Our Host Families

About our Australian Host Families

Australians are friendly, laid back, open minded, approachable and chatty and our Host Families are no different.

Each AIFS Host Families is unique in their own way, no two families are the same, so no two Au Pair experiences are the same! Each family have their own dynamics, routines, and needs but the one thing they all have in common is that they are passionate about having an Au Pair!

Australia is a multicultural country and we have host families from Australia and all over the world! Our Host Families are passionate about culture exchange and can’t wait to make you a part of their family. They love host Au Pairs from different countries as you not only bringing an extra pair of hands around the house but also bring your culture with you. Host Families love sharing their culture with you and vice versa- Whether it’s a meal, a nursery rhymes your language its all about cultural exchange!

We like to ensure that everyone on our programme whether a Host Family or an Au Pair is fully supported throughout the whole process. We want to ensure that all parties expectations are met to ensure that everyone receives the best experience possible. We provide our Host Families with advice, support, guidance and a comprehensive hand book that prepares them for your arrival, an outline for their responsibility to you such as providing a clean room, all meals, appropriate time off, and working hours and be paid on a regularly basis with a set amount depending on the hours you work. We also outline your responsibilities, so they know what to expect from you in your role as an Au Pair. During your placement we check in with you and our Host Families on a regularly basis to see how things are going. We are on hand 24/7 for all parties to help and support you no matter how small or big your enquiry might be.

To take the stress out of everything, your host family will provide a one-way ticket from Sydney to their home after you have attended orientation. In some circumstances you might have to get a flight, train or bus or if they live locally, they might even come pick you up!

Where do our Host Families live?

We have Host Families living all over Australia including every major city, rural areas including beach and mountain locations and the outback! So, no matter where you are looking to go, we have a family for you! Check out types of placement page for more information about what each type of placement is like. We do advise that if you have a particular location in mind that you would like to go to for your placement then make sure you apply at least 6 months before you want to depart. We can’t always guarantee you a placement in your most desired location however the more time you give us the better chance we have at finding you your perfect placement!

Finding a Host Family independently can be a hard and scary process. We take out all that stress away from you and do the matching process for you. As part of the application process we get to really know the host families we work with. This way when it comes to the matching process, we are specialists in finding you the perfect Host Family as we know what the Host Family and you are looking for. As an AIFS Au pair you tell us everything that you are looking for in a host family and it can be absolutely anything! This includes how many children you want to look after and the age groups, location, type of placement, no pets or loads of pets, if you have a special interest like horse riding swimming etc. Our team will carefully match your interests and personality with host families on our programme. We will help facilitate Skype interviews between you and Host Families until you find your perfect match! It might take a couple of interviews but in many cases, it just takes one! Then you leave the rest of the process to us!

Whilst we will try our absolute best to meet all your requirements this sometimes isn’t always possible. Although, the early you apply the better chance we have at meeting all your requirements. We do advise though, the more flexible you are with Host Family preferences, the quicker we can find you a placement!

What do Host Families look for in Au Pairs?

Australian Host Families are pretty laid back, however there are some Au Pair qualities that are highly desirable. For example, being responsible, mature and love working with children. If you’re going to be working with children, it’s pretty important that you enjoy it! Especially when you travel all the way to Australia to do it! Host Families love it when Au pairs are really passionate about working with children and come up with creative and imaginative activities to do with them. when working with children it’s really important to be patient with them as they are constantly learning from the world around them. other desirable qualities include: being friendly, open, chatty, independent, happy, adaptable, enjoy traveling and flexible! These are qualities that most people have but are really important to our host families. However, we know that everyone is unique in their own way and this is something to shout about on your application when you apply!

Sometimes not all placements work out. As with any relationship, issues can occur however AIFS will do all it can to help you resolve the situation. However, if resolving the problem isn’t possible then in many circumstances, we can rematch you with another Host Family. As an Au Pair you will begin the matching process again and will have interviews with host families until you find a placement. Our staff will endeavour to find you a new host family within two weeks however it sometimes takes a little longer due to demand changes (both for Au Pairs and host families) throughout the year. However, in many cases the process is quick as you are already in the country so can chat in the same time zone and book travel quickly.

AIFS takes safety seriously, and our priority is the safety of children, you and our Host Families! This is why all of our host families are carefully screened completing a thorough application before they are accepted on the programme. Our Host Families have a similar application process to Au Pairs whereby they complete a Federal Police check, have a telephone interview and provide character references. This way you can rest assure that whilst you are on your placement, you will be in a safe and secure environment.

You may have heard of websites or companies which offer Au Pair in Australia for free or a small fee. While it may appear attractive at first glance, commonly little or no services/ support are offered before you depart or whilst you are in Australia. Many of these website or companies also encourage families and Au Pairs to sign up at no cost sometimes with the promise to find you a Host Family really quickly but they don't do any checks on anyone. With few or no police checks or reference checks on your Host Family, you’ll be living with complete strangers and travelling half way across the world to do this - pretty scary when you think of it right?