Reply to Is there a stigma around au pairs?

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Reply to "Is there a stigma around au pairs?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I don’t think people who have au pairs are necessarily cheap. I do think that they using their privilege to exploit young women from other countries under the facade of a ‘cultural exchange.’[/quote]

If you do it through a reputable agency and treat the au pairs well (and pay them correctly), it's not exploitative. I have friends who had an au pair through a program where the au pairs also went to an accredited language school to work towards a certificate to teach English in their home countries (and were guaranteed the time to study and attend class as well as leisure time). Their au pair was wonderful and their house set up was perfect for it -- she lived in an MIL suite with privacy and her own kitchen and bathroom.

For them, it didn't cost any less than a nanny (it might even have cost more when you factor in living expenses). But the main advantage was that she lived with them, and at the time one of them had to travel a lot for work. They had no family nearby, so it was invaluable to have someone in their home. I think it would be hard to find that arrangement without an au pair program -- there just aren't that many US-based nannies looking to live with their employers. You would probably wind up with someone college age anyway, in which case, why not sponsor someone from another country who is actually looking for cultural exchange? When done correctly, it really can be a win-win.[/quote]

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