Cost of Au-Pair's

hobo28

Hi all

One of my neighbours is getting a divorce. As she is self employed and is thinking of getting an Au-pair to help with the childcare.

What are the approximate costs for this, I've heard it can range from £50-£80 a week in spends but what about any other costs? Would she need employers liability insurance or anything like that?

I'd be also interested in hearing from anyone who has one and what their thoughts/experiences have been like.

Thanks in advance

TheWaltons_3

Cheap Cheap Cheap!

I wouldn't do it though, I don't have a spare room and wouldn't want some young sexy girl loitering around my house using my phone constantly and going clubbing every weekend.........

me_and_me_monkeys

get a sexy young male au-pair instead!!!!!!


My friend had an au-pair she used to pay about £60 a week + cost of language course, a set length call home every month and she also paid for the girl to be on her car insurance.
I would suggest enquiring to a couple of the agencies and see what they expect from families

whitewing

Re employer's liability insurance. I'm fairly sure I got that as part of my normal household insurance (don't even think there was any particular increase in premium - I was renewing it at the time and they suggested it, I hadn't even thought about it).
Go through an agency. Doublecheck references and insist on original documentation eg police checks. (Foreign agencies aren't as particular at paperwork keeping as we have come to expect).
Home office website has info about au pairs and how much you should pay (but agency will tell you that anyway).
Mainly it is a very, very positive and flexible experience - my son developed a real love of sport from his au pairs over the years, and it opened his eyes to other cultures and experiences.

Hapless_2

Aupairs are not childminders. (my neice works for an aupair agency) They are mothers helps. Very few are qualified childcarers.
They should not work more than 25 hrs p.w.

Lyndsay_21

off subject slightly did anyone watch that programme a few months ago about that woman who had au-pairs and she ran a farm type thing and she was so horrible to the au-pair and accused her of working for someone else then just sacked her, she was awful!!

kazmeister

I had several au pairs over a period of about 4 years and it was a very worthwhile experience for all of us.

First and foremost they are not employees, you welcome them as part of your family (eating with you, going out for days with if they wish etc) and you give them pocket money for helping out babysitting and with chores. They are here to learn or improve their English(and must be allowed to attend college if they require),to then return home after their agreed period. For this reason I preferred to go for western European girls as they understood this, whereas Eastern Europeans were at that time looking for a door into the country to stay long term.

An au pair can help out for 25 hours or an au pair plus for 35 hours (the latter obviously having additional pocket money.) Whatever else is included is up to you to negotiate ie One 15 min tel call home per week, mobile phone credit, allowed to drive your car etc.

Agencies can be very good although a lot now use Eastern Europeans and charge a huge feeand not always for much work. There are also some websites where you can oput your details on or search for a match to your requirements. I used aupairselect.com and got the best au pair I ever had from there. Started looking in Feb for a summer start and made contact with a brilliant French girl. Even invited one girl over from Sweden for a weekend to see how she got on, she however decided that being an au pair wasnt for her as she couldnt be away from her family so she just wasnt ready.

If you would like your child to learn a particluar language then why not try and get an au pair from that country, they will enjoy teaching your children about their culture.

Pocket money varies according to 25/35 hrs and also the closer to London the higher allowances have to be paid. You would also have to think about where you live and the cost of public transport if they want to socialise, as they have to be able to afford to do so. I lived within walking distance of town and local college so transport costs didnt come into it, and we paid £55 per week 3 years ago. While this may not sound like a lot its more spare cash per week than I have !!!

PM me if you have any other questions

PS you dont have to have employers liability insurance as you are not an employer, they are a guest in your home and living as part of it.

BitterAndTwisted

Au pairs are not nannies or qualified childminders and cannot be expected to act as them or as a substitute. Never forget that the majority of au pairs are young teenagers with limited experience of caring for young children. Coupled with that they will want to be out and about making new friends and learning the language, so where you live will be a big factor in whether your home and family would be attractive enough. Taking the children to school in the morning and keeping them safe and entertained for a couple of hours in the afternoon/evening should be all you expect of them. I know quite a few people who regard their au pairs as full-time home-helps and babysitters on tap and I consider this most unfair, especially taking into consideration how little they are paid.

Never underestimate how much long-distance phone calls cost or just how much a teenager can eat! They will also expect to have use of the family car from time to time as well. Also, expect to have to provide some emotional support to someone a long way from home for the first time in their life.

PasturesNew

http://www.bapaa.org.uk/displaypage.asp?page=1

Some figures/rules here: http://www.bapaa.org.uk/displaypage.asp?page=41

kavics17

I was an aupair about 7 years ago, had a lovely family in Wandsworth. They paid me £75 per week, and had to work 25 hours. They also gave me £5 for international phone cards per month-as for eating, I ate whatever they had at home, my only requirements were Activia youghurts . They did borrow me money for school but I paid it back week by week, and also had 4 weeks paid holiday when they went away. The family also provided gym membership for me as I took the children swimming every week though this wasn't an option for the next aupair after me. The family was lovely, we still keep in touch, last year my brother came to London to live with them for a year and he enjoyed it as much as I did. Though the mum complained about food and electricity bill (19yr old glued to a laptop cost!) .

Any

Hi,
Another ex Au Pair here.

I used to look after 11 yr old boy who was at school during the day. I used to get him up, make him breakfast and I had a car to take him to and pick him up from school. I would then make him snack and look after him until his mother returned home. I would do the occasional shopping and cook dinner and hoover the house every day. I had to do 2 nights of weekend babysitting a month otherwise my weekends were supposed to be free (lots of Au pairs make extra money on the side by babysitting for other families in the area).

Now I know/knew many other Au pairs and it depends on the agreement between you and the Au pair what the Au pair does. Some Au pairs had 1 older child and did lot of cleaning and sometimes cooking because their work with children only came up to about 10 hrs a week, some had younger children and didn't do any of the other household work.

Au Pairs have status "student" and should go to college to learn a language.

They are treated like family, think of them as your oldest daughter.

I disagree on the above comment about Eastern European girls - it all depends on how/who do you pick - you can pick arrogant French girl or soon to run off Polish girl - both mean you picked wrong. Many Eastern European girls have a gap year because they didn't manage to get to University and that is why they decide to be an Au Pair for the year. In Eastern Europe it is very difficult to get to University and many don't manage to get in on the first try.

Interview all candidates and go with your gut with the support of agency checks.