FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR THE AU PAIR

1.   Why AupairHunter?

2.   Why have so much selection criteria? 

3.   What are my responsibilities as an Au Pair?

4.   The things the Au Pair is not responsible for:

5.   What is the difference between an Au Pair, a mothers help and a nanny?

6.   Why have a Show Case?

7.   What is a Mothers help?

8.   Is an Au Pair a Temporary family member?

9.   Are House Rules also for the Au Pair?

10. Why include a video?

11. Why become a paying member?

12.  A typical day in the Au Pair's life could be like this:

13.  Who can become an Au Pair? 

14.  Will I get homesick?

15.  Can anyone see my personal contact data?

16.  I have little experience as a baby sitter; can I still become an Au Pair?

17.  Do I need to speak the language of the country where I go as an Au Pair?

18.  What can I expect from my Host Family?

19.  When is the best time to register?

20.  I am a boy.  Can I also become an Au Pair?

1.  Why AupairHunter?

AupairHunter is the professional online Au Pair database for demanding Host Families and Au Pairs.

There are many Families and Au Pairs, but to get the right one that really fits to your needs and at reasonable price, can not be found easily.

AupairHunter was created to offer a high quality service for demanding Host Families and Au Pairs.   We only offer serious profiles and act as one of the most professional and prestigious Online Data Base Search Engines for Au Pair and Host Families.

We will not overload our clients with hundreds of Au Pair or Host Family profiles.  We value your time.  AupairHunter compares the profile from Au Pairs and Host Families.     A match will be made bearing in mind, the personal requirements and detailed demands of both.

AupairHunter offers a tailor-made service.  You do not waste your time analysing a never-ending list of Au Pairs or Host Families.   We offer a realistic personal match.  In a shorter and more efficient time, you have selected your Au Pair or Host Family.

AupairHunter stands for a quality tailor made service.

2. Why have so much selection criteria?

Well it’s simple.   The Fact that the Host Family, and Au Pair are going to live together without knowing each other at all, it is extremely important that you can at least choose and define the profile you believe would fit to your needs. 

Your time is important to us.  We, at AupairHunter want to save you from looking at hundreds of profiles, knowing that there are only a few who would really match.   Why not save your time and effort, define exactly what you are looking for with the different selection criteria, and receive those profiles of Au Pairs or Host Families who really match with you.

There is not only one way to find your candidate as many others suggest.  We open the door to choose many different ways to select and have more details, to offer a much more realistic selection.

Getting the right person enables you to have a great time together.

3.  What are my responsibilities as an Au Pair?

Your responsibilities as an Au Pair will be mainly concentrated in looking after the Host Families children, and helping out with some light household work. e.g. vacuuming, ironing, emptying the dishwasher, helping with the preparation of the meals.

Depending if you work as a standard Au Pair, Au Pair plus, or Mothers help, you will be working from 25 hours up to 40-45 hours a week, 5 days and a half a week, and no more than 8-10 hours a day. (It depends on the country) 

Also see Guidelines

4. The things the Au Pair is not responsible for:

• They are not the responsible to take over heavy household chores e.g. spring cleaning, or the whole weekly cleaning.
• Cleaning the toilet, unless it is used by the Au Pair.
• Garden maintenance unless is was agreed by both family and Au Pair

5.  Is there a lot of difference between the position of an Au Pair, a mothers help and a nanny?

Actually, yes there is a lot of difference:

• An Au Pair usually is a young adolescent, taking some time off, before attending university.  Their main goal is to live in a foreign country, being part of the family (Host Family), learning another language and getting to know another culture.  This is a temporary position from a couple of months to a maximum period of 2 years.
•  A Mothers help, mostly is a young girl, and more experienced than an Au Pair.  This position is more like a nanny job, but without a nanny-qualification, and not necessarily in another country or with culture exchange. A mothers help works approx. 40 hours a week, and has more household duties than an Au Pair. 
• A Nanny is a real full time position (live in or live out), not necessarily in another country, and (mostly) without the cultural exchange background.   A nanny has a qualification from an appropriate college.

6. Why have a Show Case?

With your personal ShowCase, you literally draw attention to you.   It is a very quick, direct and proactive way of showing your interest, either for an Au Pair job, or as a Host Family looking for an Au Pair.

The great advantage is that from every match perceived, the showcase will always appear first,  so basically, if your profile matches, you do not waste time.

7.  What is a Mothers help?

A mother's help is usually a more mature candidate, mostly female with more experience in child care, although there can also be younger, less experienced mother's helps.   Her duties include child care but she can also be expected to do heavier household chores.  She works for a maximum of 8-10 hours per day for 5 1/2 days per week.   She can also be expected to baby-sit in the evening if the parents have to go out, when children are asleep for a maximum of 5 nights per week.   Her salary ranges from 120 € per week to 250 € per week depending on age, experience and the country where the Host Family lives.

8.  Is an Au Pair a Temporary family member?

Yes.  You will be treated as a family member, with respect and patience,  and you should treat your Host Family with the same respect.  Being part of the family means that you are expected to follow and respect the house rules of your Host Family.  An open communication is fundamental.

9.  Are House Rules also for the Au Pair?

Yes, they are.  As an Au Pair and family member you are expected to respect the house rules.   Everyone has their own way of doing things.   We strongly recommend during the first days after your arrival you do the housework together with a member of your Host Family.   Listen to there expectations.  The same goes for the childcare.

You should know how household appliances work e.g. the washing machine, dishwasher, air conditioning etc.

If you prepare the meals for the children, respect what the children may or may not eat.

Ask your Host Family if it is allowed to invite friends over for a visit. 

If your smoke, make a mutual agreement where and when this is allowed.

10. Why include a video?

You surely know the saying: “a picture says more than a thousand words”.  A video will say even a lot more than a picture.

AupairHunter wants to offer you this innovative service, in order to give your profile this extra dimension and attraction.  

A short story gives you a closer feeling of reality.  If you see a video of your Family or Au Pair, this can give a better understanding of behaviour and also about the level of their language.

In case you do not exactly know how to upload your video, or are having trouble with the upload, don’t worry, here are a few suggestions.

11. Why become a paying member?

Once you have registered for free, and maybe found already a few interesting profiles of Au Pairs or Host Families, it is time to contact your favorite (Au Pair or Host Family) selection. 

Only a paying member can view the contact details of the profiles that match with each other.

12. A typical day in the Au Pair's life could be like this: 

• In the morning you wake up the children, prepare their breakfast, (if they are very young) you help them get dressed, clean their teeth and get them ready for school.
• You may take them to school and collect them if required. 
• This also applies for the children’s outdoor activities.
• It is your duty to keep the children’s room tidy, make their beds, clean up their toys.
• Help them to do their homework.
• If necessary you will baby-sit when the parents go out in the evening.(up to 2 or 3 evenings a week)

When the children are in school, the Au Pair has some time for herself, for example to attend a language course, or to study.

Please keep in mind that every Host Family has different organisation in their home.   This depends mostly on the children’s age, and the needs of the family.    It is Important that there is always a balance between the work at home, and leisure time, e.g. time to study,  attend language courses, or spend time with friends or other Au Pairs.

13. Who can become an Au Pair? 

• Male or female from the age of 17 until 30 years.(minimum and maximum ages slight).   Changes could apply depending of the country see Visa and regulations
• Single without (dependent) children.
• To have completed secondary school.
• To have basic knowledge of the language the Host Family speaks.
• Experience in childcare and/or related activities.
• It is an advantage to be in the possession of a driving licence.
• To be in good health.
• Have a reference of good behaviour.

14. Will I get homesick?

Some Au Pairs feel a little homesick at the very beginning, but once they adapt to their new environment and to their new daily routine, this feeling passes very quickly.  If you do not feel comfortable with the idea of being away from home and missing your friends and family for a period of time, you should consider being a (summer) holiday Au Pair.  Holiday Au Pairs stay for between 5 to 10 weeks.

15. Can anyone see my personal contact data?

Certainly not.  

AupairHunter’s reputation is seen as most serious, professional and discrete.    This reflects also in the confidentiality of the personal data we process from our clients.    We handle your personal data with absolute care and confidentiality.

This means that your contact data will only be visible for those members to whom you gave us the authority to do so.

How it works:  to the members who are interested in contacting you, you reply through our internal message system giving AupairHunter orders to show or not show your personal contact data.   Basically you will only be contacted by those members to whom you gave us your consent. Members who are interested in each other can then see their personal contact data.

Do not worry, you will not be overloaded with hundreds of Au Pairs or Host Family profiles, not knowing where to start and who to choose.   Not to mention to have the time to analyse all profiles to your satisfaction.

This rule works both ways.   You can only view the contact details of those members who are interested in contacting you.

Experience has proved that only good matches are successful.   Both the Au Pair and Host Family deserve a fair chance to find what they need and have a great time together,  therefore AupairHunter offers you a tailor-made service.

16. I have very little experience as a baby sitter; Can I still become an Au Pair?

Of course you can.

In this case it is important to make a selection of those Host Families who don’t require you to spend a lot of time with the children alone.  Make a selection of those families who do not require previous experience, and with only 1 or 2 children.  Experience is important, but not essential.  More important is that you are willing to learn and be flexible.    It is fundamental that from the first contact you have with possible Host Families you are honest.

17. Do I need to speak the language of the country where I want to go as an Au Pair?

No not really.   The point of being an Au Pair is to learn another language.  What we do consider important is to have a good communication with your Host Family.  That means to have a language where both the Au Pair and the Host Familie can express themselves.  This language does not have to be necessarily the language of the country you are travelling to.  For example, if you would like to go to France or Spain, but do not speak French or Spanish, you can look for an English or German speaking Host Family that lives in either of these countries.  With AupairHunter you can make a highly detailed selection for lots of different criteria.

18. What can I expect from my Host Family?

• A private room
• Meals are included e.g. breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Salary, which is paid weekly or monthly 
• Use of the family car if you are required to take the children to school 
• 1 ½ or 2 days a week time off.  (depending on your agreement with the Host Family) 
• A normal use of the phone.   If you want to speak 30 min. with your friends, or make international phone calls, you should pay for these 
• Depending of the country you travel to, you are medically insured by the Host Family 
• In USA most of the language courses are paid for by the Host Family, and in Europe mostly by the Au Pair.  This is just a general rule.  Your agreement with the Host Family could be different 
• Paid holiday.  (this also depends on the country you travel to and on your agreement with the Host Family)

19. When is the best time to register?

Anytime is good to register as a Host Family or Au Pair.  Usually it can take a few months before you find The Family or The Au Pair that matches perfectly with you.   We also have placements that take only a few weeks, depending on where you want to go, experience, age, special personal requirements etc.    The most popular time is before a new school year starts (from September until July) or before the summer holidays, in case of a summer holiday-Au Pair.  Although there are quite a lot of families looking throughout the year.  It depends on the needs of the family.

20. I am a boy.  Can I also become an Au Pair?

Ofcouse you can.

There are lots of families with children (only boys) or single parents who would prefer to have a Male Au Pair.   Male Au Pairs, a partly from the childcare can do other chores, e.g. help in the garden.   It could take a little longer for you to find the right host family, because in general there is more demand for female Au Pairs.   But you can be pro-active and draugh the attention to yourself with a Show Case.