Information for families in the UK and Ireland about au pairs and guidelines including the difference between a nanny and an au pair.
1. The cost of employing a live in qualified Nanny who is generally only interested in working with unders 2’s can range from between £200 - £800 per week depending upon the age and experience of the Nanny and the number of children who need to be cared for.

2. Nannies are qualified professionals who have chosen childcare as their profession

3. Au pairs come to stay with a family so that they may improve their English language within a secure family environment.
4. The majority of Nannies will not do any household duties other than those related to the children such as cooking them a meal, washing their clothing or tidying up their toys. Nannies are qualified professionals who have chosen childcare as their profession

5. Au pairs are not qualified, do not speak English as their mother tongue and have varying levels of experience from none at all, to babysitting experience, working in a nursery or a school - to those who have nanny experience (aupairs are not required to be qualified in any way). These girls can be aged 17 years upwards.

6. Au pairs will do light household cleaning such as hoovering, dusting, washing up, ironing, tidying rooms etc but should not be asked to do any heavy duties such as moving furniture, shampooing carpets, cleaning ovens, washing windows, gardening etc


7. Au pairs will drive your children to and from school and to after school activities if they hold a driving licence. Not many aupairs have driving licences or good driving experience so your search will always be more difficult if you need a girl who can do this. Also a premium needs to be paid by the family to attract such a girl as they are in high demand and so the aupair will have plenty of interested families.

8. If you live in a remote area you should always ensure that either you have an aupair who can drive (which will cost you more) or that you make provision for your aupair to be driven to and from social events so that she can have a social life of her own. A happy aupair will reflect upon your home and children and she will stay with you for longer which in turn gives more continuity of care for your children. A lot of families who live in remote areas ask for aupairs who like country life. Lots of girls do but they still need friends and a life outside your family as well. If you remember yourself as a young girl it is natural and important to have a social life at this age.
9. You need to treat the au pair as a member of the family and make her feel comfortable and loved. If there is a dispute between your children and the au pair always consider that there are 2 sides to every argument and that your children are not always right. She should feel that you support her as much as your children in such situations. Children can be unruly at times and will often push the boundaries to find out how far they can go.

10. Au pairs need free time and space as much as anyone else so their free time should be their own and their privacy should be respected. The children need to understand that when the aupair is not working she should be left alone unless she chooses otherwise.

11. The au pair should be invited on family days out at the expense of the family. She may prefer not to come but at least she has been asked.
12. If the au pair wishes to attend language school then it is up to the family to arrange a suitable course for her and make sure she is able to travel to the classes even if it means you have to drive her there and back if there is no adequate public transport. If the au pair has to travel late at night then you may need to arrange to collect her so she does not have the worry of making her own way in the dark.
13. Payment of the au pair:

14. All daycare nurseries, after school clubs and childminders always charge per child (about £100 per week per child). So please realise that if you have more than 1 child the amount you pay the aupair needs to reflect this
15. A cleaner will cost in the region of £6.00 - £.7.00 per hour.
16. A taxi to carry your children to and from school and to various after school activities will charge per journey.
17. A babysitter twice a week will cost around £50 or more.
18. A housekeeper who runs errands such as shopping or cooks meals will cost around per hour £8-£10
19. Please add up these costs to your family and you will see how expensive this can be.


20. Au pairs should receive a min of £70 per week (for 25 hours) if their mother tongue is not English and £90 per week if it is. So this is a huge save even If you pay her more. If you want an aupair but are not able to offer a fair amount then you should seriously consider the government voucher scheme: http://www.childcarevouchers.co.uk/index.asp

21. Your au pair will do all these jobs and more all rolled in to one. She can be an invaluable addition to your family and so you need to look after her.

22. Please consider the number of children you have, the type of duties you would like her to perform and the number of hours she will work. Always keep in mind that any hours where the aupair is required to be at home even if she is not doing anything physically are considered working hours if she is not free to do as she chooses.

23. When deciding how much to offer the au pair the following criteria should be considered.

a. How many children you have
b. The ages of your children – babies and under 5’s need a much higher level of responsibility, care and attention (however we do not recommend aupairs for under2’s)
c. The hours you need her to work
d. The duties you require
e. A responsible driver needs to be paid more than someone who does not drive
f. The age of the aupair- girls over 20 will expect more
g. The level of experience the aupair has. Some girls have almost the equivalent of nanny experience and as a result will be in higher demand by families who require this calibre of candidate
h. The level of English she speaks. If she speaks well this makes life easier for you and your children. Families will offer such girls more
i. Families who live in London or other expensive parts of the country need to understand that the cost of living is higher for the aupair and this needs to be considered as well
24. If your au pair is being fairly treated, paid well, looked after, loved, cared for and most importantly respected then she will happily stay with you for the agreed term

25. If you are unsure of what to offer an au pair then please ask her what she expects. If you have more than 2 children it may be advisable to make it clear when you advertise your position that you are prepared to pay more to compensate. So often in the past this has not been the case and so this has put many aupairs off applying for larger families so you need to make it clear that you appreciate the work involved and so will pay more.

For information on the Childcare vouchers scheme