Yes. An au pair is allowed to work up to a maximum of 3 evenings per week. Note that these evenings should fall under the 30 working hours and the au pair is not allowed to work in the evening during his or her days off.

Your au pair will automatically join our Au Pair Club at arrival in the Netherlands. Several trips and outings will be organized all year round. Of course you can show your au pair around yourself by taking him/her along on family trips.

Unfortunately,yes it does occur. Note that Au Pair Nederland is at all times responsible for the au pair. From the moment the au pair arrives in the Netherlands until he or she leaves. So if this situation occurs, Au Pair Nederland will take full responsibility. We will report to the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization department that the au pair is no longer staying with you and therefore is staying in the Netherlands illegally. An au pair risks a travel ban of several years. Naturally, we will provide you with a new au pair as soon as possible and we will support the host family in any way possible.

The au pair will become part of your every day life. The way your family and the au pair interact with each other depends on the age and personality of the au pair. Whether or not the au pair needs strict guidelines or a curfew depends on the individual characteristics of the au pair. You will usually find this out at the beginning of the au pairs employment. It is key to make clear agreements between you and the au pair, to avoid any misunderstandings and maintain a good relationship. From experience we can advise it is  best to be a bit stricter in the beginning and if everything goes well, to let the reigns slacken. In the past we have experienced that host families who do not set boundries and make agreements with their au pair, are more likely to run into problems than families who do.

An au pair is allowed to work up to 30 hours, spread over 5 days, per week with a maximum of 8 hours a day. At least once a month the au pair is entitled to one uninterupted weekend off. This weekend starts at Friday night at 7 PM and it ends at Monday morning 7 AM.

That depends on the country your au pair originates from. European au pairs are allowed to drive a car in the Netherlands without limit. Au pairs from a country that's not part of the European Union are allowed to drive a car using their own license for up to 6 months. After those 6 months, this right will expire and the au pair will be obligated to obtain a Dutch drivers license. If you require your au pair to be able to drive all year round, you will be liable for the costs paired with getting this license.

Yes, you are allowed to ask your au pair to do some (easy) domestic chores like cleaning, setting the table, cooking, doing the dishes or vacuuming. However, the tasks the au pair performs should be focused on takign care of the children, not domestic chores.

Yes, the au pair does have dinner with the family. He or she should be treated as part of the family. Setting the table, cooking and cleaning up are activities the family and the au pair are expected to do together.

Yes. When the au pair stays for, at least, one year, he or she has is entitled to 2 weeks of paid holiday. The period of this paid holiday will be determined at the beginning of his or her employment, by the family and the au pair. This means that you both (the family and the au pair) have a say in the matter. Be sure to plan this ahead of time and if necessary contact Au Pair Nederland for mediation.

Au Pair Nederland has been placing English speaking au pairs with host families with small children for over 15 years. Speaking from experience we can guarantee that, although everyone will have to get used to each other and the language barrier in the beginning, au pairs will quickly pick up some important words to get around. Furthermore, small children usually find it wildly interesting to learn foreign words and they will learn some before you know it. Also, if everything else fails, there is always the international language of non verbal communication. By using their hands and feet, au pairs are surely to get by. Of course it is also important to enroll your au pair into a Dutch language course.

No, that is not possible. An au pair has to live at the same address as the host family. This ensures the best cultural exchange experience and he or she will become a full member of your family.

Despite of the careful selection procedure and mediation Au Pair Nederland provides, a mismatch between the host family and the au pair or the au pair getting homesick is always a possibility. Of course, Au Pair Nederland will do its best to find a suitable solution. We will support you in finding a new au pair and we will support the au pair in finding a new host family. In all these cases a two week term of notice will apply.

Our au pairs are available all year round. Many host families choose to employ an au pair at the beginning of the school year. However, this is not always the best option. If you have children that are not of school age, starting at another time might be a better option. There are usually more au pair files available, because less host families require an au pair. If you are interested in employing an au pair from South-Africa, it would be sensible to start in December/January because this is the start of the new school year there. Most South African au pairs want to spend a year working as an au pair and continuing their education after that time.

When the au pair arrives in the Netherlands, you as a host family are obligated to take out a policy for your au pair. This policy should include a liability insurance and a health insurance. For many years Au Pair Nederland has been working closely with Tasman Verzekeringen (Tasman Insurances), an insurance company. They offer a policy which is specially designed for families who host an au pair. The policy includes the basic healthcare insurance and a liability insurance covering medical costs, legal costs, luggage loss and accidents. You can also opt for other extra policies.

Au Pair Nederland has teamed up with several international au pair agencies from around the world, of which the biggest one are: South-Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, the United States, Moldavia and Ukraine. If you prefer an au pair from a different country, please contact us. We do also provide au pair placements from other countries or we will try to find a reliable partner organization in the country you prefer to mediate an au pair for you and still be of service to you.

No, (unfortunately) it won't. Hosting an au pair is a cultural exchange and not an officially acknowledged form of child daycare. For this reason, hosting an au pair will not be compensated by the government or your employer.