This page is designed for young Canadians willing to participate in an Au Pair program abroad.
If you are from another country you want to be a Caregiver in Canada, click here.

Au Pair in the USAAu Pair in the USA / Go AuPair

Who is eligible
What the job is about
How to apply

Who is eligible?

In order to meet the program requirements for the USA, you need to:

• Be between the ages of 18-26
• Speak English proficiently
• Have previous childcare experience
• Have a current passport
• Have a valid driver's license
• Be a non-smoker and sign a non-smoking agreement
• Have no criminal background
• Have finished secondary school
• Be committed to stay one full year in the United States
• Never have participated in a United States Au Pair program
• Complete the training provided by the agency

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What is the job about ?

Duties and Responsibilities of an Au Pair:

• Work 45 hours per week
• Provide alert, responsible childcare
• Involve host family's children in activities and games that foster positive growth and development
• Prepare meals and snacks for the children, and cleaning up afterwards
• Drive the children to school, lessons, and other appointments and activities
• Pick up the children after school
• Do the children's laundry, as well as own
• Make the children's beds
• Straighten the children's rooms
• Keep own living quarters clean and tidy
• Observe family "rules, traditions, and curfews" and set a good example for the children
• Be ready to work at the agreed upon start time, showered, dressed and ready to go
• Immediately inform the host family of any problems or issues that occur while the children are in your care
• Act responsible at all times
• Handle situations maturely
• Be flexible; living with a family requires adapting to new ways of thinking and doing things
• Be positive, helpful and courteous
• Commit to stay for a full year
• Complete six semester credit hours (72 classroom hours) at an American college, university, or other post-secondary institution. This is a USIS program requirement, and is necessary to receive the $500 completion bonus
• Pay promptly for personal expenses such a long distance telephone calls (such expenses should be kept within Au Pair’s personal budget)

Family's Responsibilities:

• A commitment to treat the Au Pair as a family member, as opposed to an "employee;" and to give the Au Pair the respect a trusted childcare provider deserves
• A detailed job description, an outline of the Au Pair's specific responsibilities
• A reasonable work schedule (up to 45 hours a week, no more than 10 hours a day, 1 1/2 days off each week), which should be given to the Au Pair before accepting placement
• Pay the Au Pair at least $139.05 per week pocket money (the host family and the Au Pair will decide if this should be paid weekly or every other week)
• Provide the Au Pair with full boarding and lodging
• A private bedroom
• A fair amount of time off to allow the Au Pair to pursue personal interests, attend school, and meet new friends
• Adult supervision for the Au Pair's first three days [with either an adult host family member, the family’s previous Au Pair, or another responsible adult] to help her/him adjust to her/his new environment

Duration of assignment:

1 year commitment

Time off:

One and a half days off each week that cannot be necessarily during the weekend. However the Au pair is entitled to a full weekend (Friday evening through Monday morning) off each month
Two weeks paid holiday, at a mutually agreed upon time between the family and the Au Pair
Upon completion of one-year adventure, the Au Pair can also take advantage of an additional bonus month that allows extra travel time in the USA

Pocket Money:

At least US$139.05 per week pocket money (the host family and the Au Pair will decide if this should be paid weekly or every other week)
The Au Pair will also have full boarding and lodging
Up to US$500 towards the cost of 6 semester hours of post-secondary coursework, as well as transportation to the class

Deposit:

To ensure Au Pair’s commitment to the program, he/she must pay a $500 airfare and training contribution. It will be returned to the Au Pair as a completion bonus upon successful completion of the program year

Au Pair's Expenses:

The Au Pair is responsible for her/his own toiletries and entertainment

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How to apply ?

The Application Process:

• Read the terms and conditions of the program
• Submit a Completed Application Form
• Attach 8 smiling passport-sized photographs and also a selection of photographs of the Au Pair with own family and with the children looked after
• Attach copies of Diploma, School Certificates and First Aid Certificates
• Attach completed Physician’s Report
• Attach Criminal Record Check
• Attach a copy of own Driver’s License
• Attach a copy of Passport
• Attach at least two non-family related Childcare References using the forms provided and at least one non family related Character Reference
• Attach a “Dear Host Family” including childcare experience, work experience, hobbies and the reasons for going abroad and any other Information that would help support the application
• Contact us by mail, phone or e-mail to schedule an appointment for an interview

What Happens Next

The Au Pair will be scheduled an appointment for a personal interview
The Au Pair’s completed application will be then sent to our partner’s office where the matching process will start; the more flexible the Au Pair is in terms of expectations and requirements, the more families he/she will have to choose from
After selecting the host family, the Au Pair will receive the necessary paperwork to obtain the proper J-1visa. This paperwork must be processed by the American Embassy before travel. The airline ticket will usually arrive between one and two weeks before the Au Pair is scheduled to leave
The earlier the Au Pair applies the better chances are of placement

Orientation:

One of our representatives will conduct a thorough orientation with the Au Pair
Our partner agency gives the Au Pair complete support, from the beginning, right up until the day of returning home through:

• Full, legal Au Pair sponsorship; including, a J-1 Visa that will allow the applicant to work as an Au Pair within our program for 12 months, and to travel within the USA for one additional mont
  
• Professional match; the application gets to a group of host families that best match the applicant’s qualifications, which means the placement time is also faster! If any one of these families feels that the applicant is a good match for their family, they will initiate an interview with the Au Pair
  
• Complete information about each family after potential host families have interviewed the Au Pair. Once a host family offers the applicant a position there is the option to accept placement or to continue the search
  
• Recreational activities; our host families live in over 200 communities nationwide; some are close to theaters, museums, historical sites, or exciting recreation areas. Also some are near ski slopes, camping, hiking, or other outdoor recreation areas
  
• Detailed travel itinerary; the host family will meet the Au Pair at the airport
  
• 32 hours of valuable training in child development and safety, at no cost to the Au Pair
  
• Provision of basic health insurance policy; if a more comprehensive policy is preferred, this is available at a very reasonable price
  
• Support to guide the Au Pair and assistance throughout the year through our system of worldwide representatives, local area representatives and our home office
  
• Access to our partner’s informative, web-based quarterly newsletter, as well as own free e-mail address
  
• Convenient Au Pair Home Line telephone calling card
  
• Introduction to other Au Pairs that live close by; arrangement of activities so that the Au Pair can begin making new friends
  
• Showing her/him how to open a local bank account
  
• Telling the Au Pair how to obtain a driver's license for the state he/she is in
  
• Explaining what unique educational opportunities exist in your area and how she/he can take advantage of them
  
• Assistance through our partner’s program that will allow the Au Pair to stay with other host families while traveling, at no cost. Assistance with other travel arrangements is provided year-round. Many tours are available and our partner's discount student holiday activities will help you travel inexpensively
  
• Completion certificate and a $500 completion bonus at the end of the Au Pair’s successful year

Visa:

Canadian citizens can obtained their visa at the Canadian/US border
Canadian residents might need to apply for a visa at their home country embassies
Insurance Information:

Each Au Pair is covered by a basic health insurance plan. This insurance plan meets all State Department standards for insurance requirements. There is no cost to the Au Pair for this coverage; it is paid for through the fee the host family pays the partner agency
A few key features of this coverage are:

• A $100 deductible for each illness
• Maximum coverage of $50,000 for medical treatment

Information about this insurance plan is available at our agency for review
In addition to the basic health insurance plan provided to each Au Pair there is also a supplemental Health and Accident Policy through World Inter Partner. Several features of the supplemental policy are:

• Unlimited coverage for physician, hospital care, and prescription medication (with the exclusion of routine visits and checkups)
• No deductible
• Optional Third Party Liability Coverage can also be obtained under the upgrade

We recommend that each Au Pair consider purchasing the insurance upgrade, as medical costs in the United States are very expensive. A complete summary of this coverage can be obtained from our agency

Travel:

Our partner agency has its own internal travel agent that coordinates both inbound and outbound Au Pair travel
If the Au Pair would like to travel in the U.S.A. during the 13th month—our partner agency can offer exciting tour packages through Trek America and Willow Creek Travel
There is also a program that allows the Au Pair to stay with other host families across the country—saving money and giving the Au Pair a chance to meet other Au Pairs while visiting the U.S.A.!

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This chapter is designed to give you an idea about the program and familiarize you with the costs. It does not intent to be a real chart. The airfare, insurance and visa costs may vary from time to time and from agency to agency.

For special requirements please contact us at: aupair@aupair.ca