Search for and communicate with au pairs using our app
Childcare you can trust like family
Welcome an au pair as part of your family
Learn about your au pair’s home country and share your American culture
Au pairs versus nannies
Our exclusive matching tools
An older sibling, a mentor, a helper
Find the right au pair for your family
Download our app
The easiest way to find the right au pair for you
Create your account
Download our app or sign up online
Interview au pairs
Choose your family’s best match
Prepare for arrival
Rely on us for logistics and prep
Welcome your au pair
Start your exchange experience
Questions?
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Au pair program FAQs
An au pair lives with your family and helps care for your children. They provide childcare on a schedule you decide (up to 10 hours per day, no more than 45 hours per week) and can help with tasks related to childcare, such as laundry, meal preparation, light housekeeping, and transportation to and from school/extracurricular activities. Au pairs become like extended family members, and it is common for host families to stay in touch with their au pairs long after their program term has ended.
In order to become a host family with Cultural Care, families must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, pass a criminal background check, and provide a suitable private bedroom for their au pair.
In addition, families must be willing to embrace the spirit of the au pair program—meaning they are ready and excited to participate in a cultural exchange and invest time into building a relationship with their au pair.
All au pairs commit to staying with their host families in the U.S. for at least one year, and they arrive with a legal J-1 visa allowing them to do so. Towards the end of their first year, au pairs can choose to extend their time with their current family or with a new one for an additional 12, 9 or 6 months. Au pairs must complete their Education Requirement and be in good standing with the program in order to extend.
The Cultural Care app makes matching with au pairs easy! After signing up and creating your profile, you’ll be able to search for au pairs in the app and use our filters to narrow down your search. You can favorite the candidates you like best and start a chat or video call right through the app as well. Once you find a great match, you'll extend an offer to join your family. (Au pairs can initiate a match too). If you have questions or need help along the way, our team of Matching Specialists is available throughout your search.
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Cultural Care Kids First Foundation
We create a brighter future for kids all over the world by providing opportunities that enrich children's lives.
¹Monthly minimum average cost to host an au pair, regardless of the number of children the au pair cares for. This cost includes the agency fees and the minimum weekly stipend paid directly to the au pair for 52 weeks, including 2 weeks of paid vacation. Does not include incidental costs of hosting an au pair, such as meals, insurance, and other amenities. Read more about our au pair program pricing.
²Based on an average hourly rate of $18 per hour for 45 hours per week of care for 50 weeks.