Merchant is also a good text on the subject, but this book, the best nanny handbook is the better of the two. Oct 03, 2011 a wellwritten family handbook should avoid many problems and questions. Pocket guide to au pair in australia smart au pairs. This notebook will be especially critical for au pair success in the beginning of her year and will become her au pair bible. Au pairs become like older siblings to their host kids and trusted members of the household that host parents can depend on. I used the au pair world contract the first time but this time round will be adapting one which im sure is not legally binding but really seems to set the expectations right ive nicked acquired from another mumsnetter we also do a handbook yes, very detailed and several pages long and a listtimetable of duties. Sample handbook 2, from a host family with cultural care. The au pair will have to go to the local registration office and request an eu registration certificate. Please refer to the host family handbook for pocket money regulations please see the aifs au pair guidelines below regarding pay and working hours.
We never achieved this state of effortless serenity. Excluding examples of kids and au pairs schedules, and excluding the basic information about emergency phone numbers and the like, our rulesguidelines section runs 16 pages, with almost 4500 words. Jot down important family contact information on this emergency information sheet. I just treat an au pair like any other domestic employee. This section governs department of statedesignated exchange visitor programs under which foreign nationals are afforded the opportunity to live with an american host family and participate directly in the home life of the host family. A wellwritten family handbook should avoid many problems and questions. Mar 14, 20 sample family handbook, from hm amy tea by cv harquail on march 14, 20 when youre planning to welcome a new au pair, nothing is a better use of your time than updating or creating your family handbook. Because your au pair is a family member, you should consider what rules you would find reasonable for your own adult children. A host family s household handbook is the most important communication tool for their au pair year.
The au pair can arrange his or her spare time and language course in accordance with the schedule. The holiday season is a favorite time of year at aupaircare because of the wonderful experiences that host families and au pairs can have together. This letter will give the prospective host families a first impression of you, and they may decide to interview you based on what is stated in this letter. I love them all very much, we spend a lot of time in communication, events and trips. It also is a document that can be used from one au pair stay to the next. Check that you meet the au pair requirements set by the au pair program. Contact your international cooperator if you have any questions about the documents. Based on our collection of sample cover letters for au pairs, essential job skills include. Wake up children and help them to dress for school and brush their teeth make their bed and clean up their bedroom prepare lunch and breakfast for the children. Au pair societies advise against heavy manual labor and create sets of limits to protect both host families and au pairs. Your family and your au pair companion have become a part of a cluster or group of others within your community who are enrolled with one of our programs.
Cultural sensitivity and being able to accept family customs. We know that many au pairs agonize over the letter to the host family and dont know what. As time goes by, the handbook can be a point of reference for your au pair. This lets the host family give a lot of important information about the au pairs duties and about family practices and rules in a concentrated form. We provide each host family with a sample work schedule to complete with her daily weekly routine which may include. Eleven au pairs and 12 revisions after first being written, our host family handbook is now, officially, long. During the first weeks, when you are helping your au pair settle, you may use this as your training manual. Also it is very important for me that they support my future plan to be an au pair. A reference letter for an au pair applicant is a letter which provides information that should prove the au pair applicants ability to work as an au pair. Its a document created and customized by the host family that sets out childcare and household rules, including the childrens schedules, curfews, house guest policies, car and cell phone rules, etc. We have created this au pair manual so that you have a clear understanding of the au pair role and duties in the household. Options for fulfilling au pair education requirement. How to set clear expectations with your nanny or au pair on day one there is nothing more important to a student than their first day of school or the first day of work to a new employee.
For some vacations, we may require you to go if we need a certain amount of childcare on the trip. Sample family profile here is a typical family profile to give you an idea of what you might like to write. Provide au pairs with a minimum of 24 hours of child development instruction before being placed in your home at least four of which must relate to children under two years of age ensure that each host family be assigned to an lcc who lives within a onehour drive. Sep 05, 2012 upon arrival, host families and au pairs are urged to sit down together and agree on rules regarding use of the family car. At the academy, au pairs are trained to follow important child safety practices and learn cpr and first aid.
It can in general be written as an informal letter, but many people feel its easier to fill in a predefined template. Hosting an au pair offers unique advantages to more traditional childcare options including greater. Au pairs and host families should agree upon duties and expectations prior to the au pair s arrival at the host familys home. Feel free to use my host family handbook as a reference when writing your own.
The letter to your host family constitutes an important part of your au pair application. If the au pair joins you on vacation, provide a written schedule. Getting started as a host family aupaircare childcare. Au pair and family resources aupaircare program support. For my interviewing guidelines, check out my other post. For other vacations, if we dont have a specific need for you to work, we will. Heres a few ways you can work together to make this holiday season great. Smart au pairs australia during your first few weeks you will get to know how the family works, their routine and the individual personalities of the family. The au pair contract is a legal document that can help you avoid many possible misunderstandings and problems during the au pair stay, as well as to protect yourself if something goes wrong. Setting guidelines for your au pair cultural care au pair. It is what host families are the most interested in, as it helps them to get a better idea of your personality.
Since 5 years i have been dreaming to getting an au pair in america. Sample handbook 2, from a host family with cultural. Host family handbook 2 aphfh010318 program roles au pairs interexchange au pairs are young adults between the ages of 18 and 26 who apply to the. Aside from some changes you may need to make to it as your kids get older, this will organize your life and help your household run as smoothly as possible. This will take some time to create, but once it is complete, you will be so happy that you have it. Au pair handbook 2 apph010612 chapter 2 about interexchange and au pair usa 2. Cultural care au pair childcare you can trust like family. This is your opportunity to tell host families how great you are. A host familys household handbook is the most important communication tool for their au pair year.
This handbook will help you prepare for the arrival of. This free printable will help you get organized for. This is the idea behind the aupairworld family handbook a targeted tool for promoting clear and effective communication between a host family and its incoming au pair. Au pair handbook sample au pair, families hands, sample. Au pair in america provides resources and tips for host families to learn about rules and regulations, preparing for an au pair, guidelines for success.
If you put 25 hours in the contract then you dont need to specify times, so if you need to you can alter them at a later date. Sample au pair schedule what is it like to have an au pair. Dec 16, 2015 questions to ask potential au pair host family au pair, tips and advice, tips for new au pair december 16, 2015 we all know it, finding the perfect au pair host family is a challenge, but i personally think it is possible. Au pair in america provides resources and tips for host families to learn about rules and regulations, preparing for an au pair, guidelines for success and cultural exchange information. Give this family handbook to your au pair when she or he arrives.
With a clear and detailed schedule au pairs always know when they are needed by their host families and when they can have some time for themselves. It is very important for host parents to establish their au pair house rules as soon as their au pairs arrive. I think you could use this letter for a nanny or other form of livein childcare as well, but it works best with au pairs. Au pairs are caregivers from overseas who are excited to be part of an american family. Sample family handbook, with sections on food from hm p by cv harquail on march 22, 20 family handbooks should all cover a core set of topics including schedule, safety, child care rules, car rules, and family rules. We have our first au pair arriving this friday and am trying to prepare a handbook for her. When an au pair comes to live with a host family, she will be new to living in the united states. Host family handbook for an au pair go au pair philadelphia. This text will show up at the first page of the au pair handbook and should therefore contain some nice. An au pair handbook sometimes also called household handbook is a comprehensive compilation of rules and information so your au pair understands your familys needs and how your household operates best. Au pair handbook a practical guide for your au pair. While an au pair should recognize that use of a car during her year is a privilege, not a. Writing a handbook also makes you realise that there is a. If you are an employee with questions about accommodations for a child or for yourself, please speak with your manager andor refer to the information in your employee handbook.
Sample family handbook, from hm amy tea by cv harquail on march 14, 20 when youre planning to welcome a new au pair, nothing is a better use of your time than updating or creating your family handbook. Most au pairs work around 25 hours, although in reality the hours arent limited for most candidates just romanians and bulgarians. A handbook is a good idea if i had received a detailed handbook before i started my current au pair job i would not have accepted the position. We are excited to have you as a member of our family and will work to have open communication so we all have a successful year together. Families will prepare a handbook for you, which is designed to give you an overview of the family routine and their expectations of your role within the family. Au pair vacations 14 family vacations 15 education requirement 16 host family events 16 au pair monthly meetings 16 3. The household handbook is the bible for au pairs and their host families. As much as possible, we try to include our au pairs in all of our family vacations. If the au pair is responsible for children during sleeping hours, those hours count toward the daily 10 and weekly 45 work maximums.
It is concise and fairly short, but thoroughly covers every aspect of being a nanny and is a valuable resource for a beginning nanny or something to refer back to for more experienced caregivers. Is the au pair allowed to use the family s car, motorbike. So it follows that this would also be true for the first day of childcare with a new provider. Likewise, the host family can arrange their appointments taking the au pair s schedule into account. There seems to be some debate on whether or not this is required, but it keeps things simple for me as my contract evolves between nanny and au pair employees. An au pair handbook sometimes also called household handbook is a comprehensive compilation of rules and information so your au pair understands your family s needs and how your household operates best. Department of state au pair requirements cultural care. Au pair in australia and au pair in australia plus weekly stipend. It is what host families are the most interested in, as it helps them to get a better idea of who you are and if you will be a good fit with their family. Host family responsibilities 18 treat your au pair as a family member 20 provide support for your au pair 20 invest in cultural exchange 20 commit to good communication practices 20 4. It allows parents to establish au pair guidelines regarding issues such as use of appliances, smoking, visitors and guests, curfews. How to set clear expectations with your nanny or au pair on. Us state department regulations for the au pair program. There are special au pair insurance policies that are structured to the needs of au pairs.
Would anyone be happy to share theirs with me or provide some advice. An au pair manual is often good for younger au pairs but older and mature ones catch on quickly host mum in jerra canberra act. Download a free host family handbook dream au pair new zealand. While your schedule may vary depending on the needs of your family and the age off the children, here is what a typical day looks like for an au pair named anna who takes care of two children, 5year old, alex, and 2. Dear families, setting clear expectations and having a good communication is the key to a good relationship between au pair host family and reading this is the best way to start. Here is my basic letter i used for my last round of interviews and i just happened to get one of the best au pairs out there. Cultural care au pair provides an invaluable household handbook which can be downloaded and customized. Aifs au pair helps both the host family and the au pair prepare for the 6month au pair placement, including an orientation for the au pair upon arrival in australia and comprehensive placement literature for the host family. More about how to use the family handbook here in our blog article. Program roles au pairs interexchange au pairs are young adults between the ages of 18 and 26 who apply to the program from abroad and come to the united states for 12 months to live with an american host family as part of a u. Host family handbook example au pair childcare for busy. Remember to try to be as thorough as possible in your profile, to give potential au pairs an accurate view of what it is that you are looking for, and what you will provide. We have found from experience that open communication and clear expectations provide a solid foundation for the host family au pair relationship.
I figured it makes little sense talking about the dear family letter and its dos and donts, if you do not get to view an example of a dear familyletter, that one could consider worth sending to or being viewed by potential au pair host families. She is quite young just 18 but is australian so no language difficulties. If the participant stays in spain for more than 3 months, they should register at the local office. If your host family is not adhering to these rules, please come to me for help. Aupairworlds new family handbook tool is a customisable interactive pdf document.
If an au pair is put off by your family s rules, house size, lack of au pair car or weekly schedule, better to have her reject your family outright so you can find a candidate whose expectations and values are more in tune with your own. Local coordinators local coordinators, or lcs, are interexchange au pair usa representatives in your host familys local community. I did receive a schedule but the more detailed schedule i received on arrival shows me what this family really want. A schedule helps organise the au pairs working hours and free time throughout the entire placement period.
We believe each child has unique talents and interests. Remember, your weekly schedule should not exceed 45 hours. Department of statedesignated cultural exchange program. Download a free host family handbook dream au pair. While contacting the host families, make also sure that you fulfil the family s expectations. Download the family handbook for free and have all your questions answered.
The interexchange au pair usa child care guide will be an excellent resource throughout your year. All you need to know about being a host family to an au pair in new zealand. The letter to your host family is an important part of your au pair application. Currently we have an au pair who really is more of a full time livein nanny in the 6 week summer break. Au pairs want to see photos of your children, of course. Require lccs to conduct an orientation with each host family and au pair. The contract mentions all the important details and expectations that are discussed between an au pair and a host family. Many families develop a family handbook to give to their au pairs. Ask your au pair whether his or her health insurance is valid in your country. Create your profile and make it attractive for other users. Au pairs look forward to experiencing this festive season through the lens of an american household. You should have a template in your host family account, and if you do not, please email me and i will send you one.