Cultural Care Au Pair will work with you every step of the way to find a great au pair for your family. If you are new to the program, Cultural Care will check to see if your family meets certain requirements to ensure you are eligible to host an au pair. To host an au pair, you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, pass a criminal background check, and provide a private bedroom for your au pair. To verify your family’s eligibility, we will review your online application and conduct an in-home interview before finalizing your match.
The au pair matching process
Follow the 6 easy steps below to welcome your new au pair! We recommend that you register 2-3 months in advance of when you would like them to arrive, although the process can also move more quickly if you’re able to spend dedicated time each day to making connections with potential candidates.
Your personal support team
During your search for an au pair, you can always depend on the support of your Matching Specialist, who can find candidates for you based on your criteria or simply act as a resource for help or advice. In addition, you’ll have three other members on your support team during the year. Your support team of four includes: your Matching Specialist, Local Childcare Consultant, Account Manager, and Customer Relations Manager.
Watch our ‘steps to host an au pair’ video
Learn more about the process of hosting an au pair.
‘Steps to host an au pair’ video transcript
If you are ready to become a host family and welcome an au pair into your home—that’s so exciting! I know I had a lot of questions when we first decided to host an au pair so I’m going to walk you through what comes next so that you can get started.
First, I want to say that the Cultural Care team is available to help you with any questions you have or if you need help navigating this process.
Once you’re ready, the first step is to register online. This will allow you to start your host family profile and begin looking at available au pairs.
Next, you’ll want to speak with your Matching Specialist who is assigned to you as soon as you register. Your Matching Specialist will be able to give you great advice on finding an au pair who is a good fit for your family needs. This is especially true if you’re a first-time host family. Your Matching Specialist will reach out to you, but you can also find their contact information in your online account.
You will also want to be in touch with your Local Childcare Consultant or LCC. Your LCC lives in your community and supports the group of au pairs and host families in your area. She or he can also be a great resource for you, not only during your search for an au pair, but if you have a question about the program or want to know what your local group is like. Your LCC will also schedule an in-home interview with you before your au pair arrives.
Once you find an au pair who looks interesting to you, you’ll want to schedule a time to talk, usually through video chatting using Skype, Facetime or some other app. Cultural Care recommends speaking with an au pair at least three times before making a final decision. I’m going to suggest again that you be in touch with your Matching Specialist because he or she will be glad to guide you through all of this.
Once you choose your au pair and she confirms that she wants to join your family, Cultural Care will schedule her flights based on your agreed upon arrival date and put things into motion overseas to make sure that she’s ready to leave.
In between the time you choose your au pair and the time she arrives, it’s important to stay in touch. Regular video chats or emails are a great way to communicate until she arrives at the Training School and then finally, to your home!
This entire process can take just a few weeks or a few months, depending on your needs and schedule.
