Frequently asked questions
Your questions, answered
Frequently asked questions
Your questions, answered
Your questions, answered
Got questions? We’ve got answers! Explore our FAQs for helpful insights to make your au pair journey smooth and rewarding.
Frequently asked questions
General questions
An au pair becomes more than just a caregiver—they’re a big sister or brother to your children. Unlike a nanny or daycare provider who clocks out at the end of the day, an au pair lives with your family, forming meaningful bonds and providing consistent care. They bring love, cultural exchange, and a second language into your home, creating a unique and enriching experience for your children.
To host an au pair, there are a few key requirements to meet. For full details, check out our Host Family eligibility page and find out if an au pair is the right fit for your family!
It’s natural to feel unsure, but many families find that having an au pair quickly becomes a positive and rewarding experience. Your au pair will have their own room, ensuring both privacy and personal space. We also help them connect with other au pairs nearby, organise social outings, and encourage them to join local clubs. Once your au pair builds their own social network, it creates a great balance for both your family and them!
Absolutely! Many of our Au Pair Link families are single parents, and having an au pair can provide valuable support, flexibility, and companionship for both you and your child.
We recommend registering as soon as possible, as the process can take a few months to find the right au pair for your family. However, in some cases, we may have au pairs already in New Zealand who can start immediately.
If you’ve already found an au pair privately, you can sign up for our Private Support Programme. This service includes full screening, police checks, and all the benefits of our program support, including orientation, St John first Aid course and access to online resources, family handbooks, support documents, emergency support, and invitations to au pair and child events. The fee for this service is $999 (GST excluded).
Our au pairs
No, the word “au pair,” doesn’t mean nanny at all. It is pronounced “o pair” in French, and means “on par” or equal, denoting living on an equal basis in a reciprocal, caring relationship between the host family and the young person. Like an older sibling, the au pair is included in all family activities, unlike an “employee” of a nanny agency who might be excluded from family meals, holiday celebrations, and other activities. In Europe today, tens of thousands of families and au pairs continue this practical and mutually valuable tradition and the custom is spreading around the world.
Most of our au pairs come from Germany, France, and Sweden, though we also receive applications from other nationalities giving you a diverse pool of candidates to choose from.
Our au pairs are carefully recruited and screened. Each applicant goes through a personal interview to assess their motivation, submits references, provides a medical check certificate, and completes a criminal background check.
Most of our au pairs will have an (international) driver’s licence. However, comfort levels with driving can vary, so we recommend discussing your specific driving needs during the interview process to ensure a good fit.
All our au pairs have at least 200 hours of experience with children, and you will be able to review their childcare experience on their application and during your interview. On our Whiz program, our au pairs have a degree/diploma in education + 6 months experience, or 1 year full-time experience with under 5’s.
View our program page for more information about our Mate and Whiz program.
We recommend that au pairs not be left in sole charge of babies under six months old. However, our Whiz au pairs often have the experience necessary for caring for infants. Be sure to discuss your specific needs with your Au Pair Link Placement Consultant to find the best fit for your family.
Financials
Hosting an au pair is typically cheaper than hiring a nanny, and for families with multiple children, it’s often more cost-effective than daycare. Since an au pair lives with you, their room and board are included in their weekly wages. Daycares, on the other hand, charge per child, making an au pair a more affordable option for families with several children.
If you’ve only got one child, it may be financially comparable to daycare, however, an au pair provides personalised, one-on-one care in the comfort of your own home. Unlike daycare, where children may be exposed to illnesses and limited individual attention, an au pair can focus entirely on the child’s needs, fostering a closer bond and personalised development. Additionally, au pairs offer flexibility in scheduling, accommodating early mornings, evenings, or weekends – something daycare centers cannot always provide. Overall, having an au pair provides a customised, convenient, and enriching childcare experience.
For detailed information on costs, please have a look at our programs and pricing page.
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Full recruitment and pre-screening of your au pair.
- Personal account and login for your family.
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Organisation of your au pairs international flights, visa and insurance.
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Two-day in-person orientation course in Auckland City for the au pairs, which includes St John first aid course focussed on children, strategies for a successful placement, how to deal with culture shock and homesickness, information on employment law in Aotearoa, including employment agreements, annual leave etc.
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A Welcome Pack full of tips and guidelines, for both au pairs and families.
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Thorough Family Handbook to set clear guidelines for your au pair from the get-go.
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Parent information evening webinar, to ensure you are 100% ready to welcome your au-pair.
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After hours phone support for au pairs and families during their placement for emergencies.
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Events and social gatherings organised for your au pair.
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4-week placement guarantee if you need to re-match with another au pair in the first 4 weeks.
View our programme page fore more details.
Yes! We value the support of returning families who have successfully hosted an au pair for 6 months or more. You’ll receive a reduction in program fees. Additionally, a discount is available through our Referral Programme. Be sure to check out our current promotions page for more details.
Selection & matching
For a detailed overview of the next steps, please refer to our How It Works page, where you can find all the information you need about the process after registration.
Ideally, we recommend starting the matching process at least 2 months before you want your au pair to arrive. Being in matching means that you’ve provided all the necessary documents and are ready to start interviewing candidates. The two-month timeframe gives you ample opportunity to interview multiple candidates to find the right fit for your family, and also allows the au pair time to organize their flights, visas, and other documentation to arrive in New Zealand.
Please note that we have a low season (February to late June) and a high season (mid-July to January) for au pair arrivals.
The time with your au pair
Your au pair can help with child-related housework, such as cleaning the kids’ room, tidying the play area, and preparing meals for the children. However, an au pair is not a housekeeper and should not be expected to do heavy-duty housework. They can assist with general household tasks in the areas they use, as part of the family’s shared chores. A Family Handbook will be provided to help ensure that expectations are clearly communicated and agreed upon.
Sometimes, adjustment issues or cultural differences may arise during your time with your au pair. In most cases, these can be resolved through open communication, such as explaining your family’s rules, asking your au pair if anything makes them uncomfortable, and addressing concerns early on.
In the rare occasion that issues persist, the Au Pair Link team is available to provide both you and your au pair with support and advice, offering confidentiality if preferred, and acting as a mediator if needed. If things still do not improve, and depending on the circumstances, we can discuss termination and the option for a rematch with another au pair.
