The right choice for you
Inviting an Au Pair to your home can be a great option for child care & household assistance while also promoting cultural exchange. It is a rewarding experience for both your family and the Au Pair, fostering cultural exchange and creating lasting relationships. However, it’s important to carefully consider whether hosting an Au Pair is the right choice for your family and to see if you meet all the legal conditions of the program.
What is an Au Pair?
An Au Pair is a young person who comes to live in a foreign country with a host family to learn the language and/or experience a different culture.
The word Au Pair literally means “equal”. An Au Pair serves as an equal member of your family, providing invaluable assistance with childcare and light household tasks. In return for their help an Au Pair receives full board and lodging, their own private room and €340,- of pocket money. View all legal conditions below.
An Au Pair should be treated as part of their host family during their stay. It is important to realize that the Au Pair needs attention and guidance, as you would give to any member of your family. As an Au Pair comes from a different background with different habits and routine it costs time to adapt to a different routine. It makes us aware of the fact that our habits are not universal. It’s an opportunity to learn from other cultures and we can teach them about ours.
It is, after all, a cultural exchange program. With the right match, guidance and agreements this shouldn’t be a challenge, but actually an added value to the whole family.
The right choice if you are...
- Searching for a more stable help in the house, actually another you..
- Searching for more balance in your busy lives and more flexibility
- Open to house another person in your home
- Culturally sensitive and open-minded. An Au Pair has a different background and may approach childcare and household tasks in ways that are unfamiliar to you.
- Open to raise your kids with another culture and language
- Meeting all Legal Conditions of the program
- Able to offer an Au Pair a separate room and (sharing) bathing facilities in your house
- Willing to invest in another person's development & growth
- Aware that hosting an Au Pair will impact your family dynamics and daily routines
“When both partners are working full or part-time, the life with kids can be hectic & busy! It is important to create peace and balance. Having survived a hard day of work, traffic jams and picking up the kids on time at the daycare, most of us are bushed by the time we’ve fixed dinner. It’s doable, but luckily there are alternatives….
The right Au Pair can eliminate these moments of stress and help you make your rush hour into quality time. She (or he) really is an extra ´You´ at a time when you need one”
Emeline, Founder HBN
Legal Conditions
- The family’s household should consist of a minimum of two persons
- The family should have independent, sustainable and sufficient income ;
Check the income requirements per type of income
Check the legal minimum salary (minimum is set every half year by the government).
- The host family must be able to provide the Au Pair with a room and toiletry in their house/ at their address
- Au Pair may not be a 1st or 2nd degree family member of the family
- Au Pair may not have worked or Au Paired for the family before
- Aged 18 – 25 years
- Legal valid passport
- Single and no children
- High school equivalent qualifications
- Childcare experience with references
- Good health and a clear police record
- Good level of spoken English
- Able to ride a bicycle and swim
- Can’t be 1st or 2nd degree family member of the host family
- Not have worked or Au Paired for the host family before
- Agency with recognized sponsor of the IND
- Maximum stay of 1 year
- Full Board and lodging
- Assisting in the daily childcare and household chores : view full list of the possible duties
- Maximum of 30 working hours per week
- Maximum of 8 working hours per day
- Maximum of 3 babysit nights a week
- Minimum of 2 days off a week
- Minimum of one full weekend off per month
- 2 weeks paid holiday per year
- €340 pocket money per month (maximum legal limit)
- €10 monthly phone allowance
- Au Pair insurance
- Offer a Dutch or English language course
- Application of an Au Pair residence permit*
* not for citizen of the EU
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