Go Au Pair in Grand Rapids

Go Au Pair in Grand Rapids offers a child care experience through cultural exchange.

Au Pairs provide reliable, live-in child care which meets the specific needs of your family.

And – an Au Pair costs the same no matter how many children you have.

What our Host Families love about the Au Pair program

      
 4.7
 4.7
 Top Rated Service 
   Verified by Trustindex  Trustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
      
 
   Estefany Zegarra Carbajal 
 June 11, 2025
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Being part of the Go Au Pair program has been one of the best decisions of my life. Thanks to them, I met other au pairs, amazing host families, and a wonderful team that always made me feel at home 🏡. I expanded my network, lived in both the city and the countryside, and got to know the U.S. in a much deeper way 🇺🇸.

I studied English through the ESL program and took the Experiencia de Marca course at Disney, which kept me connected to my career 🎓✨. I won the "Au Pair of the Summer" contest, traveled through more than 3 states, and visited over 10 tourist attractions. I even had my first Eurotrip and went back to Peru to spend the holidays with my family! 🎄✈️

Now, after a successful year, I return home with the tools to grow both personally and professionally. This experience is not for everyone, but for those ready to embrace challenges that will change their lives. As I once heard: “When you grow, your environment grows too”
  
 
     
 
   Nathalya Chalar 
 April 7, 2025
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Go Aupair has been with me during all my journey and I fully recommend to pick them as your program for this amazing journey of being an Aupair
  
 
     
 
   Caro Benites 
 March 13, 2025
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The experience of being an au pair with Go Au Pair has been wonderful, they helped me to find a nice and kind host family, which I love, also I’ve had the opportunity to know many wonderful people and places in the U.S., the Go Au Pair staff is always willing to help and solve any questions, I would always recommend their au pair program!
  
 
     
 
   Christine Caron 
 January 21, 2025
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our journey to being a host family began in fall of 2021. After I had been accepted into graduate school we knew we would need full time childcare for our (then) 3 children. We decided to work with Go AuPair agency because we were able to start viewing profiles and interviewing applicants without any upfront commitment on our end. Their website was easy to navigate and before I knew it I had a page full of potential applicants to interview. After a couple weeks we extended a match to a lovely Au Pair from Mexico. There are endless reasons why I am grateful for this exchange program, but my biggest two would be the relationship our Au Pair formed with our children and the fact that she made me a better mom! I was so burnt out after having been a stay at home mom for 7 years with zero help of a village. She was the support I desperately needed. With her help, I found a good balance, adopting her cultural view of slowing life down, enjoying the present and learning to let the little things go. Two years flew by. When the time came to say goodbye we said, “We will see you in 55 days!” We went to visit her and meet her wonderful family in beautiful Mexico. Which was an incredible experience for all of us! The kids ask all the time to go back and visit. Until then we keep in touch weekly through messaging and video chats.
We have hosted two Au Pairs where sadly it was not the best fit. When we had to rematch, the agency was fully supportive to both parties and made the transition as smooth as possible.
As we currently host our 4th Au Pair, I can say she is much like our first. So attentive to the kids, plays with them constantly, takes them to school, the library and park. Even treats them to ice cream. She joins us on family outings to hockey games and celebrates birthdays and holidays with us as well. Although she is the youngest we have hosted she carries herself well. From sick kids to temper tantrums and potty training she is the steady example of calm and collected every child needs in their life.
We are forever grateful to this program and agency. We cannot wait to continue making more memories with our Au Pair.
  
 
     
 
   Elizabeth Bruinsma 
 January 7, 2025
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We have been using Go Au Pair for our childcare needs for 7 years. In our experience, the agency is large enough that it has the resources necessary to make the agency easy to do business with, but it is also small enough that we receive personalized service. The selection of au pairs has consistently been high quality and Go Au Pair has a thorough vetting process, using local agents to personally meet and interview potential au pairs. When comparing notes with other host families that use the au pair program, but through different agencies, we know Go Au Pair is the way to go!

What is an Au Pair?

Au Pairs are pre-screened international young adults with child care experience who provide full time, live-in child care and introduces a memorable cultural experience at an affordable cost. With Au Pair child care, families in Grand Rapids can enjoy all the benefits of in home child care. Au Pairs can be responsible for general supervision of the children, driving, laundry, homework help, preparing meals, and providing morning and bedtime help. As an Au Pair agency, Go Au Pair is dedicated to helping families in the Grand Rapids area choose an Au Pair that fits their specific family needs.

Local Area Representative in Grand Rapids

Go Au Pair has a Local Area Representative in Grand Rapids and surrounding areas to help our families during their experience. Our agency’s local representative will assist your family and Au Pair with any questions related to your live in child care needs.

Mackenzie Smit

"She was always very attentive and patient during the process and the time I was here, she always gave me support and a quick response."

The areas I serve in Michigan

I cover the west Michigan area – the greater Grand Rapids area, including from Cedar Springs to Kalamazoo and Lansing, the lakeshore, and surrounding areas.

About me

My name is Makenzie Smit. I am a wife and mom to two young girls. I studied accounting and Spanish at Albion College. I work in Financial Reporting, and we have welcomed an au pair into our family to help with childcare. After experiencing how great the program was, I became the Local Area Representative for the Grand Rapids area.

I enjoy being part of the au pair program because I have experienced firsthand the benefits of the program. I love the cultural exchange that it provides, in addition to consistent child-care. My girls love their au pair! I enjoy connecting with the families and au pairs.

I love the Au Pair program! I enjoy working with all the Host Families and Au Pairs, helping to create a wonderful experience for them throughout their year! I’ve seen what a big impact the program has on the Host Parents, children and Au Pairs and I love being a part of that!

About my Families and Au Pairs

The au pairs in our cluster right now are from Ecuador and Columbia. We have a variety of families in our cluster ranging from single income families where the parent that stays home is looking for extra hands to both parents working outside of the home. Our families have children with a variety of ages from babies to school aged children.

Au Pair Cultural Activities

Au Pairs are required to attend a number of Cultural Activities with their Local Area Representative and nearby Au Pairs to make sure they experience the local community and culture during their stay. Below are some of the activities Mackenzie’s cluster has been up to recently!

Visit to Schwallier's Country Basket

In the fall we visited an apple orchard, a common fall event in Michigan. We picked apples, enjoyed donuts and cider, and did a corn maze.

Christkindl Markt in Grand Rapids

We visited the new Christmas market in Grand Rapids to see all of the vendors and shared lunch together. There were many festive activities to participate in, crafts, food to try, drinks, and desserts.

Walk Around Reeds Lake and Ice Cream

We welcomed a new au pair’s arrival by visiting a popular walking trail in the city and getting ice cream together.

Tulip Time Festival Parade

The Tulip Time Festival in Grand Rapids happens every year and it was such a joy attending with my au pair cluster this year. We attended the parade and enjoyed carnival rides and fireworks.

Fireworks and Independence Day celebration

Find an Au Pair in Grand Rapids

No one takes care of family like family.

Search Au Pairs Free

Find a Host Family in Grand Rapids

Become an Au Pair and experience Michigan.

Get Started

Additional Resources for Families and Au Pairs in Grand Rapids, MI

Au Pair Driver's License

Au Pairs will need to have their International Driver’s License in order to take a written test. If they pass that then they need to schedule a Road Test with a 3rd party company, which they will have to pull into a parking spot, back into a spot and also parallel park. If they pass the parking then they take a road test on surface streets first and then on the expressway.

https://www.michigan.gov/sos/resources/forms/what-every-driver-must-know

Public Transportation

There is not much public transportation in the greater Grand Rapids area. There is a bus line in the areas close to downtown, but most of families live outside of the city. Most au pairs have access to a car that they use to get around or the utilize ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft.

Colleges & Universities for Au Pairs to Attend

There are several colleges and universities in the area, but the most common classes that au pairs take are through Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC). GRCC offers English classes for adult learners geared towards students where English is a second language. The students do not have to apply directly to the school but instead to the program. They place into a class that matches their English level and are able to meet lots of new people through these classes. https://www.grcc.edu/programs/adult-education

We also have a few language schools that many of our Au Pairs like to attend. Our Utah Au Pairs attend American One Language School and Lumos Language School, both in the Salt Lake Valley.

Au Pair & Host Family Tax Information

Au Pairs and Host Families can learn about tax withholdings and filing specific for the Au Pair program. Always consult a tax advisor to learn how taxes apply.

Social Security Card

An Au Pair will need to get a Social Security # before getting a bank account and driver’s license. Go Au Pair will provide a welcome packet with social security information, on the Au Pairs arrival. We advise Au Pairs to wait 10 days after arrival to get their social security number. You can make an appointment at a social security office, closest to your home.

Social Security Card Info

Child-Friendly Activities for Au Pairs and Host Families

Au Pairs will find that Grand Rapids offers a wide variety of exciting things to do and places to visit. There are many historical museums, art displays, scenic touring, and physical activities. Families can help Au Pairs find activities they are most interested in.

Ice Skating at Rosa Parks Circle

In Michigan we get some colder winters. It always makes winter better to enjoy some winter activities. Every winter there is ice skating downtown at the city center Ice Skating at Rosa Parks

Visit Apple Orchards or Go Berry Picking

West Michigan is known as “the fruit belt” and grows many different types of fruit really well. It is very common to go berry picking throughout the summer at one of the many orchards in the area – strawberries in June, blueberries in July, peaches in July/August, and apples in September/October. Popular Orchards

Visit to the beach / Lake Michigan

West Michigan is well-known for it’s beautiful and clean beaches. The beach is a perfect spot on any sunny day in the summer. A bonus is that most of the beaches have small towns nearby that are fun to visit and walk through.

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

This is a garden and sculpture park that is a great visit. They have a children’s garden, expansive outdoor areas to walk around and experience as well as some indoor gardens. They have events throughout the year such as the butterfly exhibit in the spring or the Christmas Tree exhibit in the fall. https://www.meijergardens.org/