Au Pair Positions

• "Au pair" is essentially a fancy name for babysitter.  If you have babysitting experience and enjoy working with children this can be an ideal way to live inexpensively in a foreign country and experience the culture.
• Au pair positions give you an opportunity to live in a foreign location with free room & board and spending money
• Au pair positions tend to be predominantly filled by women. Men are occasionally hired, particularly when the children are male, but not usually.
• Most positions involve working about 30 hours a week (5 hours a day/ 6 days a week) and focus on child care.
• Au pairs are sometimes asked to do light housework, cooking or other duties
• Read any agreement carefully before you sign it.
• Make sure you know what is expected of you including the housing arrangements you will receive.
• You must be reliable, enjoy children, patient and creative.
• There are numerous agencies that will match you with potential families; be sure to investigate the agency through the Better Business Bureau and through references before you sign.

Try these listings for Au Pair opportunities: 

• The International Au Pair Association (IAPA) 
  An association of agencies involved in locating and placing au pairs worldwide.  This website allows you to research au pair agencies in 44 countries.
  
• Au Pair in Europe  
  Explore one of 19 different countries and become fluent in a new language.  Contracts range from 3 months (summer only) to one year.     
  
• International Cultural Exchange Programs Scholarship Foundation (ICEP)
  ICEP has an Au-Pair in Turkey program which welcomes females between 18-29 to stay between 3 and 12 months.  The host family must provide a private room for the au-pair and pay a minimum of Euro 200 a month pocket money, depending on the au pair's working hours.
  
• Eupair
  Eaupair is an online matching service to register and search by country for au pair work.
  
• Hera Holding
  This website gives you the answers to FAQ’s about Nannies:  What is a Nanny?  What does a nanny do? What salary and benefits can a nanny can expect?
  
• Payaway.
  This directory has links to over 80 sites offering au pair and nanny jobs abroad

Content for this page provided by:
Dr. Kate Brooks, Director, Liberal Arts Career Services, University of Texas at Austin