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Bureau
of Educational and Cultural Affairs
What You Need to Know About the Au Pair Program GENERAL QUESTIONS THE SELECTION AND SCREENING PROCESS ONCE THE AU PAIR IS WITH THE HOST FAMILY QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS
INTRODUCTION Thousands of American families and foreign nationals have participated in the Au Pair Program. Most have found it to be a rewarding experience, but it is important to fully understand the program before deciding to participate. This brochure explains the program and answers some frequently asked questions. The Au Pair Program was established in 1986 as an educational and cultural exchange with a strong child care component. Program participants enter the United States for up to 12 months to care for the children of the American family in whose home they will live. At the same time, the au pairs are required to complete an educational component of six semester hours of academic credit or its equivalent. At the end of one year, au pairs return to their home country. "Au pair" is French for "on par," reminding host families that, although an employee, their international visitor is to be treated as a member of the family. The rules are clear: au pairs are provided a private bedroom, meals, remuneration tied to the minimum wage, one and one-half days off weekly plus a full weekend off each month, two weeks' paid vacation, and the first $500 toward the costs of required course work to be completed at an accredited institution of higher education in order to satisfy the requirements of the educational component of the program. Au pairs are not to work more than 10 hours a day/45 hours a week. They are not to serve as general housekeepers or assume responsibility for household management. In August 2001 the regulations governing the Au Pair Program were amended to create a sub-category called EduCare. This component is specifically designed for families with school-aged children requiring limited childcare assistance. Au pairs participating in the EduCare component may not be placed with families having preschool aged children unless alternative arrangements are in place for these children. EduCare participants are not to work more than 10 hours a day/30 hours a week. They must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours of academic credit, or its equivalent, during their program. Host families provide the first $1000 to the au pair toward the cost of the educational component. All au pair participants are paid in accordance with the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. As a matter of administrative convenience for both the Department-designated sponsors and participating host families, EduCare participants receive 75 percent of the predetermined weekly wage that is required for au pair participants. If these rules cause you any concern, you may wish to reconsider participating in the Au Pair Program. There are other considerations as well. Are you willing to communicate your expectations at the beginning of your program? When occasional problems arise, one mistake that host families and au pairs make is to hope that conditions will improve and problems will correct themselves. As you consider whether the Au Pair Program is right for you, host families should think about how they will adjust to having an international visitor in their home. Au pairs should think about how they will adjust to living with a new family in a different country. For each, the values and cultural perspectives of the other may be vastly different. The following questions and answers might help you to make that decision. GENERAL QUESTIONS What is the Au Pair Program? Although DOS authorizes these sponsoring organizations to conduct au pair programs, the responsibility for choosing the right organization rests solely with the host family and the au pair. What do the sponsoring organizations do? The sponsoring organizations interview au pairs for spoken English proficiency and suitability to participate in the program. They also interview host parents to ensure spoken English fluency and suitability to deal with an international visitor. The sponsoring organizations provide au pairs with a detailed profile of the host family and community into which they will be placed, as well as the educational institutions available in the community. They ensure that au pairs have all the training required by DOS and must monitor the au pair/host family relationship throughout the year. These organizations must maintain monthly contact, through local and regional counselors, with au pairs and host families to ensure compliance with the program. What do local and regional counselors do? Are there any checks on the sponsoring organizations? What is the educational component of the Au Pair
Program? What are the responsibilities of the American host
family in assisting the au pair with the "mandatory" educational
component? THE SELECTION AND SCREENING PROCESS Where do au pairs come from? What kind of training and experience is required
to be an au pair? Before being placed with a host family, au pairs must receive at least 8 hours of child safety and 24 hours of child development instruction. At least 4 hours of the child safety training will be infant related and at least 4 hours of the child development instruction will be devoted to the care of children under 2 years of age. The child safety training, provided by qualified organizations, includes topics such as stress management, shaken baby syndrome, and CPR. Au pairs responsible for children under 2 years of age must have at least 200 hours of documented infant child care experience. Au pairs may not be placed with a family having a child less than three months of age unless a parent or other responsible adult is present in the home. Au pairs will NOT have specialized training in nursing. They are NOT to provide child care services relating to the care and protection of infants and children performed by such trained personnel, as registered or practical nurses. What costs are involved? ONCE THE AU PAIR IS WITH THE HOST FAMILY What are au pairs entitled to? What are host families entitled to? What responsibilities do both parties have? There must be a signed written agreement between the host family and the au pair outlining the obligations of both parties. In addition, the sponsoring organizations generally require the host family and the au pair to sign written agreements that outline the obligations of each party to the organization. How long may an au pair stay with a family, and
may the arrangement be extended? QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS What if I have questions after the initial selection
and match have been made, or what if a problem arises? DOS's Exchange Visitor Program staff is available to answer questions at (202) 401-9810. In addition, a listing of designated sponsors and related information can be obtained from the Department's web site http://exchanges.state.gov/education/jexchanges/ . What are my options if I am not happy with the arrangement? PLEASE READ YOUR CONTRACT FOR TIME LIMITS AND CONDITIONS Please Note: No guarantee of performance or competency is made by the designation of sponsor organizations.
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