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AU PAIRING

Working Abroad as an Au Pair

Living and working in another country gives you a chance to experience the culture and language of that country in a way you never will as a tourist. One good way of doing this is by working abroad as an Au Pair - not only will you experience family life in a foreign environment but you also will learn the language and the culture of another country.

What exactly is an Au Pair

An au pair is a person who wishes to learn another language by going to that country and living with a family thus practising their language skills. In exchange for the help that the au pair will give the family – ‘pocket money’ (instead of wages) will be given to the au pair along with full accommodation in the family home for the agreed length of time. Au pairing is not considered working and an au pair does not pay income tax or social security payments nor do they need a work permit.

Unfortunately, not every Au Pair is treated in this way - all kinds of stories are told about Au Pairs being treated as servants and being overloaded with work with little or no time off. Finding an Au Pair position through a personal contact or a reputable agency may be the way to avoid these pitfalls.

Are you suitable?

• While agencies and families prefer Au Pairs to have experience of looking after children, most will consider anyone with a genuine liking of children and a willingness to help around the house.
• The minimum age for most agencies is 18 years.
• Most agencies insist that their Au Pairs are single
• Some agencies and families will only take non-smokers
• On many programmes it is a distinct advantage to hold a driver's licence

Placement Service for Irish Au Pairs

Aupair Study Centre, 1 Clarinda Park North, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Ph: (01) 284 4675
http://www.aupairstudy.com/

Careway, 11 Eastmoreland Place, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Ph: (01) 6601000
http://www.childcareagency.ie/

Sk Dublin, 105 Castle Riada Drive, Lucan, Co. Dublin.
Ph: (01) 505 9590
http://www.skdublin.com/