The benefits of hosting an Au Pair

Between rushing from work to after school activities, helping with homework and having dinner ready, there is no denying that parents could use a helping hand when it comes to the care of their kids. Parents have an array of childcare options from daycare to nannies, but the most affordable and flexible option may be to host an au pair. Some of the benefits include:

·         Convenience: The luxury of having a live-in childcare provider is unmatched by other options. Plus au pairs can assist with household duties related to the children including meal preparation, laundry and room tidiness.

·         More control: Parents have a greater connection and hand in how their children are being cared for by their au pair, who often integrates seamlessly into the family.

·         Exposure to another country’s culture: Au pairs can introduce children to their home country’s arts, music and food. Au pairs can also help introduce your children to a foreign language such as Spanish, French, German or Mandarin.

·         Flexibility: Unlike a nanny who has a limited schedule or daycare that only provides childcare during certain hours, au pairs become part of the family’s life and schedule so parents have the ability to customize childcare hours. This allows for split shifts, including before and after school childcare – a big convenience for school age kids. Should parents run into last minute scheduling changes or plan travel au pairs can accommodate them accordingly.

·         Affordability: Although it’s assumed that au pairs are outside a typical family budget, hosting an au pair averages approximately $360 per week, per family vs. per child. In addition, families may also qualify for some important tax benefits by hosting an au pair, such as Child and Dependent Care Tax Credits or Dependent Care Reimbursement Programs, making an au pair an even more affordable childcare option

Families who have utilized Cultural Care Au Pair have grown extremely close to the au pairs that they have hosted. Many au pairs become integrated into the family’s life years after living with them. In fact, some families even choose to visit their au pair’s home country! The bond was so strong that the Jamieson family attended their au pair’s wedding in South Africa.  For the Lee host family of Santa Monica, starting with a female au pair when their boys were younger was the perfect solution. When the boys got a little older and sportier, the question came up, "would it make more sense to switch to a male au pair?" The family is currently hosting their fourth male au pair. The first two were from Sweden and since the family now wants the boys to be fluent in Spanish, the third au pair was from Mexico while the current male au pair is from Colombia.

While childcare needs vary from family to family, an au pair is a stand out choice to consider for Santa Monica families.