As an official sponsor of the U.S. State Department-regulated au pair program, we have placed more than 145,000 au pairs in the homes of American host families. Our community of host families and au pairs have created memories and cross-cultural connections that last a lifetime!
Create a quick profile to gain access to our pool of online au pair profiles. Start the search for your family’s next live-in caregiver today!
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Choosing childcare is no easy decision. Because as parents, we don’t ever want to compromise on quality, flexibility, and trust when finding care for the most important people in the world. Hosting a Cultural Care au pair gives thousands of families across the country those very important benefits.
Cultural Care Au Pair has the largest number of candidates year-round, all of whom must undergo an extensive, multi-step screening process. We have more than 5,000 au pairs from more than 25 countries in our database. Start browsing today!
An au pair is a young adult aged 18-26 from overseas who lives with an American family on a legal visa for up to two years. While in the U.S., they provide childcare support in exchange for living as a part of your family, room and board, and support towards their required academic studies. Au pairs travel to the US and become a part of your family while also having the opportunity to travel and truly experience life in the United States.
Many people use the terms ”au pair” and “nanny” interchangeably, but there are some important distinctions to make between the two. First, an au pair, by definition, is a young person from overseas who joins an American family to care for their children. They travel on a legal, one-year cultural exchange visa through a designated au pair agency. Au pairs are live-in caregivers who initially commit to a one-year stay but have the opportunity to extend their time in the U.S. for 6, 9 or 12 months. Their working hours and conditions are regulated by the U.S. Department of State.
Au pairs have at least 200 hours of experience (usually many more) as babysitters, tutors, kindergarten assistants, camp counselors and sports instructors. All au pairs attend a training program before joining their American host families. They are excited to join an American family and immerse themselves in American culture.
The term “nanny” on the other hand, is a more general term that can be used to describe both professionally trained caregivers and those with less formal experience.
Hosting an au pair has been an amazing experience for many American families, but the program is not right for everyone! You should consider hosting an au pair if the following statements are all true:
Most families find the cost of hosting an au pair to be comparable to daycare or nannies on an annual basis. Though payments are not made monthly—and host families may agree with their au pairs to pay a higher weekly stipend amount than the required minimum—for easy comparison, au pair program costs average out to about $1,775 per month. As a host family, you may also incur additional costs, such as room and board for your au pair, additional insurance (if applicable), and any other “extras” that will help make your au pair’s time in the U.S. more enjoyable.
Yes, Cultural Care Au Pair arranges for au pairs to arrive in groups almost every week out of the year.
During your search for an au pair, your Matching Specialist will work with you to find candidates for you based on your criteria or simply act as a resource for help or advice. After you’re matched with an au pair, you’ll have support throughout the year from your Local Childcare Consultant (LCC) and Account Manager.