Go Au Pair in Richmond, VA 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
Kris CleggAugust 10, 2023 We've worked with 6 different au pair agencies and and have had au pairs join our family from 2 of those agencies. Go Au Pair was one of those two and we have nothing but fantastic things to say about the agency. Local Area Coordinators have been wonderful and our Au Pair really loved working with them too. The screen process is great and we really appreciated the detailed reports and information they make available to host families during the matching process. The agency fees seem fair and competitive and we're starting a new placement with them soon.Posted on Radostin KanevJuly 17, 2023 We are using an Au Pair through Go Au Pair and we’ve been very happy. The process to get the nanny here was smooth and so far we haven’t run into any issues. This is a great program and we have referred it to many of our friends with babies.Posted on Wenting GaoJune 30, 2023 We have had the pleasure of working with GoAuPair as our au pair agency, and we are satisfied with the placement and the services they have provided. Throughout the process, Gina has been incredibly supportive, taking the time to explain contracts and terms to us. Judith has also been wonderful in following up with us and has been friendly and helpful. We have been hosting au pairs since our twins were born, and we have had the opportunity to welcome four au pairs from Mexico and China, with another one soon to arrive from Peru. In our experience, the price we pay when working with an au pair through GoAuPair (including agency fees and au pair fees) is quite reasonable compared to the hourly rates of local nannies. It's important to note that with this cost-saving, there is a trade-off. We have dedicated time to train our au pairs, help them with driving and familiarize them with the area. In some cases, we have also supported them in improving their English language skills if needed. Additionally, we provide our au pairs with full access to a car and a membership to Lifetime Athletic, an excellent country club. We encourage them to explore the area and make friends. In return, our au pairs have been exceptional with our children and have taught them valuable second languages, such as Chinese and Spanish. Thanks to our au pairs, our kids are now trilingual and have become globally-oriented, embracing new cultures and languages. This experience has also instilled in them a broader understanding of the concept of a global economy and vision. Hosting au pairs has brought many positive aspects to our family life, and we have received excellent services from GoAuPair throughout the process. We highly recommend their services to anyone considering hosting an au pair.Posted on Kathryn SchaefferMay 26, 2023 Great experience with Go Au Pair! Responsive and easy to work with. Helpful in answering questions. Found a great au pair to join our family and would highly recommend!Posted on Aaron ThomasMay 24, 2023 We had a wonderful experience with this Au pair agency. We enjoyed being involved with the search and selection of the au pair (a unique feature that sets them apart). We are also impressed with the exceptional customer service. Our coordinator has been prompt in answering all of our questions and any concerns. We are grateful for this agency and all the staff working hard behind the scenes to make this program possible, thank you!Posted on Zane AukeeMay 2, 2023 We have had two au pairs placed by Go Au Pair. I would recommend them as they have an excellent variety of au pairs to connect with.Posted on Tom DudzicApril 19, 2023 I have worked with several folks at Go Au Pair during my search process. They have all been well informed, respectful, responsive and a pleasure to work with. I would gladly recommend this agency to anyone in search of an Au PairPosted on Krystal AhmadMarch 28, 2023 I started this process about 2 weeks ago and was able to find a match, but not without endless amount of time invested. For the most part the pricing is stated upfront so you know what you're getting into, however, the fees for the flight/travel are unable to be determined until that is booked. PROS: - The representatives that you work with are very nice and helpful - They create the contract with the cost out after you've extended an offer to an AuPair pretty quickly - There are lots of AuPairs to choose from and a couple new ones might be added each week - There isn't a local representative in my area so my local rep was almost across the country from me so they assigned 2 people to help me out. Having the support was fine. Totally fine but I got confused on who I address for certain things in the beginning. - Final costs are about an extra $500-$1000 than whats stated upfront due to travel costs, etc. - Overall we are very happy so far with the process and the representatives we've been working with are super sweet and kind. They can really help you out and try to be super available for you. We were happy with our reps. CONS: - There are a lot of emails with bits and pieces of information, the next steps are not detailed in the beginning so there is a lot of things not exactly clear, mainly detailed info on the entire process. This was frustrating but if you talk to your rep to clear it up you should be fine - Payment plan details should be shown upfront because a family needs to see if it's realistically affordable or compare their local childcare pricing prior to starting the search and investing so much time into it. However, I guess a family going this route for childcare might not be stressing over little costs here and there? Not sure - Travel fees/cost need to be elaborated/clear a bit more in the beginning of the processPosted on JH DENALIOctober 4, 2022 There is a good selection of au pairs, and the search function makes it easy to find one that meets your needs. -ZanePosted on Jamie KJuly 7, 2022 We HIGHLY recommend Go Au Pair (GAP). In the world of working parent guilt and a global pandemic, it really does take a village to raise children--but what does one do when one's village alternates quarantining and childcare is chaos. When we heard about the au pair program and began to research it, we knew it was our only hope, though we had many concerns. The first was what agency to choose--a huge agency? A small agency? We wondered what role our agency would play, and agonized over the choice. Ultimately, GAP provided terrific, high-quality, personalized service that clearly comes from their experience in the AP world and not being so enormous that they lose sight of their families and APs. We are a family, not just a number, to GAP. Our AP is such a very special young lady who is authentic, bright, and thoughtful. She is fantastic with children, and an extremely strong driver. With 3 very young boys, having a third adult is such an unbelievable help in our family. Our AP is leaving an unforgettable impression on our children and has made it so easy to be a working parent. We cannot thank GAP enough!Posted on Google rating score: 4.8 of 5,
based on 51 reviews
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 Richmond, VA 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 Richmond area choose an Au Pair that fits their specific family needs.
Local Area Representative in Richmond, VA
Go Au Pair has a Local Area Representative in Richmond 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.
Makenzie Smit
I am the Regional Local Area Representative
My name is Makenzie Smit. I am the regional Local Area Representative over the Charleston, WV area. While I don’t live there locally I am still available to help Au Pairs and Host Families with their needs from afar.
The territory includes Richmond and the surrounding areas, including Henrico, Chesterfield, Hanover, Powhatan, Goochland, and New Kent counties as well as Colonial Heights and Petersburg.
I am a wife and mom to three young girls. I studied accounting and Spanish at Albion College. I hosted two Au Pairs as childcare for my family. 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 loved their 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!
The Au Pairs in the cluster currently are from South America, primarily Ecuador. They enjoy spending time exploring the area and learning the culture. They like to see new places and visit the local attractions. One of the Au Pairs was recently the runner-up in the #LoveMyAuPair contest!
The Host Families have a variety of backgrounds. Host Parents have professions in the medical field, business, and life sciences with children a variety of ages from infant through 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 Au Pairs in the Richmond cluster have been up to recently!
Au Pairs attend an outdoor Christmas event at the Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia and Christmas tree shopping, a classic Christmas activi ty in America!

Au Pairs met up at a local roller skating rink.

Additional Resources for Families and Au Pairs in Richmond, VA

Au Pairs must bring the necessary documents such as DS-2019, I-94 arrival document, Visa and passport, and social security number. They must also provide proof of WV residency. Au Pairs must first complete a written exam. After passing the written exam, they complete a road skills test.

Richmond area is not a heavy public transport city, so most families rely upon au pairs driving. It is possible to get around using public transportation if the au pair lives very near downtown.
Greater Richmond Transit Company – Bus lines serving the city of Richmond and parts of Henrico and Chesterfield GRTC
Biking – Richmond is a big biking town with dedicated lanes downtown as well as trails.
Virginia Commonwealth University – English Language Program
Courses – Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Community College System – Virginia’s Community Colleges: English as a Second Language (ESL)
Brightpoint Community College – Brightpoint Community College | Chester & Midlothian
Reynolds Community College – English as a Second Language (ESL) | Reynolds Community College
A list of English as a Second Language courses for adult learners in the area (not all of these listed will count as credit for the program but are great for supplemental learning) English Classes — ReEstablish Richmond
Many au pairs also consider an au pair weekend course – Au Pair Weekend Classes
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.
Child-Friendly Activities for Au Pairs and Host Families
Au Pairs will find that Richmond 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.
Great for hands-on educational play for younger children Children’s Museum of Richmond
Interactive exhibits on space, animals, weather, and the human body Science Museum of Virginia – Richmond, VA
Indoor electric go-karts, great for older children and au pairs The Best Indoor Go Kart Racing in Richmond, VA – K1 Speed | K1 Speed
50 acres of themed gardens including a conservatory, children’s garden, splash areas, and easy walking paths for strollers One of the top gardens in the US | Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardent

