What Is an Au Pair?

Au pairs are young adults who come from abroad to support your family with live-in child care. They provide up to 45 hours of child care per week and are available to fit the specific needs of your family. Au pairs also receive room & board and a stipend. Along with agency fees, our program costs approximately $7.50 an hour. That's per family, not per child!  

Our au pairs are excited to work with you and your children while learning and participating in life in the U.S!  Au pairs are much more than domestic employees; they’re part of a vibrant cultural and educational exchange program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Your au pair will also become a part of your family! You will become "host parents" and your family will look forward to sharing family meals and events with your au pair.  Read more about the benefits of hosting an au pair.

Au pairs contribute a lot to their host families, including:

  • Dropping the children off and picking them up from school or activities
  • Helping children with homework
  • Assisting in keeping the children's rooms and play area clean
  • Preparing snacks and meals for the children
  • Staying home during school vacations, when your child is sick or on those unexpected snow days

Your children—and your entire family—will benefit from this unique, long-term cultural exchange program. And because your au pair will stay with your family for up to two years, you’ll enjoy a consistent relationship that is hard to find elsewhere. Learn about host family responsibilities.

Our Au Pairs...

Every au pair who comes to the U.S. must be sponsored by a U.S. Department of State-approved organization like InterExchange Au Pair USA and must fulfill the following requirements:

  • Are between the ages of 18 and 26
  • Speak English
  • Commit to at least 12 months with the host family
  • Receive training in child safety & development
  • Have at least 200 hours of documented infant child care experience if caring for a child under the age of two
  • Have an international driver’s license
  • Complete at least 6 credits of college-level classes (or their equivalent) per year

InterExchange Au Pair USA screens and interviews all applicants to our program thoroughly to make sure that they meet these requirements. Learn more about our screening and matching process.