What is an Au Pair

Cultural Exchange - part student and part worker

Au Pair is a French word meaning at the same level.

Au Pairs are committed, adventurous and educated young people from around the world who travel to another country for learning and improving a language and experiencing new cultures. Unlike other jobs you had before, when you will be an au pair, you will be seen as part of the family and not as an employee.

In exchange for receiving accommodation, meals and weekly pocket money, you will provide the family with help towards child care and/or light housework. If you are a male au pair, sometimes you may help with gardening or other heavier tasks around the home.

Au Pair duties:

An Au Pair provides help with child care and light house work:

General supervision of children
Taking children to school and activities
Helping with homework
Preparing children's meals
Children's laundry
General tidying up in children's areas

Au Pairs work up to 30 hours each week and receive 1 or 2 days off each week. If you are a Romanian and Bulgarian au pair, you will be allowed to work only up to 25 hours per week.

Au Pairs do not need to have the same schedule each day. An an au pair you will have 2 weeks paid holidays per year, but this may vary (some families offer more holiday).

Advantages of being an Au Pair:

Nice and pleasant work (working with children is always a joy for everyone)
You will improve your English skills
You will get to know new people
You will get the chance to travel and to know a new country (there are many discounts offered to young people under 26 years old)
opportunity to gain a good reference from a British host family that will help if you want to work in the UK for a long term period