Are you brave and adventurous? Do you want to live with an American host family, care for their kids, and dive into U.S. culture? Be an au pair, travel, and forge lifelong friendships!
If you have any questions as to whether you qualify, please contact us by email.
Like anything of lasting value, the au pair program also requires a small upfront investment. During your au pair year, you'll earn $10,000+ along with room and board and travel insurance. Our program fees are quite low when you consider all the great benefits you receive. Here is what you need to know about our fees and optional services.
Program fees vary by country. Please email [email protected] for details.
The first step to becoming an au pair is to complete the J-1 Au Pair application. While the checklist may appear long at first glance, GreatAuPair makes completing the application easy. Your finished application will highlight your own unique background, special skills, and personality, allowing you to match with a family that is the best fit for you! We are available for you every step of the way, so contact us at [email protected] if you need any assistance.
This GreatAuPair USA application must be completed online. You can save your work in progress and come back to finish your application at any time. You will be guided through the application process and prompted for more information as needed. Be thorough, honest, and answer all questions completely with as much detail as possible. If you have any questions along the way, please contact us at [email protected].
As part of the application process, you will need to provide the following supporting documents:
Download the Childcare Reference Template and the Personal Reference Template
GreatAuPair requires that you provide one personal and two childcare references confirming your experience and suitability to care for children up to 45 hours per week. References should be for recent work experiences (within the past two years) and from persons who are not related to you. GreatAuPair will contact each reference to confirm their recommendation.
Download the Medical Examination Template
GreatAuPair requires that you submit a completed Medical Examination form that details your medical history and current health. This document must be completed by a physician and contain his/her signature and physician's stamp.
GreatAuPair requires that you obtain a background check that confirms you do not have a criminal history. Depending upon where you live, this document can be obtained from your local police department or Ministry of Justice.
Please provide evidence that you have completed secondary school. This can be a copy of your diploma, transcripts or statement from the school confirming your completion. If you have not yet completed secondary school, please provide a statement from the school stating your expected completion date.
Please provide a copy of your passport page that contains your photo and name. If you do not yet have a passport, be sure to apply for one soon.
Please provide a copy of your valid driver's license from your country. GreatAuPair requires that you have a driver's license at the time of application.
The HEXACO Personality Inventory is a psychometric test that will highlight your unique personality. This will only take about 15 minutes. Don't worry; there are no right or wrong answers! Click here to begin.
Your photographs help families get to know you. Be sure to upload photos of you with the children you have cared for and photos of you with your family and friends. Write a description for each photo in the photo caption and include when the photo was taken. Please avoid uploading photographs that show drinking, smoking, revealing clothing or photos that contain nudity (children taking a bath, etc.).
One of the most important ways a family will come to know you and determine if you are the ideal au pair for their family will be through your video presentation. Be creative and express yourself and be sure your video shows you speaking in English about why you want to be an au pair in the USA. This is an opportunity for you to highlight your experience and qualifications to potential families.
Once you submit your application, you will be assigned to a local GreatAuPair Representative who will contact you to schedule an in-person interview. The in-person interview is an opportunity for you to tell us more about your background, experience and why you wish to be an au pair in the U.S. It's also a great time for you to ask questions and learn more about the program. You will also be asked to speak in English so we can evaluate your English language skills. We look forward to meeting you in person.
Once your interview is completed and your documents are verified, we will contact you to let you know if you have been accepted into the GreatAuPair J-1 program. If we have questions during the evaluation process, we will contact you directly via email or WhatsApp.
If you have any questions about the application process, please contact us by email.
Welcome to the GreatAuPair and GreatAuPairUSA websites (an interactive computer "Service"), provided to you by GreatAuPair, LLC. ("GreatAuPair"). These Terms of Use govern your use of these sites and GreatAuPair's Services.
Registration on GreatAuPair is free. Your registration constitutes your acceptance of the complete Terms of Use; the Agreement & Rights; the Terms of Conduct; the Refund Policy and the Privacy Policy as described herein, and create a binding legal agreement.
A paid subscription is not required to list your profile or search the GreatAuPair database. Once you have registered for free, you may subscribe to gain privileges for either the Family or Candidate database. There are no additional placement fees or commissions charged by GreatAuPair to search for jobs or candidates. Application fees, placement fees, program fees, surcharges, and other fees may apply to full-service cultural and educational exchange programs. Membership subscriptions are auto-renewed based on your selected subscription term, which you may modify or cancel at any time by clicking the links, "change subscription term" or "cancel auto-renew" under the "My Account" menu, on the top right of the page when signed in.
If you post a personal profile (content and information about you or your family) inclusive of photos, complaints, comments or reviews on GreatAuPair.com or a Childcare Network affiliate website (affiliates), you grant to GreatAuPair and its affiliates a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, use in promotional campaigns, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display your profile information, including but not limited to written contents, photos, videos, complaints, comments or reviews throughout the world in any media. You also grant GreatAuPair and its affiliates and the sublicensees the right to use the name that you submit with any profile, complaint, comment, review or testimonial, if any, in connection with such profile, complaint, comment, review or testimonial.
Notice of Filming and Photography. When you participate in a GreatAuPair event or program, you enter an area where photography, audio, and video recording may occur. By entering the event venue, you consent to interview(s), photography, audio recording, video recording and its/their release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction to be used for news, webcasts, promotional purposes, telecasts, advertising, inclusion on websites, social media, or any other purpose by GreatAuPair and its affiliates, representatives and assigns.
We recognize that each country has its own laws regarding fair labor standards, many of which differ from those in the United States. GreatAuPair is a US company that supports the United States Fair Labor Standards Act, in cooperation with the Department of State-designated Exchange Visitor Au Pair Program. While GreatAuPair can neither govern the practices of foreign employers nor enforce the laws of the United States upon foreign employers, by using the GreatAuPair Service, you acknowledge and agree to comply with the United States Fair Labor Standards Act and 22 CFR 62.31 which stipulates that Au Pairs may work no more 10 hours per day and a maximum of 45 hours per week.
Unacceptable actions, conditions, and content on this website, listed below, will constitute grounds for blocking your access to this website, removal of posted material and cancellation of your registration and or membership subscription without refund. As a condition of your use of this website, GreatAuPair's Service, you agree that you shall not:
GreatAuPair is designated by the U.S. Department of State as an Au Pair Program Sponsor, as such, GreatAuPair does not allow the solicitation of its members by any person or entity for any purpose other than to participate in GreatAuPair's J-1 Au Pair Program or direct service offerings. J-1 Au Pairs registered on GreatAuPair may only participate in GreatAuPair's J-1 Au Pair Program and may not be solicited by any person, host family or third party to participate in a similar program offered through a competing au pair sponsor organization.
GreatAuPair may monitor content uploaded or transmitted through the Service for purposes of enforcing the terms herein, however, GreatAuPair as a publisher bears no obligation to monitor content for any purpose. All content provided by a user of this site is the sole responsibility of that user, not GreatAuPair.
GreatAuPair reserves the right to remove the accounts of offending users from its Service, without notice and without refund, at its sole discretion, if any of the Terms of Conduct herein are found to have been violated on any website owned or not owned by GreatAuPair.
There are no refunds on membership subscriptions, application fees or program fees. Once GreatAuPair has received payment for a subscription term, you are granted full access to either the Family or Candidate contact database, based on your selection and term. Paid subscriptions cannot be put on hold and "banked" for use at a later time. Membership subscriptions, application fees, and program fees are final.
GreatAuPair reserves the right to deactivate and cancel your account based on the following conditions of non-use. In the event 30 days pass and you have not signed in to your registered account, your profile will be deactivated, which means that your profile will not appear in the results of any searches. You will be notified via your registered email address that your profile has been deactivated. If you do not re-activate your profile within 15 days of de-activation, your profile will be automatically stored for up to three years, then automatically deleted from the GreatAuPair database and website.
You may cancel your account at any time. Account cancellation is the sole responsibility of the account creator. GreatAuPair will automatically charge your credit card for membership renewals if you have chosen to enable auto-renewal for your selected subscription term. If you wish to cancel your auto-renewal subscription, simply turn off auto-renew under the My Account section prior to the expiration of your current subscription term.
A) DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE GREATAUPAIR AND GREATAUPAIRUSA INTERACTIVE COMPUTER SERVICES WEBSITES AND ALL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGH THEM (THE "SERVICE") ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITH NO WARRANTIES WHATSOEVER. GREATAUPAIR CANNOT IN ANY WAY BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCURACY OR TRUTHFULNESS OF ANY OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN ANY PROFILE, COMPLAINT, OR OTHER USER-GENERATED CONTENT ACCESSED THROUGH THE SERVICE.
B) NO ENDORSEMENT OF MEMBER CONTENT: YOU, THE USER ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT YOU ARE THE INFORMATION CONTENT PROVIDER OF YOUR OWN CONTENT AND THAT GREATAUPAIR DOES NOT PROVIDE, EDIT OR ENDORSE THE CONTENT OF ANY MEMBER AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY CONTENT.
C) LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: YOU, THE USER, ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT GREATAUPAIR WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY HARMS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES.
D) INDEMNIFICATION: YOU AGREE TO PROTECT, DEFEND, AND FULLY COMPENSATE GREATAUPAIR, ITS AFFILIATES, DIRECTORS, OWNERS, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL THIRD-PARTY CLAIMS, LIABILITY, DAMAGES, EXPENSES AND COSTS.
By using the "Service", GreatAuPair, and/or by applying for or receiving membership services from GreatAuPair, you represent that you are of legal age to form a binding contract and have full power, capacity and authority to accept these Terms of Use and you acknowledge that you are bound by the terms and conditions set forth herein. All legal issues arising from or related to the use of this "Service" or GreatAuPair's website shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas without regard to conflicts of law principles. Exclusive jurisdiction for any claim or dispute against GreatAuPair resides in the courts of Texas State.
GreatAuPair may change these Terms from time to time, so please check back periodically.
Last updated April 28, 2023.
This privacy policy applies to www.GreatAuPair.com and www.GreatAuPairUSA.com the "Sites" (or "Site") which are owned and operated by GreatAuPair, LLC (GreatAuPair). As part of our Terms of Use, your explicit consent to this privacy policy is required upon registration. This privacy policy describes how GreatAuPair collects and uses the personally identifiable information that you voluntarily submit on our websites.
It is GreatAuPair's policy to maintain strict security and privacy practices to protect its systems and its customer data. GreatAuPair maintains compliance with U.S. State and Federal laws, as well as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for EU residents, effective May 25, 2018, and the California Consumer Protection Act ("CCPA") effective January 1, 2020, that applies to California residents.
GreatAuPair does not send out unsolicited commercial emails or any form of spam.
GreatAuPair complies with The California Consumer Protection Act ("CCPA") as applicable. GreatAuPair has a firm commitment to safeguarding the privacy of its members' Personally Identifiable Information and being transparent with you regarding how data is collected, and how GreatAuPair processes information we collect about you.
GreatAuPair complies with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as applicable. Some of the ways in which we ensure data and privacy protection include: Access controls, Roles-based privileges, Enhanced data security, Data encryption, Data audits or assessments, Data subject request procedures, Staff training on security and data protection, and Contractual agreements with staff and agents.
We collect personally identifiable information when you voluntarily submit it to us, such as first and last name, birthdate, email address, a home, postal or other physical address or phone number during the registration and payment processes.
Information collected by GreatAuPair is securely stored by physical and electronic means. Data collected by GreatAuPair will be shared with third parties only in ways that are described in this privacy policy and will not be sold or rented on an individual basis to independent third parties without your knowledge or permission.
Paid members may see your first and last name listed on your profile. You have the option of providing your phone number, which you may elect to display or not display to paid members. Your email address is not visible to anyone, except to those whom you directly send an email during the time you have a paid subscription. Your physical address is not revealed on the website.
We do not sell, share, rent or trade personally identifiable information with third parties for their promotional purposes.
People under 18 (or the legal age in your jurisdiction) are not permitted to use GreatAuPair on their own. GreatAuPair does not knowingly collect any personal information from children under the age of 13 and children under 13 are not permitted to register for an account or use our Services.
As part of your registration and your acceptance of our Terms of Use and this Privacy Policy, you are agreeing to receive emails and SMS text messages from GreatAuPair and its members. You may opt out from receiving other types of promotional emails, or you may cease all emails from the site and its members by deactivating your profile or canceling your account.
The security of your personally identifiable information is important to us. When you enter sensitive information (such as credit card number, driver's license number, national ID number and/or social security number) on our registration or order forms, we encrypt that information using industry standard encryption and transmission methods such as SHA256 or AES and/or secure socket layer technology (SSL).
Technologies such as cookies, beacons, tags, and scripts are used by GreatAuPair and our marketing and analytics partners. These technologies are used in analyzing trends, administering the site, tracking user's movements around the site and to gather demographic information about our user base as a whole.
We will retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services. We will retain and use your information as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
We reserve the right to disclose your personally identifiable information to enforce our Terms of Use, prevent fraud, or as required by law and when we believe that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights and/or to comply with a judicial proceeding, court order, or legal process served on our website.
If you have any questions or suggestions regarding our privacy policy, please contact our support team via the support ticketing system or via U.S. Mail at 12600 Hill Country Blvd, Suite R-275, Austin, TX 78738.
GreatAuPair may change its Privacy Policy from time to time, so please check back periodically.
Last updated July 1, 2025.