Families

Do I need an au pair?

In our agency, we are educators with extensive experience in teaching languages, so we know the needs of families closely.

Nowadays, the family members schedules entail difficulties in taking or picking up the children, sharing their free time or having the possibility of having them eating at home instead of going to the school canteen. During these periods of time, the learning of a foreign language can be enhanced through daily routine activities and role-playing games.

Facing the future of your children, mastering languages in today’s society has become a first-order necessity.

We take care of the search and selection of the right person in the chosen language (English, Spanish, French, German, etc…) that meets the needs of your family. In addition, through a personalized follow-up, we make sure that the adaptation within the family environment and the fulfillment of their tasks are carried out successfully.

Your children will have many more hours of practice of the foreign language and will also live it in everyday situations creating routines associated in a playful way -through games and stories- to language skills.

In addition to socializing the whole family with a new member who will undoubtedly enrich the family environment, involving everyone in their experiences and culture. With this, we are also providing a very important aspect in their education: creating links with people from other cultures. We broaden their perspectives and educate them in an intercultural environment, which is also very useful for their personal and professional future.

Responsibilities with the au pair

• Respect the space of the Au pair and the number of hours arranged in the agreement for the collaboration in the tasks.
• Provide the Au pair with full board.
• Respect all the rights of the Au pair.
• Pay the weekly salary on time at the end of each week.
• Respect their free time and holiday periods agreed in advance.
• Integrate it as one more member of the family.
• Place your trust in her so that her children respect her and accept her as a person of reference.
• Communicate clear and precise instructions on the tasks to be performed. It is recommended that the au pair has a weekly schedule in which the tasks to be carried out are marked.

Contact the agency in the event of any situation that cannot be dealt with directly with the Au pair. -If after 15 days the problem is not resolved and the Au pair’s contract must be terminated, Best Au pair Agency will provide a new Au pair within a reasonable period of time. During the period of 15 days after the expiration of your contract you must fulfill your host family obligations as the Au pair with yours.

If you are looking for a childcare option, an Au Pair would be a good fit. An Au Pair is a young person who is interested in living with a family abroad for a while and participating in a cultural exchange.

Advantages of having an Au Pair:

Cultural exchange: Through the au pair the family will be able to learn about a new culture and language. This will also allow the children to develop their tolerance towards other cultures and grow up in a multicultural space.

Hours: The established working hours must always be respected, this does not imply that both parties, au pair and family, can agree on changes in hours in advance according to their needs.

New language: The incorporation of a new language with the au pair is done automatically since from her arrival, the family will make an effort to communicate with her.

Cost: An Au Pair is also a cheaper option than a nanny or sometimes a nursery.

Steps to follow to have an au pair at home

1. Contact our agency on the phone +34 679628119 or via e-mail info@bestaupairbarcelona.com.
   We will talk about your needs as a family, the ages of the children and the candidate profile in which you are interested.
2. Sending profiles of selected candidates with the requested characteristics.
3. Interview by video conference with the candidates.
4. Interview with the agency to establish the arrival date, tasks, schedule and conditions that will appear in the contract.
5. Sending the contract to be signed by both parties.
6. Follow-up of the adaptation period during the au pair stay.
7. Replacement by a new candidate if necessary.

Videoconference

The video conference interview is one of the most important points during the search for an Au Pair. You will have the opportunity to get to know each other better through an introduction and the right questions, but it is also the perfect time to inform about the responsibilities of the Au Pair and the Host Family, their responsibilities and expectations.

To facilitate the interview process, we have put together some tips that we share with you:

1. Keep in mind the different time zones.
Consider that your future Host Family/Au Pair could be thousands of miles away and have a different time zone. Find the time that suits both of you and keep in mind, be punctual in the call with a maximum margin of 30 minutes.

2. Read the Host Family/Au Pair profile and write down some questions
To find your perfect family or Au Pair you will surely see some profiles. Write the doubts that appear when viewing the profile or use them as a reference to verify the information.
Some important questions are:

• How many hours of childcare experience does the Au Pair have?
• Has the host family had Au Pairs before?
• What will be the duties of your future Au Pair?
• What motivated the family/Au Pair to be part of this cultural exchange?
• Is the family/Au Pair vegetarian/vegan?
• Do both parents work full time?
• What are the hobbies of the Au Pair and the Host Family?
• What are the plans for the future of the Au Pair?

3. Make a good impression
During the interview Aupair and family should try to understand the expectations of both parties to know if they can be a good match. Make sure you are in a place with a good internet connection before starting the interview. When speaking with the Host Family also ask if it is possible to speak with the children. If possible, also ask to see your future room.

4. Discuss the regulations and the contract
It is important to comment on the number of working hours per week, vacations and pocket money.
If necessary, also raise the documents that you will need before the trip or in case you need a visa.

5. Show interest in your future Host Family/Au Pair
It proves that you have read their profile carefully and that you want to get to know them better. Ask a little about their lifestyle and hobbies and be sure to share your own.

The Au Pair Host Family Program

The Au Pair program is based on the cooperation between the Au Pair and the Host Family.

How does it work?

If you are a Host Family it proves that you are really looking for a cultural exchange and someone responsible to take care of your children and not a cleaning person.

Remember to make your priorities and expectations clear so that the Au pair can get as precise an idea as possible of what her role in the family will be.

Au Pair’s interview

The search for the perfect Au Pair can take some time. You have to screen all the candidates that meet the search criteria, send messages, schedule interviews and finally contact the applicants directly.

You will need to talk to the Au Pair about her childcare experience and family expectations to assess the candidate’s approach to the Au Pair program. But first, try to break the ice with small talk: ask general questions about the Au Pair’s life, interests and daily activities. This way you will be able to assess their personality and maturity, which are just as important as childcare experience.

Below you will find a list of the most important questions to ask your Au Pair during the interview:

• Why do you want to be an Au Pair?
• Have you ever been abroad?
• Have you ever been away from home for a long time?
• What interests you?
• What do you do in your free time?
• How is your family life?
• Do you have brothers?
• Do you have experience caring for children?
• What do you like most about taking care of children?
• What do you think is the role of an Au Pair in the lives of children?
• How would you keep the kids busy? Do you have an activity in mind?
• Can you help the children with their homework?
• Can you teach the children English / your mother tongue?
• What are you going to do when the children are disobedient?
• You have a driving license? If yes, do you have experience?
• What salary does the Au Pair expect?
• How would you like your room to be?
• How long would you like to stay?
• When would you like to arrive?
• How are you going to spend your vacation? Are you going to visit your home
• country or travel?
• Would you like to spend the holidays with us? If yes, would you like to look
• after the children for a few hours?
• Are you vegetarian / vegan? Do you follow any special diet?
• Do you have any allergies / chronic illness?
• Do you have a couple? Are you ready to have a long-distance relationship?