Your Au pair contract for your protection
As an au pair, you will live in a host family as a family member and will be integrated into the everyday life. At the same time, you also commit yourself to looking after the children of your host family for 6-12 months and to diligently fulfil your au pair duties.
Many participants are often worried that the family may be demanding disproportionately long working hours or that they are given tasks that lie outside the area of responsibility of an au pair. Fortunately, this concern is unjustified. Your host family is also contractually bound by the rules of the au pair programme. In the US, those rules are set by the US Department of State and in all countries, they regulated in the au pair contract. The rules include, among other things, the length of your stay, your daily and weekly working hours, your holiday entitlement and the minimum amount of your pocket money.
Before the start of the programme, you and your host family must sign an au pair contract in which you both commit to accepting and abiding by these rules. The contract also includes that you may only be entrusted with tasks that are directly related to childcare.
Ready for the au pair adventure?
You have caught the travel bug and you are convinced that an au pair stay is the right thing for you? Then send us your non-binding short application today!
The most important rules of the Au pair contract
In the US, many rules are US Department of State regulated and can't be changed. Other countries, such as Australia, offer a bit more flexibility. This means that some rules such as the weekly amount of pocket money, working hours and holidays can be negotiated to some extend before they are contractually written down.
Your daily working hours are limited to a maximum of 10 hours (USA)
Your weekly working hours must not exceed 35 hours in Australia or 45 hours in the US
You receive 1.5 days off per week (USA)
You have one free weekend per month (Friday evening to Monday morning)
You are entitled to at least 10 days of paid vacation for a 12 months stay in the USA and for 6 months in Australia
Your duties and responsibilities must be directly related to childcare
You are entitled to your own room
In addition to the requirements that an au pair must meet, the host families must also prove certain qualifications in order to be included in the programme.
Children to be cared for must be at least three months old
Families must provide a room for the au pair
USA only: The host family must provide you with up to $ 500 US for courses at college or other educational institution
The host family must pay you at least $ 195.75* per week in pocket money / at least 180 AUS$ (or more)
* The U.S. Department of State calculation of the minimum weekly stipend of $195.75 is based on the federal minimum wage with a 40% deduction for room and board in exchange for childcare services. Host families and au pairs are free to agree to compensation higher than the legally applicable minimum.
Live abroad as an Au pair
Having signed a contract, you can relax and look forward to your adventure!
