Au Pair Australia FAQ

What is the difference between Au Pair House Accommodation and Homestay?

Au Pair House Accommodation offers the following benefits:

1. Family environment with carefully selected families
2. Great selected locations on the Gold Coast and elsewhere
3. Own bedroom and most of the time own bathroom as well
4. All meals included
5. 4 hours of light housework and/or child minding
6. Families that participate in this type of accommodation program are interested in cultural exchange, friendly company during the day and help with the house. They are not doing it for money.
7. Au pairs improve their English language skills naturally practicing with the family
8. Au pairs receive au pair experience
9. Au pairs receive a Certificate of Completion in Au Pair program
10. Au pairs receive a Reference Letter for future jobs
11. Au pairs receive assistance finding a paid job, studies and general information during their stay
12. Au pairs have many extras included as airport transfer, blue card and much more!
13. Costs equivalent to AU $82.50 per week for the first 12 weeks, and free after this if the program is extended.

Homestay accommodation offers the following benefits:

1. Family environment
2. Any location in Gold Coast
3. Own bedroom
4. 2 to 3 meals a day included
5. No housework involved
6. Families that participate in this type of accommodation program are interested in cultural exchange and the payment they receive from the schools or from agenst.
7. You improve your English language skills naturally practicing with the family
8. Costs approximately AU $200 per week

How do I know what the family expects from me?
Before the arrival, au pairs will receive the family profile with lots of details such as: hobbies, age, number of children in the house, number of adults in the house, how many bedrooms, if they have pets, etc. Along with the family profile, the au pair also receives a description in detail of the hours and duties they will do to help the family, avoiding misunderstanding and wrong expectations from both sides. The family expects the au pair to follow the plan and to respect the house routine. It is very welcome and acceptable to talk about any doubt, suggestions that may arise during the stay. The work schedule is created before the au pair arrival to facilitate the every day routine. This helps the au pair and the family to know what is to be done and when. Both sides have to be flexible, if there is a change to be made in the work routine, please talk through until everyone is happy with the change. Au Pair House sends an email every week to the au pairs to make sure everything is ok and going as planned.

How long does it take to enroll?
The application is done on-line, and the placement match and confirmation process can take from 1 week to 3 weeks. Normally we have plenty of wonderful families waiting to host au pairs and participate in our programs, so if the candidates need accommodation straight away, it is almost guaranteed that it can be done in a couple of days.

If I wish to study, what time am I going to work?
Au pairs generally work up to 4 hours a day, 5 days a week. In the application form au pairs must state their wish to study and in which school, so we can try to find a family near to their course that can match with the timetable. So most of the time, when au pairs are studying they normally do their hours late in the afternoon through to the evening.

Can I work in another job on the weekends or during my free time on weekdays?
Yes, and au pairs can ask for Au Pair House assistance to help find a paid job! If that is what is desired, this should be mentioned on the application form so that Au Pair House can find a family that lives in a very central area.

How do I apply?
Go to the website. Fill out the Registration form and send to us. After we receive your application, we will match you with one of our families available. We will send you via email, the details of the family we chose for you, called the family profile.
If you do not accept the first family profile, or you wish to change the type of program you have chosen (Dolphin or Mermaid), you can have only one more match without any cost. Please advise us via email and we will forward another family match with your new enquiry. If you want to cancel, please advise us at this time.
No cancellation fee is charged.
If you don't reply to the Family Profile option in the next 2 weeks, your request will be cancelled.
If you accept the family, payment is required. We will send you an invoice via email, including all payment details. Apply here

How and when do I pay?
The total fee of the program must be paid after the au pair agrees with the family profile.
Before that, no payment is required.
Payment must be done into our business account.
If you are outside of Australia, you can transfer the money from your bank to our bank in Australia or if you are in Australia deposit directly into our bank account. Our bank account details will be provided in the invoice, with the full amount and details of our services. The applicant must pay any bank fee charged for money to be transferred, please check with your bank before doing the money transfer.

After I pay, what happens?
After payment is received in full, we will send you:
• Letter of Invitation from the family
• A detailed description of daily work expected by the family
• Confirmation of Enrolment

When you have the air ticket, travel insurance and visa organised, you must advise us with the final details, such as flight number, date, time and airport area (international or domestic).

We will send you an arrival information sheet via email. This information sheet will have:

• Airport pick up waiting area
• Emergency telephone number
• Address of the family
• Our address and contact details

You must carry this sheet with you when travelling to Australia. It is important that you have it easily placed, for example in your wallet, or handbag. Please do not put it in your luggage. You must collect your luggage and go to the meeting point at the airport.
During the airport pick-up, our driver will be there on time and at the pre-determined location. You will then be driven to our office for orientation and after to the host family home.

What type of work will I be doing?
In Australia the families usually do all the housework themselves, and this is where the au pair’s help comes in handy. Normally the family will need help with cleaning and tidying the house, also playing and caring for their children. All families are different and need help in different areas. The aim for Au Pair house is to match what the au pair would like to do to with what the family needs the most. Please make sure that when you fill out the application, try to write all the information that you think that might be relevant for us to match you and the family, for example: if you are going to study, please tell us when you start, which school and the course time table; or if you wish to be in a certain suburb or with a particular family.

Am I going to have my own bedroom?
Yes, all homes will provide you your own bedroom, a wardrobe and a side table with a lamp. Also they provide the bed sheets, blankets and towels. Most of the families also offer TV/ DVD in the room, own bathroom and toilet.

Can I to go out at night with my friends at any time?
Yes you can. However the only condition is that you do not disturb any one in the house with noises when you arrive back home and also that you are on time and ready to do a good job the next day!

Can I bring friends to the house?  Can I have visitor in my bedroom?
This depends on each families rules.  If you wish to bring any friend to the house on a special occasion you must ask the families permission in advance.

What if there are problems during my stay?
Once au pairs arrive in the host family house, it is advised to try to get to know a lot about the expectations of the family. Nevertheless, the first weeks might not be very easy for you. Everything will be new to you. You will possibly be homesick. Try to talk about it with the family and give the family and yourself time to get used to each other. Show the family photos of your family and your life back home so that they get to know you a little bit better. You have to adapt to their life style, diet and house rules.
If anything bothers you for any reason, or the work cannot be done in the time expected, the best way to avoid problems is to talk. It may sound difficult, especially if you still have difficulties with the language. However, Australian families are very open for conversation and will be willing to sort things out. The most important thing is to have everyone happy in the house. If you can't finish the work in time for any reason, you must talk about it. If any family member upsets you, you must speak up. If you can't follow any house rules for any reason, you must tell them.

Am I able to change the family once the program has started?It might be possible that you are not completely satisfied with your current arrangement, and in most cases it is possible to change. In general, this is possible and will not raise a problem. If you would like to dissolve the contract, normally you can do this with a 14-day announcement. The family and the au pair will have only a second match within 14 days if possible.