Participating as an au pair in the Au pair in America program is one of the best ways to discover the US. You experience everyday life with a carefully selected American family and earn weekly pocket money by providing childcare as an au pair.
Au pairs are international visitors who, on a J-1 Visitor Exchange visa, live with an American family of their choice for a minimum of 12 months whilst caring for their children.
If you meet all of our program requirements, then register by clicking on the ‘Apply Now’ button! If you currently do not meet all of the program requirements, then contact Scotia Personnel to discuss what you need to do to obtain the missing requirements.
This program give you plenty of free time to explore, study, travel and make new friends – plus you have support throughout your stay.
The US is a great and diverse country with so much to see and experience!
As an au pair in America you will live with your carefully selected host family in one of 200 cluster areas around the United States of America. A ‘cluster’ is the area where you live, and at the head of each cluster is a community counselor who is there to ensure that both you and your host family are having a successful time together. Au pairs provide up to 45 hours of childcare assistance per week. Au pairs receive a weekly stipend, are provided with a private room and full board (3 meals per day), and other benefits. As a member of the household, you may appreciate the value of gifts and other benefits that your host family may provide during your time in the United States. Benefits may include home computer, telephone and internet use, personal transportation or use of a family car, recreation and leisure activities, as well as the availability of other household items that you may use.
As an equal member of your host family, you will have your own private room and all meals provided with your host family. You will be a role model, friend and companion to your host children so a genuine love for children is important! With 2 weeks paid vacation, you will have lots of free time to explore your local area and to travel to new and exciting places! You can go on trips with your friends, join an organized tour with Trek America, or just do it on your own!
Living with an American host family as an Au Pair in America not only introduces you to American culture and lifestyle. You will get to know so many other cultures through the friends you make during your stay. You will be one of over 4000 au pairs from more than 60 countries who travel to America each year with Au Pair in America. A real cultural exchange experience! Become an au pair in America – the meaningful way to experience a slice of life in the USA.
The following is an example of a benefit package that will be offered to you during your one-year stay in the USA:
- Room and board provided
- Weekly pocket money**
- 4 Day Orientation near New York City (airfare, hotel and meals provided)
- Tuition allowance US $500.00 provided
- Flight included
- Medical.
**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.
Applicants must meet the following qualifications:
- Be aged 18 to 26 years old
- Hold a valid driver’s license
- Have 200 hours of recent childcare experience, such as regular babysitting for non-family members, helping at a local school, youth group, etc; your local interviewer can help you in classifying your experience
- In order to care for children under 2 years old, the 200 hours of experience must be with children under 2
- Have completed your secondary education ( High School )
- Speak English
- Not have a criminal record and be able to provide a police record check or certificate of good conduct
- Agree to the programme’s code of conduct and rules
- Agree to a full years commitment
- Not have previously participated in an au pair programme to the USA.
For those individuals with an Early Childhood Education (ECE), a Bachelor of Education degree, etc., the Au pair Extraordinaire programme is available, This programme is the same as the Aupair programme outlined above, with the exception of an increased weekly pocket money allowance.
Because every host family is different, your daily schedule will be varied. It will depend a lot on the ages and needs of the children you are caring for and the individual requirements of your host family.
As an au pair, your responsibilities are centred on the children and you won’t be expected to do heavy housework.
If the children in your family go to school then your schedule will work around those hours. If you’re caring for babies or younger children then your routine will probably be more fixed.
Not one day will be the same! That’s the great thing about caring for children and living in an amazing country with so many opportunities to travel and explore!
A day in the life of an au pair might include:
- Waking the children up
- Dressing, bathing, and playing with them
- Preparing their meals
- Making their beds and doing the children’s laundry
- Driving them to and from school or after-school activities, playdates, etc.
- Tidying up after them
- Helping them with homework
- Being their friend and having fun!
- Sharing your own culture through songs, games, stories, cooking, etc!
Please visit Scotia Personnel’s Au pair in America website which includes additional information and content highlighting this amazing program!