An au pair is a young person from abroad employed by a ‘host family’ to care for their children. Au pairs provide a live-in form of childcare and provide a unique cultural and learning experience. When we think about what an au pair offers a family, it is hard to simply label their role as ‘childcare’ or ‘kind of like a nanny’ – because it is much more than a job. An au pair joins your family to bond with the children and provide one-on-one care, love and stability in the place which matters most – your child’s home.
The word au pair comes from the French word ‘on par’ or ‘equal to’ and with most au pairs living with the host family for up to a year, it’s not surprising they become an integral and much loved family member. It’s not uncommon for au pairs and families to stay in touch after their time together.
Why choose an au pair?
At Au Pair Link, we hear stories every day about the difference having an au pair has made to parents’ busy lives and the well-being and happiness of their children. There are four main reasons why we believe an au pair is a great option for busy families.
- Help and support
Not only can our au pairs provide a world-class learning experience, they are also there to help with preparing children’s meals and take care of laundry duties and other tasks related to the children. Au pairs are also great for children who don’t fit into the box of mainstream childcare, for example families in rural communities or children with special educational needs.
- Convenience and flexibility
Your au pair is there when you need them – as a live-in caregiver and educator; your au pair is there to make life easier. No more waking the kids up at 6am so you can drop them off at daycare or fretting about finding a last minute babysitter. Your au pair is there to help.
- Affordability
You can get full time care and education for your children from only $190 net per week. Host families actually find that it is a more cost-effective form of childcare than the pay-per-child-per-hour model. With Au Pair Link you’ll also have access to 20 Hours ECE government subsidy for children aged 3-5 years as well as WINZ childcare subsidies.
- Cultural experience
Having someone from a different culture caring for your children is a fun and educational experience. Au pairs share their culture, language and values, allowing your children to be exposed to different and valuable experiences from their peers and giving them a head start.
Our au pairs
Because your children are too precious to leave with just anyone, all our au pairs go through a rigorous screening process – including police and medical record checks, childcare and character references and a personal interview to assess their English speaking ability and suitability caring for young children. All our au pairs also have at least 200 hours of documented childcare experience. (On average our au pairs have 1300 hours of documented childcare experience!)
Having an au pair can be a wonderful fulfilling experience for the entire family. Au pairs become part of the family; he or she adapts to family routines ensuring children feel secure and confident. An au pair also helps free up parental time providing the opportunity to enjoy quality time with their children.
For more information, contact Au Pair Link’s friendly team on 0800 AU PAIR (287 247) or visit www.aupairlink.co.nz or find them on Facebook.
