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What is an
Au Pair?
What is an au pair?
An au pair is somebody who joins a family to take on childcare and light housework in return for accommodation, food and pocket money.
This mutually beneficial cultural exchange scheme allows the au pair to become part of a family, experience a new country and learn another language. Families hosting an au pair enjoy expanding their horizons by bringing a new culture and language into their home.
The Au Pair Programme has been operating for decades and assists au pairs from overseas with finding host families who are looking for help with childcare.
Au pairs are usually aged between 18 and 30, although sometimes an au pair can be older if they don’t require a visa.
At Square AuPair, the vast majority of our au pairs are young people aged between 18 and 21 years old taking a 6 to 12-month gap year who want to work overseas, improve their knowledge of a foreign language and experience another culture.
As well as taking care of the children, au pairs can also undertake light housework. However, an au pair is not intended to be a housekeeper. Instead, an au pair should be considered as a member of the family – like a big sister or brother – who is there to help with the children while learning about British culture and improving their language skills.
Tasks that can be undertaken by an au pair:
- Washing dishes, including loading and unloading the dishwasher
- Preparing simple meals for the children
- Keeping the kitchen clean and tidy, including sweeping and mopping floors
- Loading and unloading the children’s laundry into the washing machine
- Ironing for children
- Putting washed clothes away
- Vacuuming
- Dusting
- Making and changing the children’s beds
- Cleaning the children’s bathroom
- Keeping their own bedroom and bathroom areas clean and tidy
- Light shopping, such as picking up extra milk and bread. This should not be the entire household grocery shop
- Walking and feeding pets
- Emptying bins
Au pairs should not undertake heavy housework and are not housekeepers.
The following tasks are unsuitable for an au pair:
- Gardening
- Window cleaning
- Spring or deep cleaning of a property
- Cleaning the oven, other than simple wiping out
- Washing carpets
- Washing the car
- Weekly shopping
- Pet training
- Clearing up after untrained pets
- Making beds for parents
- Ironing for parents
- Cleaning an en-suite or bathroom for parents
- Cooking the family’s meals, unless the au pair enjoys cooking and has chosen to do this occasionally for the family
- Due to safety reasons, au pairs should not undertake any ironing while taking care of toddlers or children of primary school age
For more information and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit our FAQs page.
Our au pairs have a variety of experience. If you are looking for an au pair with a particular skill we can assist you with finding the perfect individual.
Fees for providing an au pair will vary depending upon the length of the placement. Please visit our fees page to find out more about the costs involved for our search and selection service.
