Host Family Information
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN AU PAIR AND A NANNY
An Au Pair is a young typically female, usually on their “gap” year following high school or during University, who travels to another country to live with a host family. In exchange for board and salary they provide assistance with child care and domestic duties.
They are not trained child care workers and instead learn their role from the host parents or incumbent au pair/nanny.
A Nanny is a trained child care worker, they have studied and passed a recognised course in childcare. They can live in or out however foreign nannies again live in and receive a salary in exchange for childcare. It must be noted that nannies to live in from overseas are quite the exception, 99% of our child carers are au pairs. Nanny placements are very rare with Nannies usually applying for roles on arrival in Australia with much higher salaries.
FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES
Families need to provide a separate bedroom and access to a bathroom (can be private or shared). Meals, board and weekly salary as agreed in the letter of offer. The salary should be paid on approximately the same day each week so the girls can rely on their income to be there when they require it.
Families also need to provide the opportunity to spend time with the family during their family time. This may include sharing meals together, inviting the au pair to join in on outings, holidays or simple fun you have sharing time together as a family.
Au Pairs must always be treated with respect and dignity. The easiest way to understand the level of hospitality you should provide is to imagine your own daughter or son being hosted by another family on the other side of the world - think about how you would like them treated and cared for by the host family. This provides you with the insight you might need to balance your approach to having a "new person" become part of your family for a fixed period and needing your family privacy at times. Most au pairs who share a positive and enjoyable placement together find a mutually balanced time of shared and private time, they also go on to remain in contact well past their placement period. Many of our au pairs are still on our mailing list, Christmas list and love to hear the updates on the children as they continue to grow and develop.
Sometimes questions come up about responsibilities and the best way to approach these is to call us or email us and we can assist in identifying a resolution to the question with you.
STANDARD AU PAIR CONDITIONS:
PLACEMENT PERIODS:
The placement period for au pairs and nannies usually ranges from 4 to 10 months, depending on the season.
The most common Au Pair placement is 6 to 9 months.
There are peak and off peak periods : July – October = peak period when there are more au pairs available than off peak: February- June.
WORKING HOURS:
As families and au pairs are dynamic they have varying situations and requirements. Au pair hours should therefore be discussed and agreed between the family and the au pair at the outset of the relationship. They may also need to change over time depending on family situations. We will provide you with a family guide which includes details, suggestions and guides to setting your au pairs hours.
The following examples may assist you;
• Average hours worked per week: 30- 40hrs
• School aged children: May include split shift of 7-9.30 am getting children up, fed and ready/delivered to school
• Younger children: Work hours will depend on the individual family situation e.g. working part-time or having commitments on set days (e.g. sport, social get togethers, coffee or playdates) OR daycare being scheduled on set days. The hours required will fit around these, some days may be long care days (8-12hrs) or short stints (7-10am and 2-7pm)
• Whatever the routine implemented it should be revisited to ensure all parties, including the children are coping after a few weeks of introducing the routine. It can also be adapted as the year unfolds and circumstances may change e.g. Playgroup changes to Pre-school, activities introduced like Sport or music or dance
• Babysitting: Should be negotiated and agreed to suit both the family, and au pair/ nanny. Friday or Saturday nights should be on a casual basis not consistently every week e.g. One night every second weekend if agreed is ok, every Saturday or Sunday will not be attractive to young people looking to experience the Australian social life on the weekends. It is very important that the Au-Pair should have free time both on weekends and during the week days. Two consecutive and complete days off per week need to be arranged and this should preferably be the weekend or at least one day of the weekend. This allows the au pair / nanny time to make new friends and experience the Australian social scene which is important for a mutually positive experience.
• Au pairs or nannies should be encouraged to support existing hobbies or sports by seeking the opportunity to join a team or group with similar interests, this promotes a fantastic opportunity to meet friends who are local and can substantially enhance the Australian experience. This again needs to be worked into an agreed schedule.
Au Pairs are not qualified childcare workers and should not be placed in the position of primary carer for babies <12 months or unsupervised for extended periods of time. Our recommendation is for 2 - 3 hours maximum and definitely not for the entire day. This is for the benefit of both the child and the au pair. The maturity of the exchange may allow this to grow as all parties become comfortable with one another and the routine.
PAY RATES
AU PAIR
$7 - $9 per hour – this is directly related to the number of children and level of responsibility. Au pairs cannot be placed with families who are unable to guarantee the minimum payment of $7/ hour and a minimum of 20 hours per week. The most common placements are 30 hours work per week approx $210- 270 or 35 hours approx $245- $315.
NANNY
Rates for a qualified live-in overseas nanny range between $10 - $12 per hour, depending on age and experience but this is also negotiable. Qualified nannies are often happy to work 40+ hours a week and can look after babies younger than 12mths.
Families can sometimes identify what they believe to be an ideal candidate to join their family as an au pair or nanny and hence request a way to further secure or differentiate their family from other families. Bonus or incentive payments can be offered to the au pair/nanny to encourage them to select a particular family. In addition bonus or incentive payments can be used as an incentive for the longest placement committed to the family or reward the longer time spent with the family e.g Balloon payment offered to au pair who committed and did stay 10mths. This is completely optional and definitely not a requirement or necessity.
AU PAIR PAYMENT SCHEDULE:
A regular day of the week should be set for the Au-Pair to be paid, a Friday would be ideal but this is negotiable between the two parties. This can be cash or a direct deposit into the au pairs bank account.
Direct deposit is the ideal option as it is the most secure means for their savings.
ACCOMMODATION :
The Au-Pair must be provided with their own bedroom and should be invited to share all common living areas of the house with the family. Sometimes families provide them with their own living areas e.g. self contained apartment, you do still need to invite them into your home for meal provision and to be a part of your family. Amenities such as TV, stereo, DVD and computer access are sometimes provided to allow them private space and entertainment after work but these are not a requirement.
All utilities and meals are provided for the au pair free of charge. Personal long distance phone calls are the responsibility of the Au-Pair however a quick call to their significant other should be offered on arrival. Guidelines on incoming calls on the family’s home phone should be agreed. A family does not want the phone tied up for hours of an evening with the au pair talking on the phone. Phone cards are usually the option au pairs choose if they are not skyping with their families and friends. Provision of the au pairs bedroom and space for time out is critical to ensure the au pair receives a break away from her work environment.
Meal times are a good opportunity to share time and build relationships without much effort. The au pairs are a long way from home and to be included in on meals is proven to be a key success factor even it is not possible every night 3-4 times a week would also work. It is not necessary to cook for your au pair on their days off but provisions need to be available for them to prepare their own food. Celebrations such as birthdays etc are also a good opportunity to share experiences. All optional and will vary from family to family.
Sweets and special treats are not included in the “board” for the au pair. Additional treats should be purchased by the au pair.
It is often wise to ask the au pairs likes or dislikes of particular foods, what type of cereal for breakfast she likes, does she drink tea or coffee etc so you can include some of these things in your grocery shopping.
EL VIAJE SERVICES SUMMARY:
• End to End Pre-placement process
• Support throughout the life of the placement
Replacement process of au pairs at the end of their placement period
• Support and networking opportunities with foreign peers for the au pair
• Special meet and greet for au pairs on arrival at the airport (by request costs can be identified dependent on distance from airport)
TRAVEL/AIRFARES
The cost of airfares and travel insurance, changing of flight dates from the host country home are all the responsibility of the Au-Pair or nanny. Exception to this would be if the family requested the flight to be moved for any reason, which in turn any costs associated would be the families responsibility.
MEDICAL INSURANCE
Medical insurance for the au pair is the au pair's responsibility and arranged by the au pair using their existing health insurer. Their European agency can guide them on how to do this. If you have any requests or queries from the au pair on how to do this then you should direct them back their agency or myself.
DRIVING
Providing initial driving lessons has proved very beneficial for all parties. The au pair is not trying to adjust to driving on the opposite side of the car and road with children in the car to increase the pressure. The driving instructor provides the car they can practice in – not the family car which is depended upon. It usually only takes one or two lessons for them to gain their road positioning and confidence – they can then practice with the family.
The au pair arranges their own driving licence which they can use here, either own or international.
Use of the car unless agreed otherwise with you, should be restricted to work related driving e.g. Pick up and drop of children to and from school, daycare, activities and sport OR running to shops for you or the post office etc.
FREE TIME
Au pairs are free to do as they please during their time off work. So long as they are back to start work at the designated and agreed time they can do as they choose. If you require them to “stay locally” or be available then this is considered work conditions and they should be paid for these hours.
It is reasonable to expect however that au pairs are home by a reasonable time the night before they have morning work hours. E.g. Sunday nights it is reasonable for you to expect them in by 10pm (approx) to ensure they are not tired for working with your children.
INTERNET
Be aware that internet usage is particularly cheap in Europe and the plans are not usage base instead flat fee regardless of the usage levels. This will therefore influence how they use the internet. It is important to explain to them the plan you are on and the usage restrictions. They must be accommodated in your plan to ensure they can use face book, email and search the internet “world” but it is ok to remind them that downloads such as movies and tv shows viewed on the internet are not ok with a usage based model – these two particular actions usually have a large impact on the family usage allowance. As the au pairs are not use to this concept it will not occur to them that they should not be doing this. Communication is the key here.
COMMUNICATION
As with all effective relationships, work environments and outcomes, the key to success in all of these is communication. It is critical to ensure regular open communication channels are set up from the start of the placement. – week 1.
“Coffee and a chat” – this is the most successful and effective tool you can utilise to ensure everyone is happy and working together well. If you set up 15mins a week where the host mother and au pair sit and have a coffee (tea, water, juice anything!) together at the same time where they cover such topics as
1. What is working well? - For you and for the au pair or children?
2. What is proving to be difficult? For you, au pair or children. Identifying solutions for this
3. What help does the au pair think they need or that the host mum can offer to help the au pair with a certain situation or routine?
4. Tips and tricks for managing certain situations you might have witnessed
e.g. Children leaving the table before they finish their meals etc
5. What is not working well for you or for the au pair? How can this be changed?
It is less confronting to meet regularly than have someone “ask to talk to you about something” – this immediately puts people on guard and something minor may get blown out of proportion. It is good for both the parents and the au pair to know they have a “forum” to raise things. This really does stop things building up into mountains before they are discussed.
This is the number one step to achieving a harmonious placement in all my experiences.
The outcomes and benefits of these “coffee chats” have repeatedly proven to be key especially in the first few months. After this then the natural communications happen between you anyway and the scheduled coffee may or may not be moved to less frequent.
QUESTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
Both the au pair and the families can call us or email with us at any time. This may be just to get advice, clarify arrangements, confirm what is acceptable, discuss something that may be of concern or you are curious about. We speak to our host families often and particularly with the settling in of the first au pair. It does become more routine and easier with subsequent placements.
Many of our families are on the 5 or 6 placements and we enjoy working to make sure their child care needs are met year on year.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
AU PAIR AND NANNY INTRODUCTION CONFIDENTIALITY
All au pairs and nannies are introduced to you in confidentiality and their details should not be shared with any other contact or company.
LIABILITY
El Viaje works with only reputable partners and ensures all available data on candidates is provided to the family. A base standard of information including credentials, personal details, police checks and references are provided and can be verified by host families. The Department of Immigration is responsible to ensure the suitability of the candidates for visa eligibility and all available data is provided hence El Viaje cannot take any responsibility beyond the provision of the data and ensuring all candidates receive the appropriate visa approval.
El Viaje accepts no liability for any damage, compensation, loss or any other claim resulting from the employment of the au pair or nanny introduced or placed by us.
PLACEMENT GUARANTEE
Au-Pairs and Nannies have a replacement guarantee.
If an applicant leaves within a 4 week period (short-term arrangements applicants exempt) El Viaje will assess the situation and work with you to updated your profile and find a replacement as soon as possible with no additional costs .
This will not occur in the following circumstances:
• your fees were not settled one month prior to placement
• you have not met your obligations as the hosting family as identified through your Letter of offer and Family Profile.
Please be advised there are no trial periods.
The Pre-placement process is the period to work out if the placement is conducive to your family.
The girls spend a lot of money to facilitate the placement, flights, visas, application fees, licences, medical check ups, health care etc etc. They need to be confident that the family are happy to receive them and host them as their au pair BEFORE they arrange the placement and spend the money.
FEES
AU PAIR PLACEMENT FEE
PLACEMENT AND BOOKING FEES CONDITIONS
1. Confirmation - verbal or written confirmation must be received by El Viaje prior to an offer being made to the au pair or the au au pair taking up residence with the host family
2. Cancellation - if a family has provided confirmation agreement to host an au pair or nanny and cancels less than one month prior to the au pair or nanny commencing, a cancellation fee of 50% will be payable. The family may also be liable for part or all of the airfares paid by the au pair if a suitable replacement family cannot be sourced
3. Fee payment is due one month prior to the arrival of the au pair
4. Late payment of the placement fee will incur a service fee of $75.00
5. Failure to pay fees in defined time period may also result in voiding any placement agreements and reallocation of the au pair to an alternative host family
FEE STRUCTURE
1. Placement fee 6 months or less $580, repeat placement $500.
2. Placement fee longer than 6 months $680, repeat placements $600
3. Meet and greets for au pairs on arrival – from $120 (depending on travel locations)
All fees subject to Australian GST rates
NANNY PLACEMENT FEE
1. Placement fee longer than 6 months $780, repeat placements $700
2. Home visits and/or onsite screenings - $100/hour + travel expenses
3. Meet and greets for nannies on arrival – from $120 (depending on travel locations)
All fees subject to Australian GST rates
PAYMENT METHODS
Direct Bank deposit – details provided with invoice
WHEN THINGS ARE NOT AS EXPECTED?
Both hosting and being hosted come with a set of expectations – these rarely are a match with reality. There is nearly always a period of adjustment and rebase-lining expectations once the au pair has arrived. Children for example don’t always behave as we might hope, they also need the period of adjustment, the au pair has arrived in a new family, new country and speaking a new primary language all on little or no sleep for 24hrs. These are all considerations which we can help you work through.
If issues arise - first point of call for both the au pair and the family – each other!
Talk through what is not working and how the issues may be resolved. Listen to the other perspective and then work out the possible solutions which accommodate all parties.
Secondly notify our agency, we can usually help mediate a situation and work through the issue to find a solution which works for all of the parties, au pair, family and the children. If an au pair or family contact our agency we will work with them and the other party (au pair or family) to open the communications up and provide experienced guidance.
99% of issues are normally resolved and the placement completes. So let us help you work through any teething or major issues – engage us early before irrepairable damage is done to the relationship!
WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF THE PLACEMENT?
Provided the placement has worked for all parties, our agency will contact you months in advance to the leave date of your current au pair. We will confirm your desire to replace your au pair at the end of the placement and we would then kickoff the process for you.
The second placement is of course easier as you now know what does and does not work for you and your family. I can amend and update the profile to accommodate new found knowledge and we then start the search process for your new au pair.
Our agency will always work to accommodate our clientele requirements BEFORE we accept any new families or allocate an au pair to a new family. We pride ourselves on minimising any “downtime” between your au pairs.
FAMILY HOLIDAYS
Family holidays occur for most families each year. It is up to you how you manage these with your au pair. Some options are –
1. you take the au pair with you and they work in return to the cost of their holiday and have adequate time off to enjoy the location
2. You take your au pair along and pay them for the hours they work and they may go and enjoy the location in their time off
3. You leave the au pair at home – they must be able to stay in the house and an allowance left for essential food purchases
4. They can opt to go travelling during this time
The objective being that you, and they are happy with the arrangement and basic board terms and conditions are met. It can be a real bonus to take them, allowing you and your significant other to go out for a dinner alone knowing the children are in capable hands.
For any other information you would like to discuss please do not hesitate to contact us directly via email or phone.