Hosting an Au Pair in the United States

Do you live in America and would like to host an au pair? You’ve come to the right place.
Find out more about becoming an au pair host family in the USA.

Criteria to host an Au Pair in the United States

Are you a family living in the United States who would like to host an au pair? Butrfly explains the requirements for becoming an au pair host family in the United States.

How do I qualify?

The au pair program is a cultural exchange program in which young foreigners learn English in exchange for childcare services.

It enables young people to learn a language through courses and to visit the country through activities. The au pair is housed, fed, whitened and remunerated in return for hours of childcare.

The United States regulates the hosting of au pairs by American families. By agreeing to host an au pair, the family chooses to integrate the au pair as a member of the family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦.

Find out more about the requirements to host an au pair in the United States👇.

Family checklist ✅

Housing checklist ✅

Organizational checklist ✅

American host family, join the BUTRFLY network

For more information on these conditions 👇

General terms and conditions

You must be able to cover all expenses related to hosting an au pair.

The minimum wage is US$197.75 per week. You may also have to contribute to your au pair’s language course fees.

As for your au pair’s enrolment in a higher education institution, you can contribute up to 500 US dollars towards tuition fees.

Finally, in the United States, the host family is responsible for the cost of round-trip airfare.

To host an Au Pair in the United States, you must go through an agency recognized by the American government. This agency will be responsible for all formalities, administrative procedures and the contract to be signed by the au pair and the host family.

To enter the U.S., au pairs need a J1 visa, which allows them to stay legally in the country. This visa is issued for a minimum of 12 months, and can be extended for 6, 9 or 12 months.

If one of your children is under 3 years old when your au pair arrives, one of the parents must be at home.

Housing conditions

The room provided for the au pair must measure at least 9m². It must also be furnished and have a window that lets in daylight and a door with a lock to allow the au pair some privacy.

You also give the au pair access to a bathroom 🚿.

⚠️ No family member is allowed to share the au pair’s room. The au pair must be informed that his/her place of residence will be different from that of the family.

Conditions for organizing your stay

Contract

In the contract, it is necessary to define the conditions of stay as well as the framework of your au pair’s missions: obligations of the parties, working hours, remuneration…

Work and free time 📅

Au pairs are not allowed to work more than 45 hours a week. He/she is entitled to one and a half full days of rest per week. At the end of their one-year stay, au pairs are entitled to 2 weeks’ paid vacation. It’s up to you to arrange this with your au pair when you draw up your contract.

⚠️ An au pair takes part in light housework (emptying the garbage can, filling the dishwasher), but cannot be considered as a household employee.

The au pair’s duties must be precisely set out in the contract.

In the event of illness, the au pair is entitled to room and board.

🦋 Tips: We recommend that you discuss the future timetable with your au pair beforehand, so that it can be included in the contract.

On your dashboard, you have access to all the tasks your future au pair will be able to carry out as part of his or her contract with you. Check only those you wish to entrust to the au pair. In general, an au pair can :

Look after your children, take them to school or to activities, walk them and play with them.
Help keep the house clean and do small chores.
Prepare breakfast and simple meals.
Look after your home and pets 🐕 (if you have any).

Host an Au Pair by becoming a host family with BUTRFLY

Testimonials 👇

Read the testimonials of our host families and Au Pairs.

Relevance of matches. We've used Butrfly now for 3 years in a row to find our au pairs, from South Africa, Germany and the USA. Each time, the team was able to find us the rare pearl by listening to our expectations. What a time saver compared to other services! Thank you!!!

Great experience. Butrfly helped us recruit our 1st au pair. We were in an emergency situation and were delighted with the service and support. The profiles selected are really great. I highly recommend Butrfly.

Butrfly was able to understand our expectations and the way our family functioned, so as to offer us the best profile. And the support doesn't stop there, as the team is always available. The principle of videoconferencing between families to discuss our questions is also a real plus!

Butrfly saved us! After going through Aupair World and finding the wrong person, Butrfly found us a gem! Highly recommended!

Very good experience with Butrfly. We found an Au Pair for next year, and we were very pleasantly assisted in our search.

We are very happy with our experience. Our au pair is very pleasant, participates in family life and gets on very well with our children. Butterfly manages the introductions efficiently and then follows up on the file.

Nos familles vous en parlent

Listen to the testimonials of the guests on the podcast La Grande Famille, hosted by Manuela Dizier-Chanfreau.

You’ll find feedback and valuable advice on hosting an au pair from entrepreneurial moms.