Our story | AuPair America

We have nearly 40 years experience

Au Pair in America created the first U.S. au pair program in 1986, and we’ve been supporting young people on their au pair journeys ever since.

We are proud to have helped thousands of people to explore life in the USA and to experience their own cultural exchanges.

Our mission and vision

At Au Pair in America our mission is:

To provide the highest quality educational and cultural exchange programs to enrich the lives of young people throughout the world.

Our vision is simple:

We bring the world together.

We believe that cultural exchange changes the lives of au pairs and host families, and enriches communities across the USA.

In the 1980s, as more women joined the workforce, families in the USA needed reliable, live-in childcare. At the same time, young people were looking for ways to travel, learn and experience American culture.

We created a new cultural exchange program where young people could come to America, live with a host family and provide childcare for a year. In return, they would receive support for their education and the chance to experience daily life in the USA.

In February 1986, we welcomed the very first group of 200 au pairs from Europe to the USA as part of a pilot program approved by the US government.

The launch was a huge success, gaining attention from media outlets like Good Morning America and the New York Times. This pilot went on to become the huge success it is today!

From the beginning, we introduced ideas that remain a key part of our program, including:

A 3-day welcome and training session for all au pairs on arrival in the States
A network of Community Counsellors who provide local support to au pairs throughout the year

Building the program

We worked closely with the US Department of State to expand the program globally.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton gave the Au Pair in America program permanent status, reflecting our strong record with government authorities, families and communities.

Today, young people from over 60 countries join families across America. Many au pairs even choose to extend their stay for a second year.

The au pair journey continues

We continue to raise the standard for au pair programs through partnerships with respected organisations to deliver bespoke training. These include the Red Cross for first aid and AAA for driving.

At the heart of our program are the values that have made it a success from the beginning:

1:1 recruitment of au pairs by our staff and trusted partners around the world

Thorough in-person screening of host families and their homes by our US team

Focus on cultural exchange and learning

Dedicated support for every au pair, every step of the way

The original au pair program