What is an au pair?

Find out what it means to be an au pair.

An au pair lives with an American host family for a year and cares for their children. In exchange, they receive free room and board, a weekly stipend, and opportunities to travel and study in the USA.

If you love children and want to take a year off to grow both personally and professionally, the au pair program could be the perfect next step for you.

What does an au pair do?

As an au pair, you’ll have opportunities to travel, learn, grow and make friends—but the heart of your au pair experience will be caring for your host children. As a trusted and loving caregiver, you’ll be responsible for keeping the kids safe, happy and active. Examples of childcare responsibilities include preparing meals for the children, dropping them off at/picking them up from school, playing with them, doing their washing, etc.

An au pair’s responsibilities depend on the age of the child they care for—and on our program, you can care for babies, toddlers, or school age children.

With babies who are 3 months of age or older, you can help care for them by feeding them, bathing them, nurturing their developing minds, and putting them down for naptimes and bedtimes.

If you care for a toddler, you’ll likely find yourself engaging in lots of creative play, spending time with them outside, and stimulating their minds with books and arts & crafts.

For school age children, au pairs often become role models and mentors, helping them with homework, and driving them to and from practices, games, lessons and appointments.

No matter what age(s) your host kid(s) are, chances are good you’ll develop a strong and special bond with them!

Check out a typical day in the life of an au pair to learn more about what your daily schedule and responsibilities might look like.

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Discover the benefits of our au pair program

Why be an au pair?

Being an au pair is so much more than caring for children. You’ll also attend college courses, make friends from around the world, and of course get the chance to explore the USA.

As an au pair, you’ll gain the following:

Personal Development

Through living abroad, you will gain independence and confidence—and emerge from this experience feeling ready for your next chapter in life.

Cultural Exchange

Live with a host family and experience the American way of life, while sharing your own culture and broadening your horizons through cultural exchange.

Professional Experience

Being an au pair can shape your future. Get work experience you can add to your CV, develop transferrable skills, and set yourself up for your next career move.

Travel Opportunities

Take the chance to get to know a new home while exploring the rest of the USA and its diverse cities and landscapes.

Educational Credits

Explore classes of your choice at an American university—you’ll gain international educational experience, have fun, and learn more about the world.

Lifelong Memories

Meet au pair friends from all around the world and make unforgettable memories together—all while building a global network.

Imagine exploring the USA. Imagine befriending people from all over the world. Imagine discovering a second family — and a second home. Imagine becoming an au pair.

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