An au pair is in charge of taking care of the children. He or she will get food and accommodation provided by the family free of charge, and a small allowance in addition (sort of pocket money). The family must also allow the au pair her time off.
Most of the time, the main reason for coming to Milan is: to learn Italian and get experience abroad. Indeed, au pairing is an ideal way to become fully involved in the Italian way of life! During the time off, the au pair is free for what she wants to do: learning Italian at school or being lazy in Milan.
Au pairs are not professional child minders and will not be a qualified nanny. Au pairs should not be responsible for children under 2 years of age.
There is no set conditions to become an au pair in Milan. However, one will probably prefer girls (it can be boys... but it's rare) between 18 and 27, citizens of the European Union (in order to avoid visa problems) and experience with children is likely to be demanded.
The minimum is 2 months and the au pair cannot stay more than 2 years.
What the au pair must know
She will have to take care of the children, i.e. :
- speak the language, at least enough to understand and talk,
- be sure they get up on time; dress them; make sure they get dressed themselves,
- take them to school/nursery/activity classes...,
- play with them,
- be in charge of their meals,
- tidy up their rooms,
- be free to baby-sit them if needed, some evenings.
What the family has to do
The family has to welcome the au pair in thinking that she is not an employee but a home help for the children. Therefore they will make sure:
- the au pair must have her own bedroom,
- the au pair will work to a maximum of 25-35 hours per week She should have minimum 2 days (2 x 24 hours) off during the week (make available the au-pair's agreed free time and days off ),
- they understand that having an au pair doesn't mean someone who is going to do the housework, the dishes....etc. However au pairs may be asked to do some housework, especially related to the children,
- the family pay an allowance (pocket money) each week (usually about 60 euros per week),
- it may be good to register the au pair at the family GP. She must also be registered on the house insurance.
Some addresses...
If you want to register as an au pair or as a family, you can contact:
- IAPA (International Au Pair Association): http://www.iapa.org
- IAPO (International Au Pair Organisation): http://www.au-pair.org
You can also consult:
- AFJE (England, Irlande, Spain, Italy, Germany, France) - http://www.afje-paris.org
- Butterfly et Papillon (England, Eire, Spain, Italy, Germany, USA, Australia)- http://www.butterfly-papillon.com
- AuPair Search (all) - http://www.aupairsearch.com
- GOELANGUES (England, Irlande, Spain, Italy, Germany, USA) - http://www.goelangues.org
- GreatAuPair (serving 140+ countries) - http://www.greataupair.com
Usually agencies will ask registration fees from the family, the au pair or both.
Update 4/10/2005
Babbel is an international success with millions of active subscribers and ranked as the world's #1 innovative company in education.
Why Babbel?
Learn and review on your own schedule: Mobile, tablet or desktop compatible, with lessons about 10-15 min.
Expert-made courses: Learn the basics or focus on topics like travel, culture, or business.
Start speaking right away: Learn to speak a new language naturally and conversationally.
Every learner is different: Each course is based on your native language and personal interests.
Remember everything: Babbel employs proven cognitive techniques that move new vocab to your long-term memory.
Refine your pronunciation: Practise speaking and improve your pronunciation with speech recognition technology.
Try Babbel for free today
Registration with Babbel is completely free of charge and the first lesson in every course is FREE to try (Depending on the language you choose, that's 30-80 free lessons!).
If you want full access to Babbel's courses, simply choose a subscription that works best for you. Buy with confidence: 20-day money back guarantee!
12/10/2003
For an au pair from outside of the European Union, a long stay visa is needed.
Au pair would need a certificate of registration at an established Italian school or college where she can take Italian language courses.
Certificate of school registration must be stamped by the local police.
An employment contract detailing the length of stay, weekly stipend, language school arrangements, etc. is also required for the visa. This contract must be stamped by the "Ufficio Provinciale del Lavoro" along with a permit issued by the local police. Host family should also provide a signed letter of support.
If you need to find an au pair or an au pair job anywhere in the world or need more information, visit http://www.aupairconnect.com