How Much Does It Cost to Host an Au Pair?
What $1,703 a month covers
Hosting costs are more structured than most families expect. For $1,703 per month, your au pair provides full-time, live-in childcare for up to 45 hours a week regardless of how many children you have. That figure covers the pieces of the program together: the au pair's weekly stipend, an education benefit, program fees, and room and board in your home. In return you get live-in care from a screened, trained cultural exchange visitor, and a new member of the household for the year. Families with two or more children tend to see the biggest difference against per-child childcare, and a Childcare Tax Credit may return up to $5,000 if you have two qualifying dependent children.
One rate, regardless of how many children
Hosting costs are more structured than most families expect, and the structure is the point. The program has a set cost rather than an hourly rate, which means the arithmetic does not change when a second or third child arrives.
For $1,703 per month, your au pair provides full-time, live-in childcare for up to 45 hours a week, regardless of how many children you have.
What that figure covers
- The au pair's weekly stipend
- An education benefit
- Program fees
- Room and board in your home
In return you get live-in care from a screened, trained cultural exchange visitor — and a new member of the household for the year.
Where the comparison actually favours hosting
Families with one child sometimes find other arrangements comparable. Families with two or more children tend to see the biggest difference, because per-child childcare costs scale and this does not. The second child does not double the bill.
There is a tax dimension as well. A Childcare Tax Credit may return up to $5,000 if you have two qualifying dependent children.
Costs that sit outside the program figure
Be realistic when you budget. Your au pair lives in your home, which means a share of household running costs, food, and the everyday expenses of one more person. Families who plan for that are not surprised by it.
Thinking about it as an investment
The framing that fits best is not "what does this cost per hour" but "what does a year of consistent, flexible, live-in care and a cultural exchange for my children cost in total". Those are different questions, and the second one is the one families answer when they decide to host again.
Comparing it honestly against what you pay now
The most useful exercise before deciding is to total what your household currently spends on childcare across a full year — including the parts that do not appear on an invoice. Days a parent stayed home. Holiday cover. The after-school gap. Families are frequently surprised by that total, and it is the number the program cost should actually be compared against.
Read the transcript
Thinking about hosting an au pair but not sure what's involved financially? Great question — and it's more straightforward than you might think. The J-1 Au Pair Program has a clear structure, so you know what to expect before you commit. Your costs generally cover things like the au pair's weekly stipend, an education benefit, program fees, and room and board in your home. What you get in return is live-in childcare from a screened, trained cultural exchange visitor — plus a new family member for the year. Every family's situation is a little different, so for a full breakdown of what's included and how it all works, visit greataupairusa.com. Hosting is an investment — in your family and in someone else's future.
