Resources
Au Pair Agencies
The United States Department of State-through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs-has designated several au pair organizations to administer the Exchange Visitor visas (known as J-1 visas) that some au pairs use to enter the United States. These programs are reputable sources of au pairs, as they are the direct connection to au pairs with the J-1 visa.
Exchange Visitor Visa Providers
(J-1 Visa)
(Please let us know if you discover changes in any of the information for one of these agencies.
Thanks in advance. — APM)
Agent Au Pair
1450 Sutter Street
#526
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-462-1906
www.agentaupair.com
Au Pair In America/
American Institute for Foreign Study
River Plaza
9 West Broad Street
Stamford, CT 06902
800-928-7247 (toll-free)
203-399-5025
www.aupairinamerica.org
AuPairCare
600 California Street
Floor 10
San Francisco, CA 94108
800-4AU-PAIR
www.aupaircare.com
Cultural Care Au Pair
One Education Street
Cambridge, MA 02141
800-333-6056
www.efaupair.org
Cultural Homestay International Au Pair USA
104 Butterfield Road
San Anselmo, CA 94960
800-432-4643 (toll-free)
415-459-5397
www.chiaupairusa.org
EurAuPair Intercultural Child Care Programs
www.euraupair.com
(Contact information varies by region. Check the Web site for your regional office.)
goAUPAIR
111 East 12300
South Draper, UT 84020
888-287-2471
www.goaupair.com
Au Pair Foundation
1010 B Street
Suite 200
San Rafael, CA 94910
866-428-7274 (toll-free)
415-257-4783
www.aupairfoundation.org
InterExchange Au Pair USA
161 Sixth Avenue
New York, NY 10013
212-924-0446
www.interexchange.org
USAuPair, Inc.
P.O. Box 2126
Lake Oswego, OR 97035
503-697-6872
www.usaupair.com
The State Department’s au pair program provides a uniform set of requirements for both au pairs and the families that host them. Au pairs placed through this program can remain with the family for up to one year, although under some circumstances, this can be extended an extra year. The au pairs are expected to provide up to 45 hours of childcare per week (up to ten hours per day), and must also be enrolled in at least six hours of post-secondary course work at an accredited school, which includes a community college. Au pairs in this program are not allowed to care for infants less than three months of age, unless there is a responsible adult present. In addition to a weekly payment and an educational stipend, families are expected to provide the au pair with a separate bedroom, use of a vehicle, and all meals. Au pairs are also entitled to two weeks of paid vacation and at least one weekend off every month.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I am a local care coordinator for a national au pair agency. I help keep the relationships of the au pairs and host families running smoothly. If anyone has any questions about the program or Cultural Care, contact me via e-mail. I have many helpful hints and suggestions.
Hey Jill,
my question is if Au Pairs from Cultural Care Au Pair have to pay income taxes???
Because I got a letter from my Bank Susquehanna with the Form W-8BEN and they want that I have to pay a 30% tax for the money I earn!!!
Why is something like that coming from my bank and not from IRS???
I will fly to Germany in the beginning of April and will then return to the USA to finish my Au Pair year!
What should I do???
Close my bank account and fly home and then try to reentry the USA???
I arrived in the end of July 2009.
Please let me know what you think!
Thanks.
Sincerly,
Katharina
Hiii i need some help! I’ve got an Au Pairing job which I didnt get through an agency and the family have never had an Au Pair before. It’s based in Canada and I’m in the UK. Does anyone know any security checks/ things I can do, just to make sure the people are who they say they are. They baby has not been born yet and I just wish to check them out before hand but have no idea what to do.
Thank you
Well, definitely Google the heck out of them before you go. It doesn’t guarantee you’ll find anything, but you never know, you might find something. If he says he’s an engineer, try to see if you can find a LinkedIn profile for him that verifies that. Give your parents or a close friend ALL of their information- address, phone number, the fact that your bedroom will be on the 2nd floor facing the garden, etc. Beyond that, call someone back AS SOON as you land. Don’t wait to get to their house. Tell them you’ve arrived, and they are right there picking you up. Snap a picture of their house and send it back home as soon as you can. If something seems off, it probably is and don’t wait, just book it and make apologies later.
Finally, read between the lines and picture of everything they send you now. Here’s an anecdote- when I was talking to my first HF online, they sent me loads of pictures of their house, the kids, and what would be my room. I was super excited, nothing looked wrong, and showed them to my mom. After a minute of looking, she said sharply, “Why are there iron bars on your bedroom window?” I hadn’t even noticed!! (There was an explanation). So, constant vigilance. Be careful.
Ask for references. For my agency, I had to supply an employer reference (I guess to prove that I was employed and able to pay an AP), and 2 friend references (1 of which could not be family member). Ask for them to supply the names of 3 references.