AU PAIR WORK
Au pairs are typically women, aged 18-27, who work as live-in nannies, caring for children and doing light housework in foreign countries in exchange for room, board, and a small spending allowance or stipend. Most former au pairs speak favorably of the experience as a chance to get to know a country with out the high expenses of traveling. Drawbacks, however, include long hours and somewhat mediocre pay: au pairs in Europe typically work 25-35 hours per week and receive $200-350 per month. Much of the au pair experience really does depend on the host family. The agencies below help place au pairs.
Accord Cultural Exchange, 3145 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94118, USA (®415- 386-6203; www.aupairsaccord.com).
L’Accueil Familial des Jeunes Etrangers, 23 r. du Cherche-Midi, 75006 Paris, France (®01 42 22 50 34; www.afje-paris.org).
Au Pair in Europe, P.O. Box 68056, Blakely Postal Outlet, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8M 3M7 (®905-545-6305; www.princeent.com/aupair).
Au Pair Italy, V. Demetrio Martinelli, ll/d, Bologna 40133, Italy (®39 05 138 3466; www.aupairitaly.com).
Childcare International, Ltd., Trafalgar House, Grenville PI., London NW7 3SA, UK (®44 020 8906 3116; www.childint.co.uk).
Mix Culture Au Pair Service, V. Nazionale 204, Rome 00184, Italy (®39 06 4788 2289; fax 4782 6164; http://web.tiscali.it/mixcultureroma/index.htm).
Working Abroad, Interchange, 161 Sixth Ave., New York, NY 10013, USA (®212-924- 0446; www.interexchange.org).
