Au pair

Au pairs are foreign-national childcare assistants, working for and living with host families.

Typically, au pairs are young women (between the ages of 18 and 27 years old) who take on a share of the family's childcare responsibilities, babysitting services and light housework duties, and who receive board and a pocket-money allowance in return.

The au pair is intended to become a member of the family, both parties benefiting and learning about the other's culture.

Nanny

Benefits of hiring an au pair

Hosting an au pair is an educational and rewarding experience. Your family will learn about a foreign country, culture and language. You can share your family's culture and compare your daily lives, whilst building life-long friendships.
Your children can be cared for in the comfort and security of their own home.
Au pairs provide flexible childcare solutions.
An au pair's duties can be adapted to meet your family's unique childcare requirements.
Au pairs can help maintain the cleanliness and neatness of your home as effected by your children.
Hiring an au pair is less expensive than other forms of childcare.
An au pair package can be tailored to meet your family's needs and budget.

Au pair insurance

Au pairs are to be covered by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

This is obtained in the applicant's home country and will entitle your au pair to free medical & hospital treatment.

Depending on arrangements made during the interview stages, this can either be paid by the au pair or by the host family.

Our au pairs

Hiring the right au pair requires considerate evaluation of the type of person who will best suit your family.
We offer you a personal service where we listen to your needs and work as a team to match the qualifications, experience and personality of an au pair to best fit in with your family structure.

We only place au pairs of the highest calibre. All of our au pairs undergo comprehensive screening and selection procedures.
Our background investigations include checking employer references (a minimum of two), medical reports and police clearance checks.

Au pair working conditions

The European Committee for Au Pair Standards has set certain conditions regarding au pairs' accommodation, working hours and free time:

Au pairs should be provided with their own heated and fully furnished room which should have a window.
Au pairs can work 30 hours per week (or 6 hours per day based on a 5 day week).
Au pairs may be required to carry out babysitting services twice a week, including 1 night on the weekend.
Au pairs should be given 2 days off per week (1 of which should be on the weekend).
Au pairs should be given a minimum of 2 weeks holiday (based on 12 month contract).
Au pairs who wish to attend language classes or religious services should be given free time to do so.

An agreement can be reached where a family pays their au pair overtime for longer hours worked.

Au pair working conditions

Au pair hours

Standard au pairs will work between 20 and 30 hours per week but Careway also offers an au pair plus programme for 30 to 40 hours per and a demi au pair programme for families who need 10 to 20 hours assistance per week.

Au pair salary

Au pairs receive pocket money and Careway recommends between €100 and €150 for the standard programme, between €150 and €250 for an au pair plus and between €60 and €100 for a demi au pair.

Agency fee

All programmes have a registration fee of €45 and a placement fee of €279 (0 to 6 month placements) or €445 (6+ months) except our infant specialized programme which has a placement fee of €545.