The Best Au Pair Experiences are With AuPairCare

An au pair (pronounced "oh pair," and often searched as "opare" or "aupair") is a young adult from another country who lives with an American host family for a year, provides up to 45 hours a week of childcare, and takes part in a cultural exchange on a J-1 visa. Au pairs are not nannies or employees in the usual sense; they're part of the household. Read our full explainer on what is an au pair.

Most AuPairCare host families spend about $21,500 for a full year, and that figure stays the same whether you have one child or four. It covers the program fee (screening, visa sponsorship, airfare, training, insurance, and year-round support), the weekly stipend paid to your au pair, and the $500 education contribution. Payment plans and discounts for repeat, military, and corporate partner families are available. See the full au pair program costs.

The U.S. Department of State sets a federal minimum weekly stipend for au pairs. AuPairCare's minimum is $215 per week, which is above that federal floor, and families are welcome to pay more. The stipend is paid directly to your au pair and does not change with the number of children. For a line-by-line look at a full year, read how much does an au pair cost.

For many families, especially those with two or more children, yes. Nannies and daycare centers price per child and per hour; an au pair's cost is flat and includes up to 45 hours of flexible, in-home childcare each week, plus, au pairs help with kids' meals, laundry, and school runs. For one child in a low-cost area, daycare may still come out ahead. We break down the numbers by family size in our au pair vs nanny vs daycare comparison.

Host families must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, speak English as the primary language at home, pass a background check, and provide a private bedroom with an adult-size bed. You'll also commit to a one-year program (with the option to extend) and to treating your au pair as a member of the family. See the complete host family requirements.

Apply online (about 10 minutes), search au pair profiles, interview your top candidates by video, and match. AuPairCare handles the visa preperation, travel arrangements, and pre-arrival training, and your local Area Director checks in within 48 hours of arrival and monthly after that. Our step-by-step guide covers how to hire an au pair from application to arrival day.

Yes. In the United States, au pairs enter on a J-1 cultural exchange visa, and only agencies designated by the U.S. Department of State can sponsor it. AuPairCare has been a designated sponsor since 1989, with local Area Directors within an hour's drive of every host family. Here's why families choose AuPairCare as their au pair agency.

Au pairs come on a J-1 exchange visitor visa, valid for one year and extendable by 6, 9, or 12 months for a maximum stay of two years. AuPairCare sponsors the visa, prepares the paperwork, and arranges the travel. Learn more about the au pair J-1 visa process.