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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Kind of off topic from your post but the last family I nannies for got an AP after I left. She was only 19 and would take their alcohol before a night out and then dump it in dumpster upon her return. My family was furious that she was taking it without asking and not 21. She lasted 2 months because she was more interested than drinking and partying more than childcare! I think they paid around $8,000 for her services. (Flight, phone, car, agency fee, etc) yikes! [/quote]

They paid more than that.  The agency fees are about $7500/8000.  Then there is a weekly stipend to the au pair which is a bit over $10,000 per year.  Then there is phone, car insurance, food, whatever extra costs go into having an extra adult living in your home.  Au pair also does not pay rent - value of her room is part of her pay.  Not sure if you were making a "you get what you pay for" comment right there, upset that the family got an AP instead of continuing with your services.  Likely an au pair cost less than a typical nanny salary (especially if they were going from one child to two), but not all that much cheaper.  And APs only work 45 hours per week - nannies generally work longer hours.  But anyway - that was just one AP; not indicative of all APs' potential behavior. [/quote]

So AP's earn a stipend of about $192./week for their 45hrs of work? Is that taxed, or not?[/quote]

$195.75 to be exact.  That is the State Department mandated stipend.  Au pairs are required to pay income tax, though because they are not citizens, employers do not contribute to to Medicare and Social Security, nor are APs required to pay into Medicare or SS.  APs also receive room and board (in a city like DC, room has a high value), mandated by the State Department.  The State Department has calculated the value of the stipend+room+board to be at least minimum wage (more in cities like DC, NY, San Fran, Chicago, etc. where rental value of the room is higher).  Room includes utilities used such as heat, water, gas and electricity.  If the au pair is required to drive for the job, insurance is paid for as well.  The au pair has two weeks mandated paid vacation.  The family also pays $500 toward a course - often an English language course.  The agency fee that the host family pays covers a basic health care plan for the au pairs, as well as their plane tickets into the country and back home again (in addition to support services, initial training, etc.).  Many host families also pay for cell phones, cable, internet, extra vacation time, transportation, etc.  Oh - and the au pair gets a visa to be in the country for one or two years, which allows them to work in this capacity while here.  They also get one extra month on their visa after the job ends to travel further in the U.S.

This isn't making bank, but this also isn't a career.  It's an opportunity for a young person (18-26) from another country to experience life in America for a year, but without having to pay for school to do so (student visas don't allow the student to work, so only the very wealthy, or those with full scholarships and living stipends, can afford to be students in the U.S.).  Similar to programs where U.S. kids will go teach English in another country for a year after college (or be an au pair).  The au pair has no expenses for room, board, utilities etc. so the $200/week is often completely discretionary spending.  (Depends on the au pair's circumstances; some come from poor families and are sending that money back home.  Others come from solid economic backgrounds and use all of the money for fun and travel.)[/quote]

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