is in the occupation of child care. They trade room and board abroad for their services in child care. An Au Pair will get into the business with the hopes of furthering their education outside of their country of origin, or having the luxury of traveling where they may not typically have been able to afford to do so, giving them the experience of being with a host family in a foreign country.
Au Pair’s usually have some previous childcare education and experience. However, sometimes this is not the case. There are many downfalls as well as benefits to hiring an Au Pair. One benefit to hiring an Au Pair is receiving low cost child care and, if you go through a trust-worthy agency that does background checks on their Au Pairs you may end up with a good catch. The downside to this is, on a work Visa to a foreign country, an Au Pair that becomes attached to a family unit only has a limited amount of time to be in the home before returning to their country of origin.
There are agencies internationally dedicated to matching families in need with qualified trustworthy Au Pairs. They do everything from background checks and reference checks to providing some Au Pairs with the services of obtaining their respective work Visas and even providing some with formal training in child care. It is safer to go through one of these agencies than it is to just hire one from a classified ad.
When searching for an Au Pair you will want to hire someone you feel comfortable leaving the well being of your child with. Someone with a past history of aggression or short temperedness is not recommended. You need to hire someone you feel could be an asset to your family and fit in with the setting and environment which you have created. Make sure the candidates you review have experience with children in the age range of your own children, this ensure if any problems or concerns should arise with your child, the Au Pair will be able to handle the situation and act accordingly.
There are also agencies internationally that can investigate child abuse suspicions. If you have hired an Au Pair and you suspect they may be abusing your child, these agencies will provide surveillance to assure that your children are in safe hands. Typically agencies such as these work in conjunction with agencies that hire, train and place Au Pairs with host families. When choosing an agency to hire an Au Pair you should always ask which, if any other agencies they are associated with and what services those companies may offer to make your experience with an Au Pair the best.
If you are a busy working parent and require child care, with the assistance of a trust-worthy agency and following up on references given, an Au Pair might be a cost effective answer to your child care needs. Not only will you be welcoming into your home someone who truly loves their profession but with an Au Pair you will be helping out a person who may not have been able to experience other cultures otherwise.