What Is The Difference Between A Live-in Nanny And Au Pair

There are many options of childcare available for parents; the two most important means of full time care being a live-in nanny or an au pair. The main differences between a live-in nanny and an au pair lies in the fact that live in nannies are more professional that make a career of childcare, while au pairs usually in the age group of 18 to 26 years come from overseas on a cultural exchange visa to live with an American family and care for their children.

Here are a few differences between both of them that would guide you to make the right decision. 

One of the best advantages of hiring a live in nanny is that you can request that a potential nanny come for a trial day to work with the family and then decide if you want to hire them for a long time. You can easily let them go if they are not a good fit.

Since au pairs come from some other country and have to get all the paper work done before visiting US, there is no way to meet them before they reach the country; you could maximum conduct a Skype interview, which could never replace a face-to-face interview.

Most nannies grow close to the employer family, but they are neither  reliant on them for any socialization or orientation, nor do they expect to be involved in family activities outside of working hours. This is not the case with au pairs that do not have a support base already in place.

The nanny has understandable credentials in a country like US, while au pairs that come from other countries may have confusing credentials.       A nanny should have a fairly typical background, with teaching experience, a desire to work as a child care provider and a true understanding of childhood education and development.

This could be done good with all au pairs being interviewed in-person being asked to give three verified references, completing a psychometric test and taking the California Personality Inventory (CPI) test, one of the most intensely studied and researched personality tests. Also all au pairs must have their education level, police record and comprehensive medical report from their home country reviewed and confirmed.

It is important to understand that live in nannies are very professional and serious in their jobs; some may be active members of nanny organizations, trained in specific areas of child care. Also they do not stay in your home 24/7 and you need to be respectful of their personal lives and stick to a schedule that you all agree on.

Again au pairs are also not available all the time and they may work in flexible timings; no week is identical to any other in terms of events, commitments, work, etc. An au pair allows parents to schedule 45 hours of child care each week, just about any way they like.

Live in nannies receive a weekly salary, room and board and other benefits like insurance and taxes. This is not the case with au pairs that just receive a weekly salary that is lower than full time nannies; in addition many au pairs are insured by the agencies that place them, so you don't need to purchase medical insurance.

To conclude be well informed about au pairs and live in nannies; it is more a matter of personal preference. Do a thorough research to find a person that matches your personality and understands your parenting style.

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