Natalie Jordan, Senior Vice President, Cultural Care Au Pair
As the new year begins and parents set resolutions for 2025, many families may look to reassess their childcare and plan trusted care for the year ahead. Some might consider traditional options such as daycare facilities or nannies, but may face high costs per child, long waitlists, and limited or inflexible availability. One often overlooked alternative is hosting an au pair through the U.S. State Department cultural exchange program, a childcare solution that offers cultural enrichment and flexibility.
About the Program
An au pair is a young adult aged 18-26 from abroad who lives with an American family on a specialized visa for one year, with an option to extend for up to 12 additional months. While in the U.S., au pairs provide up to 45 hours of childcare support each week in exchange for all living expenses, including full room and board, weekly stipend, and financial support towards completion of required academic studies.
The value of cultural exchange is at the core of the State Department-regulated program. I’m lucky enough to see each day just how excited incoming au pairs are to immerse themselves in American life, discover new traditions, and share their own culture and heritage with their host families. As of 2023, about 29,000 families in the U.S. were hosting an au pair.
Beginning the Au Pair Program Journey
The State Department has designated 14 agencies to facilitate the au pair cultural exchange program—requiring participant assessments, formal background checks, and ensuring that participants follow the comprehensive program regulations. Cultural Care Au Pair is the largest designated sponsor of the au pair program, connecting more than 175,000 au pairs with host families over the past 35 years.
To join the program, the first step is to engage with a Cultural Care representative to make sure all program information and obligations are clear. Then, the matching process begins and every effort is made to ensure that the host family and au pair are a good fit. At Cultural Care, with a team of specialists and an app that guides both host families and au pairs through their entire program experience, participants can be confident that they can find a great match. Once families match with and welcome their au pair, Local Childcare Consultants (LCCs) based in their communities provide on-the-ground support for hosting families and au pairs.
Uniquely Flexible Childcare
The childcare support that au pairs provide is invaluable, especially for families seeking a reliable and flexible solution. By offering schedules that can adapt to families’ complex calendars week-to-week, au pairs help families navigate busy and ever-changing routines. I hear directly from those closest to the program that hosting an au pair can be a lifechanging childcare option for all families – helping parents balance work schedules, whether it’s 9-5 or on-call hours, and secure trusted care for their kids.
Cultural Exchange Opportunities Abound
Au pairs represent so much more than just childcare. Hosting an au pair is a unique cultural exchange opportunity that allows families and au pairs to share languages and traditions firsthand, which especially benefits children.
Many host families describe their au pairs as an extension of their family and part of their parenting team. They are teachers and friends, enabling the host families and the children they support to learn about and share new holiday traditions, culture, language, and food.
To learn more about Cultural Care Au Pair and the au pair program, click here.
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