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AU PAIR in EUROPE WELCOME TO EUROPE
Planet
Au Pair Office
hours:
by
appointment only
Under the Au Pair in Europe program, au pairs are welcomed into the homes of European Host Families Au Pair as a family member for a 9 or 12 month cultural exchange. They participate in cultural and educational activities designed to teach them about European life, and they assist with child care. Summer placements of three months, June 15th through September 15th, can also be arranged but only for native English speakers and citizens of the European Union.
PROGRAM BENEFITS 1. The Au Pair will live with a
carefully screened Host Family who will treat the Au Pair as a family
member, not as a servant.
2. Au Pairs will be given the phone numbers of other Au Pairs in the area from many areas of Europe and North America. 3. Au Pairs will have access to an emergency phone number. 4. Opportunities to study at a local educational institution are available with a variety of curriculum choices. 5. Every consideration will be given to the Au Pair’s preferences concerning ages of children and special requests. 6. Pocket money that varies from country to country, please ask what the country you want pays. 7. Private room.
IN RETURN YOU Provide approximately 25 (in some countries, 30) hours of quality childcare or childcare activities per week. Commit to a
9 or 12 month program. Summer placements of
three
months, June 15th through September 15th, can also be arranged but only
for native English speakers and citizens of the European Union.
RESPONSIBILITIES FAMILIES 1. The Host Family will accept the Au
Pair as a member of the family and not as an employee or boarder.
AU PAIRS
2. As a member of the family, the
Au Pair will be expected to share in the usual household chores along
with other family members. Heavy housework is not the responsibility of
the Au Pair.
3. The Au Pair is to be of assistance to the Host Family and in every way try to fulfill the duties expected. Collaborating agencies will be available to assist both parties, and will assist to resolve any disputes as to appropriate expectations.
4. Au Pairs
are responsible for any personal expenses
incurred while living in the home of the Host Family. This would
include telephone bills, etc.
ALL AU PAIRS MUST : 1. Be between 18 and 27 years
old. For Germany, 18-25.5 years old.
2. Have some child care experience. 3. Be a non-smoker and non-drug user. Some families will accept smokers. 4. Speak basic conversational language ability of the target country 5. Be able to make 9 or 12 month commitment. Summer placements of three months, June 15th through September 15th, can also be arranged but only for native English speakers and citizens of the European Union.
OUR BACKGROUND Planet Au
Pair is an American run au pair agency, founded
January, 1992, working with the United States, England, Ireland, Holland,
France, Germany and Italy, among many other countries.
We were
formed with the purpose of facilitating
opportunities
for young people to visit and learn about different countries in order
to better understand the peoples, and become familiar with the
history and culture of each country as well as to improve their
language proficiency.
CULTURAL Planet Au
Pair offers the opportunity to experience the
European culture with the safe and secure environment of a European
Host Family. The program strives to cultivate better intercultural
awareness among participants and bring about a greater understanding
among other nations.
VISA If accepted
by Planet Au Pair, and you are from an EU
(European Union) member country, a visa is not necessary. If you
are from a non EU country, you will need to apply for a visa at your
nearest Embassy or Consulate of your target country. We will
inform you as to what you need to do, but please realize that it may
take up to two months to get the visa, so plan ahead!
SUPERVISION The staff
at our collaborating agencies are always
nearby.
They are always available for counsel, assistance and continual support
during the length of your stay. They are also present to mediate in the
event of a dispute or disagreement between the Au Pair and the Host
Family.
EDUCATION If you wish
to attend language classes or any other
educational pursuit while you are in your target country, the host
family must allow time for this activity. It is, however, always not
mandatory.
HOST FAMILY Through the
Planet Au Pair Au Pair Program, every Au Pair
is
welcomed to Europe as a member of a European family. The relationship
that develops between the Au Pair and the Host Family is one that lasts
a lifetime. Au Pairs can explore the exciting culture of Europe while
enjoying the warmth and security of a stable, secure family life.
HOW MUCH IS THE POCKET MONEY IN EACH COUNTRY?
If your target country isn't listed here, please ask. If you are not a citizen of a European Union country, we can only place you in Spain, Austria, France, Italy or Germany. If you are a national of the European Union, we can place you in, Holland, Austria, Germany, Ireland, England, France, Scotland, Italy, Austria and Spain. For Spain, click here. For other European countries, keep reading. If you are a native English speaker we can place you in summer in all the above countries except Ireland, England and Scotland. If you are a citizen of the EU, we can also place you in the USA. For information regarding the Au Pair USA program, please click here. For those who need a visa, the ages are France, 18-28, Germany, 18-25.5, Austria, 18-25.5 and Holland, 18-25.5.
HOST FAMILY SCREENING
Unlike most other programs, Planet Au Pair permits each Au Pair to choose the family with whom they will be placed. After speaking with one another, the Host Family and the Au Pair decide together whether or not they are well suited for each other. Based on
extensive experience, Planet Au Pair will refer
Au
Pairs to families who have similar interests and backgrounds, but the
final decision is always up to the Au Pair and the Host Family.
In the
unlikely event that the Au Pair is dissatisfied
with
the family, our collaborating agency in your target country will help
in attempting to resolve any problems. If the problems are insolvable,
the Au Pair will be placed with another Host Family, provided the Au
Pair has followed the program’s guidelines.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q. What if I get homesick ? A. It is
only natural to feel homesick at the
beginning
of your stay in Europe, but for those with enough maturity, this passes
quickly. If you have serious doubts about being able to live away from
home and friends for an extended period of time, wait until you are
more comfortable with the idea.
Q. I would like to go to Europe as an Au Pair, but the only experience I have is babysitting. Should I still apply ? A.
Certainly, the more experience you have, the
better
your chances of placement are. However, there are other qualities that
are also important for placement, such as maturity, responsibility, an
interest in cultural enrichment and a sincere desire to work with
children. If you feel you have some of these qualities, please submit
your application. We will do our best to find you an appropriate family.
Q.
When should I apply ?
A.
You may start the program any time you wish. It
will
typically take up to two months to process your application, although
placements are usually made in far less time. The longer we have your
application, the better the chances of placement. The best time is the
academic year, September through June. We do, however, have families
waiting year round.
Q. I do not
speak the language of my target country.
Should I
apply?
A. Yes, we
can usually match you with a family who speaks
English, German or French. You will find that you will pick up the
language quite quickly in a total immersion situation such as living
with a host family as an au pair. There is no better way to learn a
language than to go to a country where it is spoken. If you don't speak
English, German or French, it would be difficult. Please note that some
countries like Germany and France have language level requirements.
Q. What's the difference between an nanny and an au pair? Proper
nannies
have
been
to
a
nanny
school
and
usually work for a family under
a work contract for an extended period of time. Au pairs are young
people who want to travel for a shorter time, learn a new language,
culture and share their own language and culture with their host
family. In short, a nanny position is a job and an au pair position is
a cultural exchange.
Q. Why do I
have to pay a fee? Other agencies have
offered to
place me for free.
A. As the
old saying goes, "If something is free, you
probably get what you pay for." If an agency does not charge you, you
are not a client of that agency. Agencies who don't charge you only
have the family as a client, NOT you. We consider both the families AND
the au pairs to be our clients and do our best to take care of both
parties. And
payment is not due until you have accepted a family and vice versa. In
addition, if you figure out how much you will make as an au pair, at
the end of
the day, the program costs you nothing.
Q. I have heard of au pairs
who have contacted families and have not had to pay an agency. What is
the advantage of going through an agency when I can find families on
the Internet by using automatic website-based searches?
A. That would be fine if you are lucky
and find a nice family on your own. But what if the family turns out to
be one who exploits au pairs and is really looking for cheap domestic
help? Or worse? Who can you turn to? A good agency will immediately
take care of such a
problem and place you in a new family. Also, a good agency will screen
potential families before accepting them into the au pair program.
We also provide a human touch and personal
contact to candidates and families that the Internet cannot offer.
Q. Can you provide references? A. Yes, please click here for
references.
FEES Placement fee: €324.50 (or the equivalent in
your
currency). In addition, there
is an €18 charge for the bank charges us to
receive the wire transfer. For currency
exchange
rates, click
here
Health
Insurance: Your
responsibility. Some European Union countries have treaties with your
target country. Check with your health provider to see if your country
has one. You can also check out Traveler's Insurance.
Transportation:
Your responsibility.
PAYMENT PROCEDURE Payment
can
only
be
made
by
bank
transfer.
Once
you
have
been
accepted by a family and you have
also
accepted the family, you need to pay the registration fee prior to your
departure
for your target country. You will be sent an invoice with bank wire
instructions.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES 1. Read this web site thoroughly
and complete the application form neatly.
2. Either fax the documents and email the photos; send them all by regular mail or scan everything (including the signed application) and email everything (preferred). 3.
When the office receives your application, you will be contacted with
information regarding the status of your file.
4. Your application will be circulated among Host families that have been selected for you. 5. You then will begin to receive phone calls from Host Families that are interested in you. You may hear from several families before you and the potential Host Family agree that you are well suited for each other. 6. Once accepted by a Host Family, you will need to pay your placement fee, make transportation arrangements and communicate them to our office. 7. Upon arrival in your target country, you will be picked up at the airport by your Host Family. After you settle in, give our collaborating agency a call to tell them how you are doing.
In order to process your application, we need the following:
To apply to be an au-pair in Europe with Planet Au Pair, print out the form on this page. Then mail or fax the completed and signed form, along with the photos (which can also be sent by email) and other documents, to: Planet
Au Pair Office
hours:
by
appointment only For references, please click here Join us on
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96 320 6491 
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96 320 7832 
