Ask any parent in the Boston area: finding child care that meets your family’s needs is challenging. But there’s one option that you may not have considered – hosting an au pair.

Au pairs are young people between the ages of 18 and 26 who travel to the United States to have a cultural exchange experience while living with a host family and caring for their children. The au pair program is regulated by the U.S. Department of State, which requires au pairs to have sponsorship from a designated agency like Au Pair in America.

Au Pair in AmericaFlexible Child Care Assistance

It’s a scenario familiar to many Boston parents: you’re headed out the door, coffee in hand, about to start your day when disaster strikes. The babysitter is having car trouble again. Or your little one has the sniffles. Or maybe you just remembered that your child’s school or daycare is closed for a staff development day.

Now picture this: You have a trusted au pair living in your home, so your family can deal with life’s little surprises like sick days and snow days.

Au Pair in America is designed to be flexible to meet your family’s needs. Host families and au pairs coordinate a customized child care schedule of up to 10 hours per day and 45 hours per week to keep your household running smoothly.

Simplify Your Life

Ever feel like you need to be in two places at once? Hosting an au pair can help simplify your life. Au pairs can take your children wherever they need to go – to school, extracurriculars, the Boston Children’s Museum, the New England Aquarium, or their favorite playground.

Plus, au pairs can help with household tasks related to your children. You’ll have an extra set of hands with preparing your children’s meals, tidying their playroom, and keeping up with their laundry.

Wendy V. from Massachusetts loves how stress-free her family’s life has become since hosting with Au Pair in America. “It is so peaceful to know that my son is home with someone safe and reliable. Our au pair has become part of the family,” Wendy writes.

Au Pair pushing child on swingThe Power of Cultural Exchange

The beating heart of Au Pair in America is cultural exchange. Host families are encouraged to include their au pair in family activities and holidays. Likewise, au pairs love to share food, music, traditions, and language from their culture with their host family.

Hosting an au pair can ignite curiosity in your children and inspire them. Claire from Massachusetts grew up with au pairs in her home. As a former host child, she finds that cultural exchange had a significant impact on her life.

“I think being exposed to other cultures gave me a broader understanding of the world and more respect for people in other countries. My au pairs frequently introduced me to cooking, games, language studies, and stories from their countries and their cultures. Learning about these things and hearing about their countries definitely made me want to travel more,” states Claire, age 27.

Experience You Can Trust

As the nation’s first legal au pair program, Au Pair in America has set the standard for screening and service since 1986. From selecting an au pair to ongoing support throughout the program, this au pair agency is there for you every step of the way.

Au Pair in America requires au pairs to pass a rigorous screening process and background check. Once arriving in the U.S., au pairs also complete a comprehensive orientation program with training on child development, child safety, and more. And with a large network of community counselors throughout the United States, host families have local support throughout the exchange year.

The Bottom Line

“The au pair program offers a significant value when it comes to cost and flexibility,” explains Robin Leon with Au Pair in America. “I always love to share with potential host families that the cost of hosting an au pair is per family, not per child.”

Most importantly, by hosting an au pair you’re giving your children a unique cultural exchange experience and the chance to develop global bonds that can last a lifetime. Like many former host children, Madeleine from Massachusetts, now 26, remains in touch with many of her former au pairs.

“We’ve met their children, their parents, and their friends. We’ve attended their weddings. To me, to all of us, they are family, and I feel like they will stay that way for the rest of my life,” she shares.

Get Started

Every week, Boston-area families like yours are welcoming au pairs to their homes for a life-changing experience. Create your Au Pair in America host family account below and start viewing au pair profiles at no cost or obligation today.

Au Pair in America

(800) 928-7247

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Meghan Block
Meghan was born and raised on the South Shore and attended college in Boston. After college, she married her high school sweetheart and followed him to Charleston, SC, and Groton, CT, where he served as a submarine officer in the United States Navy. Military life was an adventure, and after six crazy years of service (and two babies later!), the pair decided to move *home* to the South Shore in 2016 and put down some roots. Meghan is the proud owner of Boston Moms and work-at-home mom to William, Benjamin, and Caroline, born in 2013, 2015 and 2019. She loves meeting new people, encouraging moms, celebrating motherhood, and supporting small businesses.