{"id":10793,"date":"2025-01-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.aupairusa.org\/host-families\/?p=10793"},"modified":"2025-01-24T20:14:15","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T20:14:15","slug":"host-family-responsibilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.aupairusa.org\/host-families\/become-host-family\/host-family-responsibilities\/","title":{"rendered":"An Overview of Host Family Responsibilities in the Au Pair Program"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

While some people may hear the term \u201cau pair\u201d and assume it\u2019s the same thing as \u201cnanny\u201d or \u201cbabysitter\u201d, there\u2019s much more that comes along with hosting an au pair. The Au Pair program is a U.S. Department of State<\/a> sponsored program rooted in cultural exchange. As an au pair is a young person from abroad who comes to the U.S. to live and work with an American host family, host families receive the benefit of full-time, live-in childcare in exchange for room, board, and a weekly stipend. Au pairs spend a year as fully integrated members of the host family and have the opportunity to extend their time up to an additional 12 months. Au Pair USA<\/a> has been a designated sponsor of the J-1 Au Pair Visa for over 35 years and understands what it takes for matches to be successful.\u00a0
<\/p>\n\n\n

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Au Pair Program Costs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As live-in childcare providers, host families provide au pairs with a minimum weekly stipend<\/a> of $225 as well as room and board. Au pairs are compensated at a weekly rate based upon 45 hours of childcare services per week and paid in conformance with the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act as interpreted and implemented by the United States Department of Labor. Au pairs are able to work a maximum of 45 hours per week, and their work hours may not exceed 10 hours per day. It is also required that host families provide a full day and a half off per week and one full weekend per month. In addition, host families also provide their au pair two weeks of paid vacation annually and contribute up to $500 toward the au pair\u2019s educational requirement during their program year. Other than those requirements, au pair schedules<\/a> may be as flexible as the host family needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Au Pair Housing Requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many believe that living in a big, spacious home with an in-law or au pair suite is necessary to host an au pair. Actually, hosting an au pair requires only a private bedroom in your home for the au pair. Before you are approved to become an Au Pair USA host family, our Local Coordinator in your area will visit your home to interview your family members and ensure that the au pair\u2019s bedroom meets program standards. Au pairs integrate with your family. They may eat dinner with you or share a bathroom with others in the family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Au Pair Transportation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a host family, you\u2019ll need to facilitate your au pair\u2019s transportation to monthly cluster events with their Local Coordinator as well as transportation to their educational classes. If you\u2019re comfortable letting your au pair drive your car, it can be helpful for them to use the vehicle to get around locally or drive your children to school or extracurriculars. If a vehicle isn\u2019t available, you may want to provide a stipend for public transportation for your au pair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Au Pair Childcare Expectations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Au pairs come from diverse childcare backgrounds and must have a minimum 200 hours of childcare experience in order to be accepted into the Au Pair USA<\/a> program. If your family has a child under the age of two, your au pair will also have a minimum of 200 hours caring for an infant. Some au pairs will also have experience caring for children with special needs and may be placed with host families who require this type of care. As au pairs may work up to 10 hours per day and 45 hours per week, childcare needs are full-time and flexible for working parents. The only exceptions with au pair childcare availability occur upon arrival and if you have a baby under three months old. Your au pair must be with a responsible adult during their first three days in your home and may not care for an infant under three months alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practicing Cultural Exchange with Your Au Pair<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a host family engaging in cultural exchange, you\u2019ll want to invite and include your au pair to family events and activities. Holidays<\/a> can be a great way to introduce American culture and traditions, but even basic weekend activities like kids\u2019 soccer games and dance recitals can be equally engaging. Your au pair will likely want to practice their language skills, especially if English is not their first language. Communicating<\/a> with your au pair is a wonderful way to help them develop their English language skills and build a strong relationship. Additionally, as a host family in the U.S., you\u2019ll need to be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents and be fluent in spoken English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Au Pair Program Support<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the many benefits of hosting an au pair as a childcare provider is the continued support that you receive from your Local Coordinator<\/a>. Local Coordinators check in with both host families and au pairs on a monthly basis. They are an excellent resource for questions or to help address any concerns and can help guide you in providing your au pair with written details regarding their duties and home rules. Local Coordinators also support au pairs integrating in your community and with their au pair peers by hosting nearby events<\/a> for them to attend each month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The au pair program may be the best childcare solution for your family if you\u2019re willing to deliver on the host family responsibilities of the program. Program regulations<\/a> help protect both au pairs and host families alike and allow Au Pair USA<\/a> to have a successful track record in supporting happy placements. With cultural exchange at the root of all we do here at InterExchange<\/a>, we\u2019re proud our au pairs and host families are as passionate about this mission as we are.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re ready to get started in your au pair hosting journey, apply for free<\/a> today! Our team of experts is looking forward to answering your questions and helping you find the right au pair for your family.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While some people may hear the term \u201cau pair\u201d and assume it\u2019s the same thing as \u201cnanny\u201d or \u201cbabysitter\u201d, there\u2019s much more that comes along with hosting an au pair. The Au Pair program is a U.S. Department of State sponsored program rooted in cultural exchange.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":10795,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice","category-become-host-family"],"yoast_head":"\nAn Overview of Host Family Responsibilities in the Au Pair Program<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An Overview of Host Family Responsibilities in the Au Pair Program\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.aupairusa.org\/host-families\/become-host-family\/host-family-responsibilities\/\" \/>\n<meta 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