BEING AN AU PAIR

OUR HOST FAMILIES

Our host families live in one of 180 cluster areas throughout the US and are personally interviewed by the local Community Counselor. Your family will provide you with your own room, all meals and access to transport for your weekly classes.

Au Pair in America will help you match with a family whose needs match your experience and whose lifestyle you'll feel comfortable with. Remember, you choose the family that you are going to live with!

Click on the pictures below to read more about our host families.



Family Name: James
Number of Children: 2
Location: Evanston, Illinois

Describe your family

I think we are a typical modern American family. Both my husband and I work full time – he is a Systems Engineer for a pharmaceutical company and myself as the owner of a marketing agency. The kids attend a private Montessori school full time. In our free time we enjoy our home and neighbourhood in Evanston (an old suburb directly to the north of Chicago) as well as the offerings of the US’s 3rd largest city. My sons Aidan (7) and Luke (4) are very active and love going to the beach, pool, museums and zoos.

Describe your au pair

Our currnent au pair Maria is our third Au Pair in America.  She joined our family last December from the Dresden region of Germany. She is very confident and responsible and has formed a very strong relationship with our sons who rely on her for their care, but also fun and companionship. We have tried to provide her with many freedoms and amenities to make her stay with us comfortable, help her make friends and stay connected with her family at home as well as give her access to see as much of our city and country as possible during her year in America. She was very curious and eager to experience life in America and become part of the family and I think she has taken full advantage of her opportunity to do that.

What do you enjoy about having an au pair?

We loved having an au pair for the last 4 years because of the flexibility and intimacy it offers compared to babysitters and nannies. My job sometimes requires me to work evenings and travel. I like the fact that there is someone other than myself and my husband that knows the children so well as individuals and is familiar with the rhythm of the family. Also, we love learning first hand about other countries and cultures as well as sharing our own country and culture with someone new. I believe we learn more about ourselves and our culture by seeing it through the lens of someone unfamiliar with it.

Any funny or special stories that you’d like to share

We have really appreciated and enjoyed an opportunity to have our au pairs travel with us. All 3 have been able to go with us to California and Las Vegas. I have just loved watching how they react to Las Vegas which is a truly unimaginable spectacle for people from other countries.