The term
“au pair” was originally a French term
meaning "equal
to" which described the relationship a young woman had
with a family. She lived on an equal basis and was
treated as a member of the family. Today, “au pair”
refers to either young men or young women from foreign
countries who live with a Host Family while providing
child care services in exchange for the opportunity to
live in their country while learning the language and
culture.
In 1989 the U.S. Department of State launched the Au
Pair program through six designated agencies. goAUPAIR was one of
these original six. Today, goAUPAIR represents
families across the U.S. and works with
agencies in over 50 countries around the world.
Roles of
Participants
There are a variety of groups and
individuals that participate in the Au Pair program each
with different responsibilities.
Department of State
The Department of State oversees the Au Pair program by
designating sponsor agencies and creating the program
regulations.
goAUPAIR
As one of a handful of Au Pair sponsors designated by
the U.S. Department of State, we are responsible for
ensuring that all of the federally regulated program
rules are followed. goAUPAIR is the sponsor of the Au
Pair’s visa and is required to ensure that all Au Pairs
remain in good standing while under our sponsorship.
Each Host Family has a dedicated Placement Coordinator
that assists with the matching process and provides
support
throughout the year.
International Agency
All Au Pairs participating in the program are required
to meet certain requirements as outlined by the
Department of State. goAUPAIR exceeds the basic
requirements by providing additional screening for each
applicant. Our International Agencies recruit and screen
Au Pairs from around the globe which allows us to bring Au Pairs to
the U.S. from a wide variety of countries.
Au Pairs
All Au Pairs must be between 18-26 years old when they
first enter the U.S., have previous child care experience
and speak English. In addition, all Au Pairs
participating in the goAUPAIR program are required to
complete a full application which includes the
following:
In-person interview
2 child care references
1 character reference
Physician's report
Letter to potential Host Families
Clean criminal background check
Psychometric test
Personality test
High School graduate or
equivalent
32 hours of training on safety and child development
Pictures
Au Pairs can provide up to 45 each week of
child care
and perform light housekeeping. While in the U.S., Au Pairs must complete 6*
credits at an accredited, post-secondary university.
Throughout their entire stay, Au Pairs are required to
maintain contact with their Local Area Representative
and goAUPAIR.
Local Area
Representative Our Local Area Representatives provide local support to
our Host Families and Au Pairs. Local Area
Representatives will perform the initial interview in
your home before your Au Pair arrives, the orientation
shortly after your Au Pair has arrived and maintain monthly
contact throughout your Au Pair’s stay. Local Area
Representatives are also responsible for creating Au
Pair activities as well as providing Host Family Day
Conferences which every Host Family is required to
attend at least once each year.
Host Families
Our Host Families provide full room and board, a weekly
stipend and $500* per year towards tuition in
exchange for child care and light housekeeping. Host
Families must provide their Au Pair with a private room
that has a door on it which will be verified by your
Local Area Representative during the interview. You will
be responsible for interviewing and
ultimately selecting
your Au Pair.
