Au Pair on your gap year

Au pairing around the world

The following information about au paring is listed on wikipedia:

Finland

An au pair’s responsibilities also include light housework, totaling six hours a day, five days a week. The au pair has her/his own room, is provided with food and is paid a weekly allowance amounting to at least €252 per month (minimum set by Finnish law). Additionally, the host family will arrange a Finnish language course to help the au pair communicate better with the children and get more out of his or her stay in Finland. Au pairs can stay with their host family for up to one year or negotiate a shorter stay.

United Kingdom

An au pair in the United Kingdom must be a national of the European Union or of one of the following countries: Andorra, Faroe Islands, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greenland, San Marino, Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Croatia or Monaco.  Although other European Economic Area nationals are not included in the au pair scheme, they are free to take au pair placements in the UK.

Nationals of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Croatia, Macedonia, and Turkey need a visa from their British Embassy or Consulate.

Au pair permits are limited to candidates who are unmarried, have no dependants, do not plan to stay in the UK for more than two years as an au pair, and can support and accommodate themselves without help from public funds. They are also required to leave the UK after completing their au pair period. Au pairs may move to another family as long as the new arrangements continue to meet immigration requirements.

The "British Au Pairs Agencies Association" (BAPAA) was created by 23 members of the "International Au Pairs Agencies Association" (IAPA). The main goal of BAPAA within the UK is liaising with the Home Office and other government officials to improve the process of visa applications for those countries where a visa is needed and setting standards for the industry within the United Kingdom.

United States

The United States au pair program offers qualified young people the opportunity to live and study in the U.S. for one or two years in exchange for providing up to 45 hours of childcare per week.  The au pair program was recently granted permission from the U.S. Department of State to offer a second year extension au pair program (6, 9 or 12 months), as well as a summer au pair program.

At the same time, the au pairs are required to complete an educational component of six semester hours of academic credit or its equivalent.[citation needed] At the end of one year, au pairs generally return to their home country, unless they and their host families choose to extend their stay for a further 6, 9 or 12 months. Alternatively, the au pair can choose to extend her period in the US with a different family. Most au pairs choose a family in a different part of the country, allowing them to have a different experience.

The rules of the Au Pair Program in the US are clear: au pairs are provided a private bedroom, meals, remuneration tied to the minimum wage ($157.95 per week, rising to $176.85 from 23 July 2008, and $195.75 as of 23 July 2009), 1½ days off weekly plus a full weekend off each month, two weeks paid vacation and the first $500 toward the costs of required course work to be completed at an accredited institution of higher education in order to satisfy the requirements of the educational component of the program.  Au pairs are not to work more than 10 hours per day or 45 hours per week, and are not to serve as general housekeepers or assume responsibility for household management.

The US EduCare Au Pair Program is also available for families with school-age children. In this program, the au pair works a lower number of hours (not more than 10 hours a day and not more than 30 hours a week) for a weekly minimum wage of $118.46 (raising to $132.64 on 24 July 2008, and $146.81 on 24 July 2009 in accordance with the federal minimum wage increases). The family pays $1000 in educational expenses, and the au pair is required to complete 12 hours of academic credit.

Au pairs placed with families who have children under two years old must have at least 200 hours of child care experience with infants under two.[citation needed] Au pairs may only be placed in a family with an infant under three months old if a parent or other adult caregiver is also home and fully responsible for the infant.

The Au Pair Program is administered by the US Department of State. Participating families and au pairs must work with one of the currently 12 approved agencies. Au pairs enter the United States on a J-1 Visa.

Basic Application Criteria

Potential au pairs must:

• must be aged 18-26
• have professional or practical childcare experience for at least 200 hours if looking after a child under 2
• agree to commit to a full year’s stay in the USA and be prepared to provide up to 45 hours of childcare a week
•  have completed their secondary school education.
• be proficient in spoken English
• have no criminal record
• have not previously been an au pair in America.

There are twelve sponsoring au pair agencies designated by the State Department. Host families typically pay these agencies an application fee and a program fee which varies from $5,500 to $7,200, depending on the agency used. The program fees cover expenses related to the arrival of the au pair and compliance with regulations governing the program. These include, but are not limited to, airfare, medical insurance, mandatory 32-hour education session on child development and safety and other expenses. Au pairs pay fees which vary depending on the US agency and the home country agency they use (if they do not apply directly to the US agency).

Europe

A new organisation named the European Committee for Au Pair Standards (ECAPS) was founded with the objective to create uniform European rules and guidelines for au pairs, host families and au pair agencies.  ECAPS is an initiative of the International Au Pair Association (IAPA), RAL Gütegemeinschaft Au pair e.V. (GAP) and participating national au pair agency organisations including the British Au Pair Agencies Association, Union Francaise des Association Au Pair, Au pair Society and Netherlands Au Pair Organisation.