WHAT IS BEING AN AU PAIR IN AMERICA ALL ABOUT?

Combine a unique cultural exchange experience caring for American children with the chance to travel and explore life in the USA.

Au Pair in America is a once in a lifetime opportunity to spend a year abroad gaining invaluable experience and learning new life skills to last you a lifetime.  We’ve tailored our Au Pair program to best suit your experience, enabling you to choose from these different program options.

 AU PAIR IN AMERICA

The perfect combination of childcare, study and travel

Give:  45 hours of childcare per week
Study:  3 hours per week during term time
Receive: Weekly pocket money of a minimum of US$195.75 (approx US$10,000 per year)**
Required: Minimum 200 hours non-family childcare experience within the last 3 years

** Note:The minimum weekly stipend is calculated by the U.S. Department of State after accounting for costs associated with weekly room and board. Host families and au pairs are free to agree to compensation higher than the legally applicable minimum.

AU PAIR EXTRAORDINAIRE

For those with more professional experience or a qualification

Give: 45 hours of childcare per week
Study: 3 hours per week during term time
Receive: Weekly pocket money of a minimum of US$250.00 (approx $12,750 per year)**
Required: A recognized childcare qualification or 2 years full time childcare experience

** Note:The minimum weekly stipend is calculated by the U.S. Department of State after accounting for costs associated with weekly room and board. Host families and au pairs are free to agree to compensation higher than the legally applicable minimum.

EDUCARE IN AMERICA

Take your studies more seriously with this program and help the children in your care with their studies too

Give: 30 hours of childcare per week
Study: 6 hours per week during term time
Receive: Weekly pocket money of a minimum of US $146.81 (approx $7,500 per year)**
Required: Minimum 200 hours non-family childcare experience within the last 3 years

** Note:The minimum weekly stipend is calculated by the U.S. Department of State after accounting for costs associated with weekly room and board. Host families and au pairs are free to agree to compensation higher than the legally applicable minimum.

RETURN PROGRAM

Been there, done that and loved it?

If you have previously been au Au Pair in America you can do it all over again if you:

• Successfully completed your previous 12 month placement
• Have lived outside of the USA for at least 2 years

WHAT DOES THE AU PAIR EXPEREINCE ACTUALLY INVOLVE?

The Right Family

Au Pair in America knows how important it is for you to find the right host family and will help you match with a family whose needs and lifestyle are compatible with your own.  Each family is different, however usually the parents are busy, working professionals who are looking for the perfect person to help care for their children, to engage with them and to keep them happy and safe.

Their aim is to welcome an au pair into their home who loves looking after children, who is reliable, honest, enthusiastic and open minded. You will each share new cultural experiences, the realities of everyday life and embark on an exciting new adventure together. Your host family will provide you with your own room, meals, access to transport, a US$500 study allowance and a minimum of US$195.75 weekly pocket money. In return you will look after their children, providing responsible care, comfort and companionship.

Where will you be placed?

Our families are located in 37 different states across the USA so you could find yourself spending a year anywhere from New York to San Francisco, Boston to Illinois.  Finding the right family to match with will be the deciding factor in where you end up living.

When can I travel?

With flights departing all year round, you can travel to America when it suits you.  We recommend applying at least 6 month before you want to travel.

Your Schedule

You will be sharing the day to day life of your host family and therefore your daily schedule will vary depending on their requirements and the ages of the children.  A daily routine caring for infants will be different to one centred on children who are at school.

Typically your daily responsibilities might involve:

• Waking the children, getting them dressed and bathing them
• Playing with the children and organising fun things to do
• Preparing meals, tidying up after them, making their beds and washing their clothes
• Driving them to and from school and other activities
• Helping with homework
• Babysitting in the evenings if both parents go out

Free Time and Travel

Being an Au Pair also presents a world of possibilities to travel and explore the USA. With at least one weekend off a month, 2 weeks’ paid vacation and a whole additional travel month on completion of your stay you have plenty of time to explore and visit the America of your dreams!  Many au pairs choose to travel together during and after their placements.  Alternatively you can join one of our organized tours with Trek America or strike out on your own.  The USA is a vast and diverse country with an abundance of cities, breathtaking landscapes and natural wonders.  Join the bustle of New York, dazzle in glitzy Las Vegas, marvel at the Grand Canyon or hang with the A-Listers in Los Angeles! Wherever you choose to explore, you’ll be creating memories to last a lifetime.

Studying

Get a taste of American college life by studying at least 3 hours a week on a course of your choice. You could learn a new language or pick from a variety of alternatives like a psychology or marketing course. You might even be inspired to learn a new skill like photography or fashion design!

You will be a non-degree student and you can choose from a number of different types of courses. Your options:

• Credit Courses
  Take part fully in class discussions, complete all assignments take the tests and get a grade when the course ends
• Non-Credit or Continuing Education Courses
  Offered at some colleges, these courses are designed for a purpose other than working towards a degree and are usually for personal enrichment or career-specific skills
• Audit courses
  Sit in on a particular course without doing the assignments and tests. This means that you will not receive a grade
• UCLA (University of California Los Angeles)
  American Studies Online is a 19-week online course that is part self-study, part instructor-led. The course is offered through a customized, computer-based classroom accessed to read lessons, write, share resources, network with other students and collaborate on special projects, all of which are designed to further your understanding of the US culture.

Your host family provides you with a US$500 yearly contribution and will help you enrol at a local college when you arrive. If you prefer, you can choose to study online with the University of California Los Angeles, (UCLA).  Flexibility is important when arranging your studies around your childcare duties, but we have a wide range of courses available at different times.  It is a visa requirement that you attend classes and it is important that you complete the educational requirements of our program in order for you to receive your Completion Certificate.

Your Support Network

There is no need to worry about embarking on an Au Pair in America adventure as our program offers a dedicated support network at every stage of your experience.

Once you arrive at your host family home you become part of a cluster of other au pairs living in the area. Each cluster is assigned an Au Pair in America representative, known as a Community Counselor.

Community Counselors are there to support, inform and advise you and your family throughout your stay. They will guide you through any challenges and also provide social opportunities to mix and mingle with the other au pairs close by.

SO IF YOU ARE…

• motivated by spending time with kids
• inspired by life in the USA
• open minded and flexible
• ready for an exciting new cultural adventure

… join our program, expand your world view, gain life experience and explore the endless possibilities of being an Au Pair in America!