If the idea of hosting a foreign exchange student appeals to you, then an au pair might be an option. An au pair is a young person in the United States on a cultural exchange visa. In exchange for the chance to experience American culture, she or he agrees to take on up to 45 hours per week of child care responsibilities. Like nannies, au pairs care for children in the home. However, an au pair is not an employee, but rather a member of the family for the time she is in the United States.
Agencies take care of much of the paperwork and the stress of finding a compatible match for your family.
Children learn about another culture, and sometimes they are introduced to a new language. Many families cite the international social experience as the primary reason they chose an au pair.
You receive flexible and convenient child care from someone who gets to know the children and their routines very well.
Although hosting an au pair isn't cheap ‑- you must pay agency fees, a weekly stipend, and room and board ‑- it does cost less than hiring a full-time, qualified nanny.
Au pairs can only stay for a specified time, although new rules have extended the maximum time to two years from one.
In-home care is the only option when you bring in an au pair, and the loss of family privacy is difficult for some. Also, your home must be big enough to allow an au pair her own room.
Au pairs do not necessarily consider child care a chosen profession, and their experience and skills vary widely.
Because au pairs are fairly young (18 to 26) you may feel as if you've taken on the responsibility of raising a teenager along with your own young children. Even when au pairs and family members adjust easily, there's a give-and-take to the relationship that you might not experience with other types of caregivers.
"Ask to see a copy of the brochure that the au pair agency uses to recruit au pairs. That way you can decide whether the agency does an adequate job of informing the potential au pairs of the reality of the position. If the brochure emphasizes glamour and travel rather than the day-to-day drudgery of caring for young children, you could end up with a highly disillusioned au pair."
‑-Ann Douglas in The Unofficial Guide to Childcare
Au Pairing Up!: How to Maximize the Rewards and Minimize the Learning Curves of America's Best Childcare Solution
by Ruth K. Liebermann
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