This post was revised in June 2024 by other contributors.
Photo courtesy of InterExchange
Weekly Au Pair Schedule
One of the biggest advantages of Au Pair USA’s program is its flexibility. You and your au pair are free to work out a customized childcare schedule that meets your family’s needs. Your au pair may work up to 45 hours per week and up to 10 hours per day.
Transparency during the au pair interview process is important regarding your anticipated childcare schedule. To make sure you set your au pair’s expectations about the kind of hours they will work, Au Pair USA asks you to submit a sample au pair work schedule with your host family application. Once you match with an au pair, you’ll be able to submit a finalized schedule.
Au Pair Responsibilities
You’ll also want to be clear about what responsibilities your au pair will have when working. For example, will they need to drive the children to school or extracurricular activities? Will they be preparing any meals? When should they plan to do the children’s laundry?
Sample Au Pair Schedule
| MORNING | AFTERNOON | EVENING | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MONDAY 7:30am – 4:30pm | Make breakfast for kids, take Britney to school, go on a play date with Ryan | Make lunch, put Ryan down for a nap, pick up Britney from school, help Britney with homework | Dinner with the family, go to Journalism class at the Community College |
| TUESDAY 7:30am – 5:30pm | Make breakfast for kids, take Britney to school, take Ryan to Tiny Tots | Make lunch, put Ryan down for a nap, pick up Britney and take her to soccer practice | Dinner with the family, do homework for Journalism class |
| WEDNESDAY 7:00am – 4:00pm | Make breakfast for kids, take Britney to school, take Ryan to the baby gym | Make lunch, put Ryan down for a nap, pick up Britney and then take the kids to the park | Dinner, go to a cluster meeting at Starbucks |
| THURSDAY 7:30am – 3:30pm | Make breakfast for kids, take Britney to school, read and play with Ryan | Make lunch, put Ryan down for a nap, pick up Britney, take the kids to the library for story time | Dinner with the family, go to the movies with some friends from school |
| FRIDAY 7:00am – 1:00pm | Make breakfast, take Britney to school, color with Ryan | FREE TIME Go to the gym | FREE TIME Meet with au pair friends and go to a concert downtown |
Time Off and Classes
Time Off
Your au pair earns days off and vacation time while working for your family, including:
- One-and-a-half days off per week (preferably at least one weekend day)
- One full weekend off per month
- One day of vacation time, accrued each month after the first month of service, totaling two weeks of paid vacation for the year.
Cluster Meetings & Classes
Your childcare schedule must allow time for your au pair to attend all cluster meetings and activities, as well as classes to complete the au pair educational requirement.
Your au pair is required to participate in monthly cluster meetings and activities organized by your Local Coordinator. They also must fulfill a U.S. Department of State-mandated au pair educational requirement, completing at least six credit hours at an accredited community college, college or university.
Work-life balance is an important component for everyone, especially au pairs. Taking care of children is not an easy job, so ensuring your au pair has sufficient downtime and accessibility to attend social and cultural events is very important when determining their schedule.
Your Local Coordinator can help with any au pair schedule-related questions. You can also refer to your Au Pair Schedule & Weekly Planner for au pair schedule templates and planning tips.
