One question that often pops up between au pairs & host families is “What does it mean to provide room & board?”
Clearly the host family needs to provide a room and the meals, but are there more expenses? Should they pay for travel expenses? Toiletries? Does a family need to define exactly what they will cover or won’t cover?
The truth is that information is power and the more a host family and their au pair understand what is and isn’t typically provided the less misunderstandings & hurt feelings will occur. So without any further ado, here is a synopsis of what au pair expenses to pay for and what not to pay for (details inspired by the Host Family Handbook blog). I recommend you share this with all adult members of the household and post a copy of this in your family handbook so you can access it whenever there is a question.
Host families should provide:
All meals at home
All classes and activities related to your children (pool pass, ice cream once a week, etc..a petty cash fund of $20-40 might help keep this going smoothly. Ask your au pair to record what the money is spent on if you’d like to keep track.)
Petty cash for grocery replacement so if the au pair finishes up the milk, eggs, bread etc… they can replace it.
Reasonable food requests (Example, “I love that yogurt you get the kids. Can you get a couple of blueberry flavored ones for me too?” or “Would you mind if we get skim milk for my cereal?”)
All meals and activities that your au pair & family attend together either when on duty or by special invitation (dinner out, museums)
$500 towards educational expenses related to their accredited coursework (this can include textbooks).
All transportation to and from classes and au pair meetings (providing bus pass & train passes would be an alternative to lending the car or driving au pair there.)
Initial set-up for your au pair’s arrival: shampoo, conditioner, a phone card, favorite foods, etc.
Basic cell phone to contact you in case of an emergency and for regular communication with you when out with the children.
If they are invited to join you on vacation and work: expenses related to room & board & activities on this vacation
Host family shouldn’t provide:
More cash than than the weekly stipend.
Toiletries- shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc. Have some for when your au pair arrives, but you shouldn’t pay for these monthly.
Gas for personal car use. Au pairs should return the car after personal use with the same amount of gas as they began with. For short trips this might become impractical so perhaps only when the needle markedly goes down.
$500 deductible for car accident when au pair is using the car on her own time and car is damaged.
Unreasonable grocery requests. Examples of an unreasonable requests might include candy supplies or only organic produce.
Overseas calls. Some host families provide the au pair with a calling card for their first month to help them connect to loved ones but with Skype and the internet they can find alternative ways to keep in touch.
Large cellphone bills. Make sure the au pair knows how many minutes and texts are provided in the basic plan and that she is aware it is her responsibility to pay any overages.
