Au pairs are single young people, who come from a member state of the European Community or one of a limited number of other countries. Au pairs come to the UK to study English and, whilst staying with families, help in the home for a maximum of five hours a day.
They must have at least two full days off each week, and be provided with meals, an allowance and their own room.
Au pairs are not usually trained to work with children and therefore are not generally considered as being suited to looking after pre-school children while parents are at work. They can, however, be a good option for providing short periods of after-school and school holiday childcare.
There are a number of au pair agencies who can support families in finding a suitable au pair. Ring the Family Information Service for details on 08457 585072.
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