Below you will find a selection of our most frequently asked questions. If you can't find your question below we would encourage you to visit our blog, which contains extensive information for au pairs and host families.
No we do not. AuPairIreland.ie is a job website, not an au pair agency. We do not perform background checks on either host families or job seekers, and we play no part in the hiring process.
An au pair's or host family's listing on AuPairIreland.ie should not be considered an endorsement of that party from AuPairIreland.ie
Au pairing can incorporate any number of duties beyond caring for children. It is worth emphasising that the job is often very demanding. Try not to have unrealistic expectations and never be seduced into thinking that you are on holiday. You will no doubt have opportunities that might not have come your way had you stayed at home, but first and foremost you are abroad to work. Your primary duties will revolve around the children.
Most families will expect you not only to keep their children's rooms tidy, but also to do some light housework. `Light housework' is notoriously open to interpretation, however, so do be careful that you are not exploited. It is usual to be asked to dust, vacuum, wash dishes and keep the children’s room clean.
It would be surprising not to be responsible for the children's clothes, though you should not be expected to do any hand washing. The vast majority of families who hire live-in helpers own a washing machine and usually a dryer, which should cut down the time taken to do this chore and on any ironing you may be expected to do.
Normally you will be expected to prepare the children's meals. You might even be required to cook for the adult members of the household sometimes, so be honest about how good you are at cooking and how much (or little) you enjoy it.
The amount of shopping you will be required to do varies considerably from family to family. Some will expect you merely to pick up a few items at the local grocery store while others will make you responsible for the entire food budget. Usually, the parents will go on a major shopping expedition once a week and leave you to purchase any extras that may be needed.
Candidates with driving licences are at a distinct advantage when applying for jobs since many parents will want you to ferry their children to school, to the doctor/dentist/dance class, etc. Not all parents are willing to lend their au pair or nanny a car, but if they do require you to drive, they will usually allow you to use the car to take the children out for day trips, or even allow you to borrow the car for your own private use during your free time. Always be scrupulous about paying for your own petrol, unless you have come to some arrangement.
Some families prefer foreign au pairs so that they can assist the children with another language. Your task will be made a lot easier if the children share their parents' ideas about the benefits of language learning, not to mention have a certain aptitude. It may be a case of giving a scheduled lesson once a day or simply chatting to them in English or reading them stories.
Au pairs must not be asked to work more than their maximum allowable hours and they must be given at least 2 days a week completely free.
It is important that the "free time" should be genuinely free, that the girl should be at liberty to meet her friends and to go sight-seeing and to concerts, cinemas etc. and that she should have the time and opportunity to attend religious services.
Many Au pairs leave families if they feel they are being taken advantage of in terms of work, so it is in the interest of the family to work out the Au pairs schedule in the form of a written work plan in order to make the best use of her time.
Typical duties include:
Not at all, we welcome the following types of ads - Au Pairs, Au Pair Plus, Nannies, Babysitter, Childminder, Elderly Care, and Mothers' Help, and any other domestic/home help-related roles.
An au pair is (usually) a foreign-national domestic assistant working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs are girls or young women and take on a share of the family's responsibility for child care as well as some housework, and receive a small monetary allowance for personal use. The title comes from the French term au pair, meaning "on a par" or "equal to", indicating that the relationship is intended to be one of equals: the au pair is intended to become a member of the family, albeit a temporary one, rather than a domestic servant. In the best circumstances, both parties benefit from learning about the other's culture.
An au pair should be treated as an equal part of the family, not as a servant, and shall not be required to wear a uniform. There can be misunderstandings on both sides about what this means. The usual practice is that au pairs eat with the family most of the time, and join in some of the usual family activities such as outings and trips. However, host families normally expect to have some private time to themselves, particularly in the evenings. During this time, an au pair might retire to his or her room to watch television, study, or go out with friends. The au pair is given a monthly allowance and all expenses are paid by the host family.
As we are a jobs site and not a recruitment agency we do not authenticate each new au pair or host family account. This is the responsibility of the au pair or host family.
Unfortunately there are a number of scams that we come across from time to time.
The most common is whereby the scammer pretends to be a host family, posts a great job with wonderful conditions. They then offer every applicant the position and as negotiations progress the 'host family' announces that the au pair will have to hand over a sum of money to get a visa, or in some cases the scammer announces that they have already paid a sum of money to get the au pair a visa and ask the au pair to wire them the money.
Another scam involves the scammer pretending to be an au pair, in this case the (genuine) host family offers them the job but on the day the au pair is due to arrive the 'au pair' contacts them to say they are unable to fly as they need money for a vaccination or a visa, or plane ticket, and requests the host family wire them the money. If you do wish to cover your au pair�s travel expenses, or any other expense, only do so after they have arrived.
We cannot emphasise this enough, regardless of whether you are an jobseeker, or a host family - never ever, ever, ever, send money. Never. Again, never. If you are asked to send money please contact us immediately.
If you know of any other scams please let us know, or if you suspect any accounts on auparireland.ie please send us details.
Yes they do. Most of the host families we get on this site are looking for females, but that does not mean there are no positions for males. Having a good CV, cover letter and including a photo will help your prospects of finding a job.
Never, ever, send money � if the host family requires money for whatever reason, end all communications with them and alert us at [email protected] .
You can verify a host family�s address and phone number using local telephone directories. If you suspect something is wrong consult friends or family, if they agree with your suspicions end all communications with the host family and alert us at [email protected].
Involve family and friends in the process. Let them know what jobs you�re applying for. Arrange the first meeting in a public place and ask for the whole family to be present. If possible take a photo to send to a trusted friend or family member.
If you feel suspicious end all communications with the host family and alert us at [email protected].
The family pays for the aupair�s living expenses, which include room and board. If the au pair needs special dietary items she/he is responsible for this. The aupair is responsible for all personal items such as toiletries, health supplements, hair care items, etc.
A private bedroom should be provided for the aupair. Extra amenities in the room such as TV, stereo, phone, computer, are not required. However, the more comfortable an aupair feels in your home, the more successful the arrangement is likely to be.
The family can expect the aupair to pay for her/his long distance phone calls.
If the aupair drives the children to and from school and activities, and/or does the grocery shopping, the family pays for petrol, oil and maintenance. The family can expect the aupair to pay for petrol when she/he uses the car for her/his personal errands. You need to ask your insurance company for the options of how to insure the au pair as a driver of your vehicle(s). She should take her meals with the family and be invited to share in recreational pursuits whenever possible.
An Au-Pair is not a qualified child-minder nor domestic. She should receive full instructions before being left in sole charge of the household or with children. During the initial period the Au-Pair will need time to adjust to her new environment and the family must be patient and sympathetic in order to build up a good relationship.
An au pair should be treated as an equal part of the family, not as a servant, and shall not be required to wear a uniform. There can be misunderstandings on both sides about what this means. The usual practice is that au pairs eat with the family most of the time, and join in some of the usual family activities such as outings and trips. However, host families normally expect to have some private time to themselves, particularly in the evenings. During this time, an au pair might retire to his or her room to watch television, study, or go out with friends. The au pair is given a monthly allowance and all expenses are paid by the host family.
After you have registered you are free to look through our jobs database and apply for any positions you find suitable. Before being able to apply however you must create an online CV and you should also create a cover letter, the cover letter is sent to the host family when you apply for a job, if the host family is interested in you they will check out your CV and contact you if they think you are suitable for the position.
The family pays for the aupair�s living expenses, which include room and board. If the au pair needs special dietary items she/he is responsible for this. The aupair is responsible for all personal items such as toiletries, health supplements, hair care items, etc.
A private bedroom should be provided for the aupair. Extra amenities in the room such as TV, stereo, phone, computer, are not required. However, the more comfortable an aupair feels in your home, the more successful the arrangement is likely to be.
The family can expect the aupair to pay for her/his long distance phone calls.
If the aupair drives the children to and from school and activities, and/or does the grocery shopping, the family pays for petrol, oil and maintenance. The family can expect the aupair to pay for petrol when she/he uses the car for her/his personal errands. You need to ask your insurance company for the options of how to insure the au pair as a driver of your vehicle(s). She should take her meals with the family and be invited to share in recreational pursuits whenever possible.
An Au-Pair is not a qualified child-minder nor domestic. She should receive full instructions before being left in sole charge of the household or with children. During the initial period the Au-Pair will need time to adjust to her new environment and the family must be patient and sympathetic in order to build up a good relationship.
If the Au Pair lives abroad the normal method of interviewing them is over the phone or over Skype/Facetime. However a lot of Au Pairs are currently living in Ireland, you should interview them face-to-face if possible. Some Au Pairs also have their Skype contact details on their CVs, this is a cheaper alternative to making a phone call.
There is a system in place, which it is intended to shortly reflect in legislation, for certain sectors, such as the health service, to have a person vetted by the Garda� prior to the commencement of employment. This is undertaken with the consent of the person. Access to this vetting system is allowed following appropriate training. The vetting system operates independently of rights which a person has to make a subject access request to the Garda� for personal data held in relation to them.
However it is important to clarify that a subject access request should not be construed as Garda Vetting, Character Reference, Security Clearance or any interpretation of same.
It is not a thorough process and simply provides personal data held by a data subject at the address provided. Employers seeking to ascertain the background of potential employees, for whatever purpose, should not require those persons to submit access requests to the Garda�.
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Only premium members can include their contact details on ads. To do this, log into your account, click 'Update Your Details' and choose which contact details you want to display with your ad.
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