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                                              AU PAIRS

Au pairs

Definition (from the citizen information bureau)
An au pair is a young foreign person who is treated as a family member in exchange for certain services, such as a limited amount of light housework or help minding children. The au pair is usually given room and board and paid weekly pocket-money. There are specialist private agencies that can assist you to source an au pair. The main objective of the au pair is to improve his/her language skills.


Au pairs' profile:
  • The au pair candidate must be over 18 and provide a copy of her passport or national identity card
  • The au pair must be an EU-citizen (no Au pair visa available in Ireland for non EU citizen)
  • She/he must have childcare experience and provide at least two childcare references + a character reference in her home country & translated in English
  • She/he must have at least a basic level of English. The candidate will be interviewed in English by the family (Skype or phone interview)
  • The au pair candidate must provide a clean police record & a medical certificate (stating she/he is mentally & physically fit to mind children)
  • Au pair candidate must be available for at least 6 months (shorter placement possible during the summer)
  • The candidate must have sufficient funds to provide for travel expenses & English classes if attended

Au pairs' tasks:

The main duty of the au pair is to look after the children, and insure their welfare & safety at all time:
  • Play and interact with the children
  • Dress or help to dress them
  • Shower or help to shower them
  • Feed them when very young
  • Prepare breakfast, snacks & lunch
  • Prepare lunch boxes
  • Drop to & collect from school or crèche
  • Go for walks & take them to activities
  • Organise indoors & outdoors activities
  • Board games
  • Supervise naps

The au pair can 
 also be asked to do some light house work:
  • Keep the children’s bedroom & playroom clean and tidy
  • Wash, dry & iron the children’s clothes
  • Change, wash & dry children’s bed clothes
  • Make children’s bed
  • Organise children’s school uniform
  • Empty & load the dishwasher
  • Tidy and sweep the kitchen & eating area after meals
  • Hoover living area once or twice a week
  • Cook for the children (lunch boxes, after school snack)
  • Help to prepare the dinner (peal vegetables, cook rice, reheat dinners...)
  • Keep her/his own area clean and tidy
  • Do her/his own laundry

The au pair will be given:
  • board & lodging (private bedroom with wardrobe & desk) for €54.13 wage deduction per week
  • Time off to go to morning or evening English classes (once or twice a week)
  • au pairs in Ireland are entitled to the minimum wage as per the WRC recommendations: https://www.workplacerelations.ie/en/Publications_Forms/Domestic-Workers-in-Ireland.pdf ​


Copyright APACI 2014

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