Not even close to 40 hours

[Anonymous]

We are thinking of getting an Au Pair, but have no intention of using anything over 20 hours a week. Is this common, for folks to use lower than the standard 40 hours? I’m wondering if the AP would be bored- sitting at home all day waiting for after school pick up.

[Anonymous]

Our au pairs have found plenty to do during the day, and have always had friends with similar schedules who can meet up while the kids are at school. We’ve also used a few hours of that time for kid-related tasks like laundry.

[Anonymous]

We have been hosting for 12 years. For the past 8, our APs have worked fewer than 25 hrs/week. They have found plenty to do and have all enjoyed their jobs. It's important to screen for the right kind of person, though -- not just someone who is looking for a job with few hours (I don't advertise how few our hours are, actually).

[Anonymous]

Former AP here.

I wouldn't advertise the few hours as a perk actually.
It might attract lazy candidates who think they will have it easy.

I would say you need about 30 hours per week, sometimes less, sometimes more.

I'm sure there are tasks that you need done and that could help you weekly in addition to the children : pick up the groceries, dry cleaning, prepping dinner and other family chores : dishwasher, taking trash out etc.

I would also use her for babysitting some nights to have some time with my husband or for the gym etc.

[Anonymous]

APIA has Educare au pairs. The overall cost is less and they work only 25 hours a week. All of your children must be at least kindergarten age, though, to qualify for that program.

[Anonymous]

None of our APs has worked more then 20 hours a week, and only 15 of those hours are actual child care. They find plenty to do -- even if that includes every episode Netflix has to offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:APIA has Educare au pairs. The overall cost is less and they work only 25 hours a week. All of your children must be at least kindergarten age, though, to qualify for that program.

Yup! I saw that. But it looked like the cost was $50 a week less & all we’d need is one week of moco snow days to put us over that edge. The main function would be aftercare. With the * of moco snow days

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:APIA has Educare au pairs. The overall cost is less and they work only 25 hours a week. All of your children must be at least kindergarten age, though, to qualify for that program.

Yup! I saw that. But it looked like the cost was $50 a week less & all we’d need is one week of moco snow days to put us over that edge. The main function would be aftercare. With the * of moco snow days

12 year HM here. Educares work 30 (not 25) hrs/week, but you're right - one extra snow day, and you're done. Also, Educares make $50 less per week to do the hours that many APs do anyway, so many end up feeling resentful. We have hosted two, and I would not host one again even though we adored one of them (the other was fine).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are thinking of getting an Au Pair, but have no intention of using anything over 20 hours a week. Is this common, for folks to use lower than the standard 40 hours? I’m wondering if the AP would be bored- sitting at home all day waiting for after school pick up.

Many HFs with school-aged children use about 20h/week on a regular basis during the school year. However, come summer, the hours tend to go up. Same is true during the weeks where the school is closed or when your children are sick. In addition, it's nice to have a date night every couple of weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Former AP here.

I wouldn't advertise the few hours as a perk actually.
It might attract lazy candidates who think they will have it easy.

I would say you need about 30 hours per week, sometimes less, sometimes more.

I'm sure there are tasks that you need done and that could help you weekly in addition to the children : pick up the groceries, dry cleaning, prepping dinner and other family chores : dishwasher, taking trash out etc.

I would also use her for babysitting some nights to have some time with my husband or for the gym etc.

Is this stuff legal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Former AP here.

I wouldn't advertise the few hours as a perk actually.
It might attract lazy candidates who think they will have it easy.

I would say you need about 30 hours per week, sometimes less, sometimes more.

I'm sure there are tasks that you need done and that could help you weekly in addition to the children : pick up the groceries, dry cleaning, prepping dinner and other family chores : dishwasher, taking trash out etc.

I would also use her for babysitting some nights to have some time with my husband or for the gym etc.

Is this stuff legal?

If the dry cleaning is for the host parents, it's not legal. And I would not have my AP doing all the grocery shoping. But doing the dishwasher and other family chores is legal...as long as she's not doing much more than her share of the family chores (in other words she can't be the only one doing the dishwasher, etc).

[Anonymous]

You could throw in a couple of Saturday mornings a month. Now that my daughter is in school full time this is what i do. My AP works 6:30-9am and 3-6pm. Plus 2 Saturday mornings so I can go to yoga, etc. They must have one full weekend off a month. I'm a single mom teacher and having that yoga time is important to me. Previously it was a straightforward 6:30-3:30 prior to full-time K.

[Anonymous]

Picking up the dry cleaning is legal and can be done by the AP.
I know many Au Pairs who run errands for the parents.
Like the post office etc.
Grocery shopping is fine as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Picking up the dry cleaning is legal and can be done by the AP.
I know many Au Pairs who run errands for the parents.
Like the post office etc.
Grocery shopping is fine as well.

It would be up to the agency to interpret the rule. But I think CCAP and APIA would likely say no to the dry cleaning.

[Anonymous]

Agree the dry cleaning is a no. It wont matter 75% of the time, but if you go to rematch or she becomes resentful when comparing her situation to others', believe she will bring that out and describe the reasonable sounding errands as unfair/slavery etc... sigh. This is why you stick to the rules.