Questions from other parents
General
With over ten years of experience, Au Pair International is a stable organization in the industry. Out of all the agencies, we are well known for organizing the most events and activities for au pairs. Moreover we offer our customers by far the most transparent and flexible payment options. It is due to our excellent service, that AuPairWorld has chosen us as the only preferred partner in the Netherlands!
The au pair program has a somewhat elitist image, entirely unjustly. However in practicality it shows a much more mixed picture. Our host families are mainly internationally oriented and find it an enrichment to have someone from another culture in their home. Someone who also brings a lot of peace to the house during the busy hours with hectic work schedules and demands of raising children. The costs of an au pair are often no higher than regular childcare, especially if you take into account that an au pair may also perform light household tasks.
If you want to participate in the au pair program as a host family, your family income must be ‘sufficient, sustainable and independent’ according to the standards of the IND. New standards for income are published on the IND website every six months: To the IND website.
No, certainly not. The main goal of the au pair program is for a foreign young person to become acquainted with Dutch culture. The tasks that an au pair is allowed to perform are not seen as official work and the pocket money is not a salary. You develop a friendly or familial bond with an au pair. There is no question of an employer-employee relationship.
Never before have we experienced a host family quit participating in our program because of a sense of loss of privacy. Au pairs, just like Dutch youngsters at that age, often go out independently on weekends and the evenings they generally spend in their room.
Practical
You can start the registration procedure in several different ways, depending on what you find most comfortable.
– By sending an e-mail to info@aupairinternational.nl with your name and telephone number..
– By calling us on 050-5020005.
– By filling in our Contact form on the website
We look forward to welcoming you to our program!
In particular, host families are required to participate in the au pair program with the right intentions, to commit to the rules of the au pair program, to have sufficient and sustainable income, and to reside legally in the Netherlands. If you register with us, we will determine via a quick scan whether your family meets the conditions.
That just depends, one option is not necessarily better than the other. With a mediation, you have to invest less time in the search for a suitable au pair, which we as an agency take a large part off your hands. On the other hand, the costs compared to the self-match service are also higher. Au pairs who are placed through mediation or self-match largely go through the same screening.
This depends on the country of origin of the au pair. If the au pair needs a visa (this applies to most au pairs from outside Europe), the lead time is approximately 2.5 to three months. If the au pair only needs to apply for a residence permit, it will take about six weeks before the au pair can arrive. An European au pair can generally start within a month.
No, this is not allowed. The au pair must be registered at the address of the host family and actually will stay with the host family. Through daily routine of the host family they learn a lot about the Dutch language and culture. An au pair is entitled to her own furnished and lockable bedroom. A private shower or bathroom is nice, but it can also be shared with the rest of the family.
This is not permitted by law. After the end of their year in the Netherlands, the au pair may participate in the au pair program again in another country, for example in Belgium or Germany (they will need to contact immigration within these countries to inquire about the process).
No, only young people from abroad (without a Dutch passport or right to one) are allowed to participate in the au pair program here.
Costs
We advise you to let the au pair pay for the flight tickets. If you wish, you can of course reimburse part of the au pair halfway through or at the end of the placement period.
The au pair stays in your home on an ‘all inclusive’ basis. This includes things like food, beverages and regular personal care products.
The au pair’s pocket money is legally set at a minimum of € 300 per month and a maximum of € 340 per month. To avoid misunderstandings, we advise host families to pay the pocket money weekly on a fixed day. If you choose to pay out the pocket money weekly, the pocket money is € 76 per week.
INSURANCE
An au pair insurance is mandatory if you want to register with our agency: it insures important matters that are not covered by the basic insurance. Consider, among other things, the following coverages:
– Medical expenses* during the trip to the Netherlands, during the stay in the Netherlands and during the trip back home;
– Medical expenses* during holidays outside the Netherlands;
– Medical repatriation to the home country in the event of serious illness or accident;
– The excess applicable to the basic insurance**
– Repatriation of the body after death;
– Unforeseen travel expenses in the event of death/serious illness of the au pair’s family in the home country;
– Private liability of the au pair, in addition to a current family liability insurance;
– Baggage.
* Unforeseen, medical emergency care due to illness or accident.
** This is offered by the ISIS Au pair insurance. :
By taking out an au pair insurance, you fulfil the duty of care that you as a host family have towards the au pair.
You can easily take out the au pair insurance via the following website:
https://www.aupairverzekeringen.nl/nl/gastgezin
Each au pair is obliged to take out a basic health insurance within four months of arrival in the Netherlands. They pay the monthly care premium themselves. An au pair can apply for care allowance from the Dutch tax authorities, which in turn compensates for a large part of the monthly premium.
MISMATCH & REMATCH
In the unlikely event that a placement does not go well, the account manager of Au Pair International will initially try to mediate and smooth out the situation. If that is no longer an option, then both parties have the right to terminate the placement prematurely. We will then guide the au pair to a placement with another host family, if this is desired and opportune. We will discuss with you the options for another au pair. Perhaps another rematch candidate can take over the place of the previous au pair. If that is not the case, you can use aupair-world.com to find a new match. It may be that you temporarily have to find another solution for the care of your children to bridge the gap. If you use a FLEX payment option, you can also submit a request to stop the placement fee prematurely. aupairworld.com weer op zoek gaan een nieuwe match. Het kan zijn dat u ter overbrugging tijdelijk even een andere oplossing moet vinden voor de opvang voor de kinderen. Bij gebruik van de FLEX betalingsoptie kan je een verzoek indienen om de plaatsingskosten voortijdig te stoppen.
If you want to invite an au pair who is already staying in the Netherlands within the framework of the au pair program, but wishes to be rematched to another host family, this is subject to lower costs.
For more information, please request our handbook for host families in case of rematch. You can call us to inquire about available redeployment candidates: +31 (0)050-5020005.
Au Pair International is Preferred Partner at
