You can't really compare the two. It doesn't matter what the conversion rate is for the landscapers or whatever physical labor you're referring to. They still have to pay for housing and the normal costs of living in the US. If they make $12 an hour here, it doesn't make much of a difference of that equals $24 where they come from.

For APs it's different. They don't have the same expenses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think Au Pairs are doing the work that Americans don’t want to do. Families are hiring them because they can’t afford the American nannies.

More idiotic generalizations, much like the OP.

We had a nanny for years. Our children entered in school and could not FIND someone to reliably work a split shift and accept a 20hr a week job. This is why we hired an AuPair.

+1. And, our last AP who returned home said that once she factored in her rent/food/expenses, she actually saved more as an AP at our house.

This post reeks of the disgruntled “former nanny.” This person seems to think that American woman should all just stop working when we have children. They don’t seem to understand this isn’t something a lot of families can afford. It seems to me the “nanny” has some personal issues when it comes to childcare. Perhaps they had an au pair as a child and the au pair was cruel to them? So now they are on a one person mission to end the au pair program?

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think Au Pairs are doing the work that Americans don’t want to do. Families are hiring them because they can’t afford the American nannies.

More idiotic generalizations, much like the OP.

We had a nanny for years. Our children entered in school and could not FIND someone to reliably work a split shift and accept a 20hr a week job. This is why we hired an AuPair.

Anonymous wrote:Honestly do you know the name of the currency from which your AP is from? Do you understand the conversion rate? The reason why APs come here to babysit is because they make a lot of money after conversion to their currency compared to their potential income back home. You see the Hispanics mowing your neighbors yard and taking care of your neighborhood landscaping? Same premise. Except women do the child rearing and men do the physical labor. So when you talk about hispanics doing the physical labor that Americans don’t want to do, you can compare that to APs doing the childcare that American Citizens don’t want to do for the money.

huh? Many people have European APs and they come from countries with a stronger currency.

Which is why i choose Brazilian Au Pairs. My 3 have come for the experience and to learn English to get a better job back home.

My 3 have come from modest homes - 2 of them single mom homes. No princesses for me.

As an AP from a country with a much stronger currency than the US dollar I find this post hilarious. Not only do I earn less here, but when I go home I lose a massive chunk of whatever money I may have on my bank account, thank you.

The Au Pair program exist because no American Nanny would ever accept to be paid the rate Au Pairs are paid but then most APs would never have the opportunity to live and experience the US otherwise.


I can guarantee you that if the US offered a working holiday visa like countries like Australia and NZ do, there would be much less APs around.

APs come for the romanticized idea of what they US is like based on movies and TV shows they've grown up with, yes for some APs in poorer countries it does mean a chance at bringing quite a lot of money home and have a better start at life there, for a lot of them though, it's mostly a cultural experience that will in any way make them richer financially.

Most European Au Pairs would be better off living at home and having a local job financially so your argument don't really stand.

I could name the currency of every AP-allowed country.

APs can only come from moderately wealthy and wealthy countries. The list of countries is short. You don’t seem to know much.

Anonymous wrote:Honestly do you know the name of the currency from which your AP is from? Do you understand the conversion rate? The reason why APs come here to babysit is because they make a lot of money after conversion to their currency compared to their potential income back home. You see the Hispanics mowing your neighbors yard and taking care of your neighborhood landscaping? Same premise. Except women do the child rearing and men do the physical labor. So when you talk about hispanics doing the physical labor that Americans don’t want to do, you can compare that to APs doing the childcare that American Citizens don’t want to do for the money.

Former AP here. From a rich country (France).
I came to the US to learn English and travel. The stipend was so low that I never saw it as a salary but more like pocket money.
It was clearly enough for me to travel (= taking greyhound busses) a little on the East Coast, buy my toiletries, some clothes and outings.
I couldn't save money.

One of my Au Pair friends was Polish and for her the stipend was a lot of money and I'm sure she brought back some money home.

The Au Pair programs all around the world wouldn't exist if the salary was the same as a nanny, that's as simple as that.

The program is so special and it's sad some people like you want to criticize it.

I cherish the friendship I share with my Polish friend for almost 20 years, we would have never met otherwise.
I cherish the memories I had with the children I took care of.
One got married and his wife is expecting. His sister just became a doctor. I am proud of them.
There's so much more behind the scenes than just a stipend or talking about "modern slavery".

I don’t think Au Pairs are doing the work that Americans don’t want to do. Families are hiring them because they can’t afford the American nannies.

Wow this is dumb post.

The shekel. Fairly strong against the dollar. High cost of living. Your point doesn’t fly for everyone.

The Euro. It’s still currently a bit stronger than the dollar, but not as strong as it has been in the past.

Honestly do you know the name of the currency from which your AP is from? Do you understand the conversion rate? The reason why APs come here to babysit is because they make a lot of money after conversion to their currency compared to their potential income back home. You see the Hispanics mowing your neighbors yard and taking care of your neighborhood landscaping? Same premise. Except women do the child rearing and men do the physical labor. So when you talk about hispanics doing the physical labor that Americans don’t want to do, you can compare that to APs doing the childcare that American Citizens don’t want to do for the money.