Welcome to the third episode of the Au Pairs in Australia Podcast where we share information and experiences about being an Au Pair in Australia and about being a Host Family to an Au Pair in Australia. In today’s episode we are going to explore options for finding an Au Pair or Host Family and what you might need to consider during the process.
Once you’ve made the decision to become an Au Pair or to host an Au Pair you need to consider how you will go about finding the best match. There are no specific rules for how you go about this in Australia, as long as the rules of the Working Holiday Visa are followed such as the Au Pair being from a country that is eligible for the Working Holiday Visa and that the Working Holiday Visa will be valid for the period of time that they’re planning to be an Au Pair. International Students who are in Australia under a Study Visa may also work as an Au Pair but it’s important to note that there are more limitations around the hours that they can work and they will have study commitments, this may work in some instances depending on the circumstances of the student and the potential host family. It’s important to note that someone on a Tourist Visa cannot work as an Au Pair in Australia and there are significant fines for Host Families and Au Pairs that are involved in visa breaches and it is also possible that the Au Pair will be deported.
The main methods for finding an Au Pair or a Host Family in Australia are broadly split into three options: agencies, online databases and social media. I’m going to spend some time talking about each of these options including the pros and cons.
For Host Families there are a number of agencies in Australia that you can register with to find an Au Pair. Some agencies have been around for many years and have a proven track record with multiple staff. Some agencies are relatively new to the scene and might just have one person running the agency or a small number of support staff. Some agencies will offer a full service of shortlisting Au Pairs and providing recommendations, others will have a database that you can browse of Au Pairs that they have already screened and from whom you can then request further information. Some agencies will have interviewed the Au Pairs in their home country and obtained references, while some agencies will simply have a written profile of the Au Pair. Using an agency can save time and also give a sense of security noting that most agencies will thoroughly screen their Au Pairs, but like with anything it’s not foolproof. Using an agency can be expensive, there is usually an initial deposit to access Au Pair profiles, and once a match has been made then there is a placement fee. For some agencies the Au Pair will attend an orientation upon arrival in Australia and the Host Family will be responsible for the Au Pair’s travel from that location to the family home. Ongoing costs for the placement, such as the weekly allowances and bonuses, are usually set by the agency which means there is no need for an awkward discussion or negotiation regarding payment. Before committing to an agency I would strongly recommend asking what services are included in the fees, what isn’t included in the fees and what the costs are during the placement.
For Au Pairs there will usually be an agency in their home country that is linked to an agency in Australia, so they will generally be able to complete their application and any other requirements with a local contact and in their own language with the exception of their profile for example that will usually be written in English. There are some agencies within Australia that will work directly with the candidate in their home country and support them with all the requirements, and there are some agencies that will work with young travellers who are already in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa and since arriving may have decided to become an Au Pair. For Au Pairs the biggest advantage of finding a Host Family through an agency is that you have access to support from your initial enquiry, through to finding a Host Family and then throughout your placement. Finding a Host Family through an agency will involve some fees and these vary with each agency, so it’s important to know how much the fees are, what is included in the fees and what costs need to be paid separately - you should confirm if your flight, visa, medical and police check are included in the fee or if you need to pay for these items separately.
For those Host Families that don’t feel like they need the support of an agency to find an Au Pair they may wish to use an online database. These databases generally have a membership fee that covers a certain period of time. Once the membership fee has been paid they can create a profile for their family and search through profiles of potential Au Pairs, they can also narrow down their search to ensure they are only looking at profiles of those who are eligible for Working Holiday Visas or their preferred nationality. The membership fee for the online databases is less than you would pay to use an agency, but it will likely require more time and effort from the Host Family. Once they have identified some Au Pairs that might be a good match and have started communicating with them they can organise to speak with the Au Pairs to get to know them better and start discussing some of the logistics such as when they are available, whether they’ve applied for their visa and what an appropriate weekly allowance is for the hours they will be working and duties they will be undertaking.
For Au Pairs that feel that they don’t need the support of an agency they might also consider an online database. Access to the online databases is usually free for Au Pairs and there are a number of resources available on their websites such as tips for finding a Host Family and example contracts. Using an online database allows them to view profiles that Host Families have taken the time to put together and gives them the information in a format that allows them to easily see if the Host Family requirements match what they’relooking for. It’s important to note for the online databases that there generally isn’t a personalised service, the Au Pair will need to make their own shortlists, organise their own interviews and negotiate their own conditions for their placement. Once they have matched with a Host Family they will need to organise their visa, their flights (never expect a Host Family to pay for them!) and any other paperwork that thye might need such as proof of savings, police check and of course their passport.
Social media has become a more common way for Host Families and Au Pairs to find each other in recent years. There are a number of groups on social media platforms that have been specifically created for Host Families and Au Pairs to connect. In these groups Host Families and Au Pairs can share some information about themselves, what their requirements and wishes are, and any relevant timeframes. From there, Host Families and Au Pairs can get to know each other via private messages and then set up an interview if they feel they might be a good match. Once a Host Family and Au Pair have decided that they’re a match they will need to make sure they’ve agreed on the details of the placement such as start date, duration, hours to be worked, household tasks and weekly allowance. From there it’s up to the Au Pair to organise their visa and their flight, as well as any other paperwork that they might need. Finding the right match via social media is of course free, but it can entail more groundwork from both sides and there needs to be good communication and confidence in the match as there isn’t the same support that one would have from an agency should it be needed.
If you’re a Host Family looking to host an Au Pair you will need to consider what method for finding the right Au Pair works for you, your priority might be saving time and having candidates shortlisted for you, or your priority might be doing the groundwork yourself and saving money on fees. Once you have decided how you’re going to find your Au Pair you will need to consider what your requirements and preferences are so that you can narrow down your search, and what you’re offering so you can answer those early questions confidently. Points to consider may include:
- What is the preferred start date?
- What is your preferred duration of placement?
- How many hours of childcare do you require per week?
- What will a standard week might look like or will the schedule change each week?
- What allowance are you offering and are you offering anything else as part of your package such as car use, mobile phone credit, public transport credit etc?
- Would you like your Au Pair to be a specific nationality or have a specific native language especially if you are a bilingual household?
- What age children would you like yourAu Pair to have experience with?
- Do you need your Au Pair to have experience with special needs?
- Would you like your Au Pair to have formal childcare qualifications?
- Do you need your Au Pair to be able to drive?
For the Au Pairs that are looking for a Host Family, you will also need to decide what method you’re going to use to find your Host Family. You might decide that registering with an agency gives you better support when you are so far away from your family, but you might also be confident with the idea of living in a foreign country with a family you haven’t met and you might feel that you would rather spend your money on other things. Once you have decided how you are going to find your Host Family it’s important to think about what your requirements and preferences are for your placement. Points to consider may include:
- When are you hoping to start your placement?
- How long would you like to stay with a family?
- How many hours per week are you happy to work?
- Would you prefer to have regular hours or would you be ok with a schedule that changes each week?
- Do you have a preference to be located in a particular city or town?
- Do you have a preference for a city, regional or remote placement?
- What age children would you like to look after?
- How many children would you be happy to look after?
- What childcare experience do you have?
- Do you have any experience looking after children with special needs and is this something you would be willing to do?
- Do you have your driver’s licence and would you be willing to drive with children in the car?
- Do you have any dietary requirements, preferences or allergies?
- Do you have any medical issues that might impact your ability to care for children?
- What kind of relationship do you hope to have with your host family?
There is a lot to take into consideration, and this is before you’ve even gotten to the interview! The better you know what your needs are, the easier it will be to find the right match, so preparation is key and keeping an open mind will also help. Be confident but try to not oversell what you have to offer, being honest at this stage means that the expectations are appropriately set and there’s less likely to be disappointment from either side.
So to wind things up for this episode of the Au Pairs in Australia Podcast, it’s important to consider your options early with regard to how you’re going to find your Au Pair or your Host Family, you need to decide what works for your situation. And once you have decided how you’re going to find your Au Pair or Host Family it’s important to sit down and consider what your requirements and preferences are and what you have to offer in this relationship. I’m looking forward to speaking about the interview process in an upcoming episode, so keep an eye out for that one.
Thanks for listening to this episode, I appreciate your interest and support. If you have enjoyed this episode it would mean a lot to me if you could share it with your friends and family, subscribe for future episodes and maybe even write a review on the podcast platform you’re listening on. I would also love to hear any feedback that you might have on this episode or suggestions for content in future episodes, so please reach out via the Instagram account aupairsinaustraliapodcast with any feedback. Thanks again, and I’ll catch you next time!