Au Pair

If you wish to be an Au Pair with APNI, please read enclosed information carefully.

We can ONLY accept Au Pairs with EU passports. Please click here to download application form, please email completed forms to admin@apni.co.uk in PDF format, or send original by post.

Au Pair Network International is a division of Eurojob Ltd established in 1992. Our professional team is committed to finding the most suitable family for you as a prospective Au Pair. Our staff has many years experience of arranging Au Pair placements both at home and abroad. Since all members of our staff have themselves been Au Pairs, we have an excellent understanding of your needs and concerns.

Au Pair Network International is a founder member of IAPA the International Au Pair Association, BAPAA the British Au Pair Agency Association, BETA the British Education Travel Association and is a full member of WYSETC, the World Youth Student Educational Travel Confederation.

IAPA has since 1994 worked to protect the rights of Au Pair and Host families as well as setting internationally approved guidelines for the Au Pair programme. For you has an Au Pair this means that you will have the security and back up of travelling with a widely recognised organisation that is dedicated to live up to the high standards we set for ourselves as members of IAPA.

Because we take pride in making sure you are happy and confident about your new experience. We help ensure that your application is of the highest standard and guarantee to find you a suitable host family in UK.

We will help you settle in to your new home and host country and are always happy to help you if you need assistance in any way (finding language classes etc).

To be eligible for the Au Pair programme, you must fulfil the following criteria:

be an EU citizen

be between 18 and 27 years old

be unmarried and have no children of your own

be outgoing, flexible and open to new ideas

be happy to assist with childcare and light household duties between 25-40 hours per week

enjoy being enjoy being with children and have some childcare experience (babysitting, training etc)

be able to stay a minimum of 10 to 12 months

be in good health and have no criminal conviction

Applying to be an Au Pair is no different from applying for any other job. It is therefore very important that your application is of a high standard. To ensure your application is complete, please follow our application procedure carefully.

You should complete as much of your application as possible in English.

A “Dear host family” letter. This should be at least two pages long and give your future family some more information about yourself, your family, your interests and your childcare experience. You should also explain why you want to be an Au Pair.

2 childcare references. These should be recent and must state the age of the children looked after, the period of employment and the name, signature and contact number of the referee. Suitable references would be from a family for whom you have babysat regularly, or a school or nursery, where you have done work experience. We do not accept references from family members.

1 character reference. This reference should ideally be from a teacher or an employer and should again include a contact number.

A medical certificate (not more than 3 months old) confirming that you are in good health and that there is no medical reason why you should not work as an Au Pair.

A criminal record checks (Obtaining by contacting your local police station).

A collage of photos of yourself, your family, your friends, your home, and you with children you have looked after.

Signed Au Pair agreement.

Other diplomas, certificates, copy of driver licence passport etc.

It all depends on how good your application is and how many families there are looking for an Au Pair at that particular time. There are certain times of the year when we have more families looking for Au Pairs than others.

Most families in UK are looking for Au Pairs to start at the beginning of the school year (end August/ beginning September) and to stay until the end of the school year (mid July).

Therefore, if we receive your application between May and the end of June and you can stay for the whole of this period, we should be able to find you a family fairly quickly.

Many families also look for Au Pairs who can start at the beginning of January and stay until the end of July or longer. If you would like a host family for this period, then you should apply to us between October and December.

We do however welcome applications throughout the year and in general the longer you can stay as an Au Pair and the better your experience, the easier it is for us to find you a family. A well-presented application also makes a good impression on the family.

As an Au Pair you will live with a host family as a member of the family. Duties vary from family to family but in general, you must be prepared to help out with childcare and light household duties (e.g. dusting, laundry, cooking simple meals, ironing). You will, of course, have sufficient free time to study and explore the country!

Regular Au Pairs work between 25 and 30 hours per week and receive a minimum of £70 pocket money each week.

Au Pairs plus work between 30 and 35 hours per week and receive a minimum of £80 pocket money each week.

Au Pair have two free days every week (normally the weekend) and are expected to baby-sit on average twice a week.

Attitude

First and foremost it is, of course very important that you approach your new challenge with a positive attitude and lots of initiative.

Make sure you inform your family and us as soon as you have your arrival details. We advise you to purchase an open ticket in case of any emergencies that cause you to leave earlier than planned

Money

We highly recommend that you bring some money with you, for the first couple of weeks in your new home (as you are paid in arrears, you will not receive your payment until the end of your first week). It is well worth considering getting an internationally accepted credit card such as a Visa or MasterCard before your depart just in case an emergency occurs or, you may need extra money to help pay for language classes or travelling.

Language Classes

Please be aware that language classes are likely to be expensive, costing a minimum of around 200.00 GBP per term. Some schools are much more expensive, especially in bigger cities. Over the summer, most families cannot allow their Au Pair much time to attend any language classes as the children are on holiday, meaning that they require extra childcare. Also, schools are often closed from June until September.

Insurance

Before your departure, make sure that you have the appropriate insurance cover for your Au Pair stay. Everything apart from car insurance is your own responsibility.

Have fun!

Finally, all for us here at APNI strongly advise you from personal experience to make the most of your stay from beginning to end. You will be amazed at how fast time goes by once you have settled in and before you know it, it will be time to return home!

Driver Licence

You will need to have an international driving licence if you agree to drive in the family. The family will provide you with their car and insurance. 

Terms and conditions of business

Payment to the Au Pairs:

An Au Pair is paid by his/her Host family one week in arrears:

Regular Au Pairs must receive a minimum of £70 per week

Au Pairs Plus must receive a minimum of £80 per week.

Families  may offer various perks and bonuses such as contribution towards language classes, transport, bonuses etc.

Termination

In the event of either party wishing to terminate the Au Pair stay earlier than agreed, both parties are required to give a minimum of two weeks notice and agency must be informed immediately.

In the event of gross misconduct by either the Au Pair or the host Family, both parties shall be entitled to terminate the engagement with immediate effect.

Holiday

The Au Pair is entitled to one week paid holiday for every six months of working for a family.

Expenses

The Au Pair is responsible for his/her travel arrangements and expenses to hand from the family’s home country. Language courses, local transport, and travel insurance are also payable by the Au Pair.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO FINDING YOU A FAMILY!!

We can ONLY accept Au Pairs with EU passports. Please click here to download application form, please email completed forms to admin@apni.co.uk in PDF format, or send original by post.