FAQs

An au pair is a young international person who comes to the U.S. to provide childcare services to a host family as part of a cultural exchange program. 

Au pairs perform a wide range of childcare duties, including cooking for and feeding children, driving children to and from appointments, taking care of the children while they’re at home, caring for infants, and much more. 

Au Pair in America^® matches host families with fully screened and trained au pairs who are ready to join your family and provide their trusted childcare services. You’ll have a local Community Counselor assigned to support your family; plus, extra help is available from our friendly staff at our U.S. Headquarters in Stamford, CT. 

Au pairs come from all over the world. Au Pair in America^® has one of the largest global recruitment networks, allowing host families to choose au pairs from a wide range of countries. 

Au pairs come to the U.S. from another country on a J-1 visa and are required to take at least six credits at an American academic institution. To become an au pair, they must meet the following requirements: 

• Be between the ages of 18 and 26 
• Have at least 200 hours of recent, non-family, practical childcare experience 
• Au pairs who care for children under the age of two have a minimum of 200 hours of documented experience with children under the age of two 
• Possess a driver’s license 
• Are a secondary school graduate or equivalent 
• Demonstrate English proficiency 
• Have passed a background check, which verifies their schooling, references, psychometric test, and a criminal record check (in countries where such measures are lawful) Have no spouse or dependents 
• Have submitted a medical report that verifies their physical health 

Au pairs join the program to learn about U.S. culture and gain valuable childcare experience while building a lasting relationship with your family. 

Au pairs offer reliable, flexible, and personalized live-in childcare along with the opportunity to engage in meaningful cultural exchange. 

Au pairs come to the U.S. on a J-1 visa issued by the Department of State. International au pair agencies like Au Pair in America^® can act as a visa sponsor to help them receive their J-1. The J-1 visa allows au pairs to legally reside in the U.S. for 12 months while providing childcare to an approved host family. Au pairs in good standing may apply for a 6, 9, or 12-month extension after the completion of their initial program. 

Au pairs provide live-in childcare and cultural exchange, while nannies only provide in-home childcare. In addition, au pairs are young people from overseas, whereas nannies are typically U.S. residents and may be any age. Learn more.

Your au pair program choice should depend on your childcare needs. While most families will find the standard Au Pair program suitable, families that want more experienced childcare experts may choose the Year2 or Extraordinaire programs. Additionally, if you require part-time childcare coverage before or after school (and live within one of the eligible communities), the EduCare in America program may be best. Still not sure which au pair program is best for your family? Our staff is happy to help! Email us at info@aupairinamerica.com or call (800) 928-7247. 

Yes! Au pairs can be extremely helpful to families who have children with special needs. Children with special needs often show signs of improvement and greater happiness with the personalized attention and companionship of an au pair caregiver. Au Pair in America^® can help you find a great match with an au pair interested in caring for children with special needs and those with prior special needs experience. 

Yes! Au pairs may take care of school-aged children up to 18 years old. Au pairs can help with school drop-offs and pick-ups, after school activities, homework support, and getting ready for school in the morning. 

Yes! Many people choose an au pair for infant and toddler childcare. However, they cannot be the sole caretaker of an infant under the age of three months old. 

Au pairs can stay in the U.S. for up to 12 months on a J-1 visa. However, they may be eligible to extend their program for an additional 6, 9, or 12 months. 

While the programs themselves are not customizable, one of the benefits to hosting an au pair is that they offer childcare assistance customized to your schedule (within reason). So if you require coverage outside of traditional childcare hours, an au pair can help! 

The cost to host an au pair varies depending on the program you choose, incidental costs, and the state you live in. However, hosting an au pair may be more cost effective than hosting a nanny, especially if you have multiple children. 

The cost to host an au pair with Au Pair in America^® is per family, meaning families with multiple children can benefit from additional childcare savings! 

An au pair may be a more affordable option compared to other childcare options because you are providing the au pair with room and board. Additionally, the au pair program is designed as a cultural exchange childcare program with an educational component, not a traditional job. 

Yes, you can generally use a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) to pay for au pair program expenses if the au pair is caring for a child under the age of 13 and the care allows you (and your spouse) to be gainfully employed. 

Yes, it is possible to host an au pair for less than 12 months with Au Pair in America^®. For short term au pair cost and availability, please contact our team. 

Yes. Au Pair in America^® provides comprehensive medical and personal liability insurance, and baggage loss protection for all participants. Medical coverage includes physician visits, emergency surgery, and semi-private hospital stays, with a $50 deductible per occurrence, up to $250,000 per illness or accident. Emergency dental procedures due to accident are also covered.

Mental health benefits include $500 for outpatient care and $10,000 for inpatient treatment. Most plans include $5,000 in pre-existing condition coverage, if needed for an au pair and it is not covered under their policy they will be notified to seek additional coverage.

An optional upgrade is available, increasing medical coverage to $500,000. Personal liability coverage is included up to $100,000 (automobile coverage excluded), offering added peace of mind for both au pairs and host families.

Your au pair’s weekly stipend will depend on the program option you select and where you live. The au pair’s stipend is a federal minimum set by the U.S. Department of State. Some states, including California and Massachusetts, may have additional requirements. Learn more. 

No, au pairs are not allowed to work past their weekly maximum of 45 hours (au pair and Extraordinaire) and 30 hours (EduCare in America). 

The au pair program costs and fees include the match processing fee, the program fee, the minimum weekly stipend, an educational allowance (up to $500 for Extraordinaire and Au Pair programs, and up to $1,000 for EduCare in America), a $35 SEVIS payment to the U.S. government, and incidental costs such as food, SIM card, car insurance, clothing needed to adjust to the climate or activities, toiletries, and other necessities. 

Yes! Au Pair in America^® allows host families to use their credit card to pay for the program fee. American Express, Mastercard, and Visa are all accepted. Plus, we charge no credit card fees so you can easily earn points and miles. 

No, you do not have to pay the full program fee upfront to host an au pair with Au Pair in America^®. We offer an extended payment plan that allows host families to pay the program fee in 8 affordable installments. This plan is available to families on a full 12-month program contract.  

Please note: An annual plan activator fee of $90 is due with the first installment and a $65 service charge is applied to each installment payment. A preauthorized method of payment is required for this plan. 

The price to host an au pair or hire a nanny depends on a number of factors, including program type and local childcare costs. However, hosting an au pair with Au Pair in America^® is more cost-effective than the average monthly cost to hire a full-time nanny in the U.S. Plus, with Au Pair in America^®, the cost is always per family. 

Au pair program discounts are available for military families. Au Pair in America^® offers a $500 program fee discount for families with at least one parent who can provide proof of active service. 

On average, hosting an au pair is a more affordable option in the U.S. than hiring a full-time nanny. However, whether hosting an au pair is more affordable than daycare depends on your local daycare costs. Additionally, when you host with Au Pair in America^®, costs are per family, not per child, allowing families with one or more children to multiply their childcare savings. 

Host families must provide their au pair with a private bedroom, three meals a day, and basic necessities. They should also be given access to a car and car insurance if driving your children is part of their childcare duties. Additionally, they must have transportation to and from their classes. 

Our program has au pairs arriving in the U.S. during every month of the year, so your family can get an au pair during any season! 

Au pairs can perform a wide range of childcare duties. Their responsibilities may vary depending on the needs of a family. Some childcare responsibilities an au pair can help with include: 

• Cleaning up the children’s rooms or play areas 
• Driving the children to and from school or other appointments 
• Caring for the children when they are sick or home from school 
• Preparing meals for the children and cleaning up after they eat 
• Helping children with homework

Au pairs in the Au Pair and Extraordinaire programs may provide up to 45 hours of childcare service per week and no more than 10 hours in a given day or five and a half days in any given week. EduCare in America au pairs may provide up to 35 hours of childcare service per week. 

While serious issues are rare in the au pair program, most can be resolved. If you are experiencing problems with your au pair, reach out to your Community Counselor. They can help mediate discussions and work with you and your au pair to solve any issues. If there are problems that cannot be resolved, we will issue a full refund or provide you with a new au pair. 

If there is a medical emergency, dial 9-1-1. The Au Pair in America^® 24-hour emergency service is available at 1-800-928-7247. Please contact your Community Counselor as soon as possible in case of an emergency. 

To apply to host an au pair, register here and submit your free host family application in your Au Pair in America^® account. 

Submitting an application for Au Pair in America^® can take as little as 10 minutes. 

Yes, our team is here to support you at every step of the way. 

After registering and submitting a free application, you can use your host family account to view au pairs and search for one that matches your family’s preferences. Next, you can interview au pairs you’re interested in to ensure they’ll suit your family. Finally, once you’ve found an au pair you like, you can send an invitation to match. If they accept, your au pair match is confirmed! 

Matching with an au pair can take as little as a day or two. After you find an au pair profile you like, you can reach out for an interview and match right away! 

Yes, all Au Pair in America^® host families host an au pair of their choosing, ensuring that they are a perfect fit for your family. 

Au Pair in America^® makes the process of selecting an au pair easy. You can view au pair profiles on our website and make your choice based on your unique preferences including relevant experience, age, sex, country of origin, and more. 

Yes, male au pairs are available. Host families can select an au pair based on sex, nationality, childcare preference, and much more! 

All of our au pairs are vetted with a thorough multi-tiered screening process that includes a personal interview, reference checks, a criminal and background check, medical history report, and a psychometric test. 

Au Pair in America^® uses a multi-tiered screening process to evaluate all au pair applicants and ensure they are safe. 

Yes, all au pairs are required to have a driver’s license and may drive. All au pairs also attend a AAA^® driving course before arriving at your home. 

Au pairs must meet these criteria to be eligible for our program: 

• Between the ages of 18 and 26 
• Have at least 200 hours of recent, non-family, practical childcare experience 
• Au pairs who care for children under the age of two have a minimum of 200 hours of documented experience with children under the age of two 
• Possess a driver’s license 
• Are a secondary school graduate or equivalent 
• Demonstrate English proficiency 
• Have passed a background check, which verifies their schooling, references, psychometric test, and a criminal record check (in countries where such measures are lawful) 
• Have no spouse or dependents 
• Have submitted a medical report that verifies their physical health 

Yes, Au Pair in America^® mandates 8 hours of child safety training in addition to a two-hour American Red Cross^® child safety and first aid course that they must pass. Au pairs are also encouraged to take an American Red Cross^® Infant/Child CPR certification program after arriving at your home. 

Au pairs are trained to provide care to children of all ages including infants, toddlers, and school-aged children. Our child development training helps au pairs provide effective childcare to children of different ages. 

Yes, host families are required to pay au pairs a weekly stipend. A federal minimum is set by the U.S. Department of State, but some states may have additional requirements. Host families and au pairs are free to agree to compensation higher than the legally accepted minimum. Visit our Program by Pricing Option page to learn more. 

The au pair minimum weekly stipend, room and board, education allowance and other program elements are subject to change based on any revisions to Department of State regulations for the au pair program, or any other applicable laws or regulations. If this occurs, Au Pair in America^® will inform families. 

Au pairs enter the United States on a 12-month visa. Upon successful completion of the first year, they have the option to extend their stay for 6, 9, or 12 months. A limited number of these Year2 au pairs elect to extend their program duration with a different family. In these instances, host families pay the published match processing fee, and the program fee is pro-rated pending the 6, 9 or 12 month extended stay. 

The match processing fee is due when you select your au pair. The full program fee is due 30 days prior to the arrival of the au pair to your home, unless your family elects to make payments through the Extended Payment Plan. 

After the au pair’s two night in-person Warm Welcome Session, host families may choose pay for their transportation to their home on their own or they may elect to have Au Pair in America^® book the transportation for a fee (amounts subject to change): $50 for transportation by train and $160 (Hawaii $250) for transportation by plane — this includes both the booking and the cost of the domestic ticket. Au pairs will be picked up at the hotel by families who live nearby, take an Amtrak train to select cities between Boston and Washington, DC, or fly to other cities. Please note that luggage is not always included in the ticket cost and au pairs are advised they may be responsible to pay for their luggage in these cases. 

Yes! Au Pair in America^® offers an array of discounts and offers. Discounts are available to families who have previously hosted an au pair with Au Pair in America^®, participated in another AIFS program, refer new families to Au Pair in America^®, or who transfer from another government-designated au pair program. Learn more about our discounts. 

Fees are payable by credit card (ex: Visa, MasterCard, American Express) or e-check. Late payments are subject to an additional charge. 

While our program fees remain the same, host families located in Massachusetts and California must pay their au pair at least state minimum wage. Create or log into your account for details pertaining to program fees in your state.