When you are considering hiring a French speaking au pair, there are a few things that you need to consider whether an au pair or a nanny is suitable for your needs.
An au pair is a foreign national, aged under 30 but usually, au pairs are aged between 18 and 25. An au pair can be considered a helpful pair of extra hands around the house, they do not have a lot of childcare experience - if any, but can assist with basic childcare duties as well as assisting with child related housekeeping. Because au pairs have such little experience, the UK government strongly recommends that au pairs only care for children that are aged 3 years old and above. This is because, with an au pairs lack of experience and qualifications, children under the age of 3 years old require more specialised care than an au pair can provide. If you have children that are under the age of 3, it is recommended that you consider a Nanny.
A key part of the arrangement of employing an au pair is that the family is required to provide a separate room, an au pair will always live within the family’s home.
Typically an au pair will work for a few hours in the morning, helping to get your children ready for school and assist with school runs, then again for a few hours in the evening to help with mealtime and the bath and bedtime routine. An au pair is also able to help with a few nights of babysitting each week but an au pair shouldn’t work for more than 35 hours per week.
If you are not able to accommodate an au pair but you are looking for someone who would be able to work similar hours of both before and after school, an afterschool nanny could be the solution.
If you do have a spare room available in your home, but you have young children, under the age of 3 years old and you require someone that has a few years of experience, a live in nanny would be the best option for you. A French speaking live in nanny will be able to encourage your children to learn the language, work more hours during the week and will be able to provide your children with more specialised care than an au pair is able to.
There are advantages and disadvantages to hiring a French speaking au pair directly, without going through an agency. On one hand, it can be seen as more advantageous to employ your own au pair as it would provide continuity, increased familiarity with your French speaking au pair and you can almost count on finding an au pair that has the personality you are looking for. This may sound all well and good until you understand the strict legislation rules that apply to you as an employer, which once you hire an au pair for your family, you will become. For example, as an employer, you will need to consider the living wage, the issue with a maximum of 35 hours a week your au pair is required to work otherwise they would then be considered an au pair plus. Also if your relationship with your French speaking au pair breaks down and you want to terminate their contract, you will need to prove that dismissal is fair. You would also need to ensure your au pair has a DBS check, and personally check their verbal references to ensure they have the experience they say they have, which could be in French if you are looking for a French au pair, which can be very time-consuming. This is why going to an au pair agency will ensure that all of the paperwork is taken care of for you. You will work with a consultant that specialises in au pair placements, who will work closely with you and your family to provide profiles of candidates that meet your requirements. An au pair agency like Little Ones will also provide you with sample contracts so you can be assured that all of your bases are covered before employing your French speaking au pair.
A French speaking au pair will have the same duties as any other au pair, however, they will be able to encourage your children to speak French. An au pair is an excellent option for your family if you have children that are over the age of 3 and you are looking for a helping hand around the home with childcare and light housekeeping. An au pair is able to help around the home with light housekeeping typically related to the children. This could include ensuring play areas are organised, cleaning up after the children’s meals and tidying the children’s bedrooms. It is important to define and communicate what you need from your au pair ahead of time, so you are both happy with the arrangement. It is also worth noting that while the French speaking au pair will share their culture with your family they will not 'teach' your children the language. A French speaking au pair is able to encourage your children to learn a new language like French by teaching simple words or phrases. Alternatively, if you are a French-speaking household, the au pair will be able to help maintain your children’s ability to speak French by conversing with them in French. If they are learning French at school, the au pair will provide additional support at home but an au pair will not be able to teach your children to a fluent level.
The duties of a French speaking au pair can include but are not limited to:
It can be daunting knowing where you should start your French speaking au pair search, which is why consulting an agency that specialises in French speaking au pair placements is a crucial aspect of ensuring your search is as stressfree and seamless as possible. With an agency that specialises in French speaking au pair placements, you have access to expert, experienced advice. Au pair agencies also take the hassle of finding someone out of your hands and make the process a seamless experience. At Little Ones, we interview and screen all our candidates and discuss with them in detail their experience and qualifications they have to ensure you are only presented with candidates that align with your needs. We are able to provide sample contracts and a payroll service once you have found your perfect French speaking au pair and our friendly and experienced consultants are always on hand to help with any questions or concerns during and after your search with us.
Au pair agencies such as Little Ones take the hassle of resourcing potential French speaking au pairs from you and will only present you with the best that we meet and who align with the au pair requirements you have. Because au pairs are based overseas, our consultants will do interviews via video call where their experience and qualifications are discussed at length and we are able to obtain verbal references which we then personally check.
All of our au pairs will have the following:
From the very first call, your consultant will guide you through what your options are, what would suit your requirements most closely and put your mind to rest with any concerns you might have. Our consultants are also on hand to help and answer any questions you might have along the way, using an agency that specialises in French speaking au pair placements like Little Ones means you have a direct line to the experts.
Our years of experience within the au pair industry means we know what it takes to be an excellent au pair, which is why all the French speaking au pairs we work with are the best available. We pride ourselves on providing a premium level of service and care for our clients and their family’s. We maintain the highest standards and expect the best from our French speaking au pairs because we know you expect the best for your family.
Using a French speaking au pair agency that specialises in au pairs like Little Ones, means you can be sure you will receive support from every angle and at every stage of your search, we will take the stress of finding a French speaking au pair from you and present you with French speaking au pairs that perfectly aligns with your childcare needs and your schedule.
We work with your family to find solutions, whatever your needs. To make perfect and seamless placements is central to Little Ones.
