Should We Host An au Pair?

by Jen Rodehaver

Jen Rodehaver

08/11/2024

Should we host an au pair?

For centuries across the globe, extended families shared the responsibility of raising children. Older children expected to be child minders for younger siblings and grandparents were the penultimate dispensers of wisdom and affection. Crafts and homemaking skills were demonstrated and each family member found their place in the group. A major societal shift happened at the beginning of the twentieth century. Industry created jobs, wars brought women into the workforce, and the average family size decreased. Planes, trains and automobiles made it possible for families to relocate away from their hometowns. Today, grandma isn’t available to babysit because she has her own job or lives hundreds of miles away.

The international au pair program essentially recreates this archaic but satisfying form of childcare. Working parents might travel for business, start very early in the morning, work evenings or have shifts that change from week to week. Who better to care for the children than a housemate whom the children have come to love as a big sister or big brother?

The host family can arrange a flexible schedule with the au pair that allows for unconventional work hours. Even families with school age children enjoy the benefits of this arrangement in case of snow days, a sick child, with an extra person in the house who transports children to and from school and activities. Research indicates an important factor for resiliency in children and young adults is access to close relationships outside the immediate family.

Safe, reliable childcare is only one reason why parents might choose to host. Learning about other countries’ customs enriches the family and the au pair. Over the course of the year, holidays are observed and birthdays celebrated. Many host families stay in touch with their au pairs for years and even arrange reunion visits. Imagine seeing a familiar face at a European train station on your family’s first overseas vacation together.

If this option is appealing, the next step is to choose an agency. Au pair agencies are private companies regulated by the federal State Department, which not only issues the visas but also specific requirements regarding the au pair and how their time is spent while in this country. Even the monthly stipend paid to the au pair by the host family is regulated to the cent. To attract clients, these businesses must not only meet the minimum required by the government but offer something more. Program vendors compete with each other in those areas outside of compliance with the government. What may vary are the vetting process, the fees in addition to visas and travel, and additional training offered to the au pair. As with most successful businesses, the choice usually comes down to customer service. All the agencies are happy to place an au pair in your home. How much help do you get making a good match and what kind of support will you receive on the off chance it doesn’t work out? One way to decide on an agency is to reach out to your friends, neighbors and colleagues who currently have au pairs and ask them about their agency and their Local Childcare Consultant. Each host family is assigned a local agency representative who follows that family throughout placement and offers support and additional resources to the au pair and host family. With more than 200 international au pairs living in Boulder County, there is surely someone in your network who will be happy to share their experience with the program.

Jen Rodehaver is a mom and longtime Boulder County resident. She is also a Local Childcare Consultant with Cultural Care au Pair and can be reached at jen.rodehaver@lcc.culturalcare.com