For families

Give your kids global connections and extra care with an au pair

Thinking about welcoming an Au Pair into your home? There are countless benefits to explore! From providing your children with early exposure to a new language and culture to having a dependable caregiver right on hand, hosting an Au Pair brings both convenience and enrichment. In addition to childcare, your Au Pair can help with light household chores such as laundry and cooking, providing valuable support.

Register as a host family

What is an Au Pair?

A cultural exchange where the au pair helps with childcare in exchange for accommodation, meals, and pocket money.

An au pair is a young person who comes to live in a foreign country with a host family to learn the language and/or experience a different culture. Au pairs can help with childcare and light household tasks in exchange for room, board, and pocket money. In addition to offering support, au pairs share their language and culture with the family.

This unique arrangement not only supports your family’s needs but also offers a cultural exchange experience.

What you should take into account

Au pairs have to be between ages of 18 – 25 years old;

Can stay up to a maximum of 12 months;

Can work a maximum of 8 hours per day and 30 hours per week;

The family’s household should consist of a minimum of two persons;

The host family must be able to provide the Au Pair with a room at their house;

Au Pair may not be a 1st or 2nd degree family member of the family;

Au Pair may not have worked or Au Paired for the family before;

The family should have independent, sustainable and sufficient income;

Benefits

Enjoy the many benefits of taking an au pair in your home

Childcare Support: Access reliable, flexible childcare that adapts to your family’s schedule;

Cultural Exchange: Introduce your family to a new culture, language, and traditions;

Cost-Effective Care: Often more affordable than traditional childcare options;

Flexibility: Enjoy greater flexibility in childcare hours;

Customizable Care: personalize the schedule to fit your family’s specific needs and preferences, unlike standardized daycare options.

Register as a host family

Au pair VS Daycare and Nanny

Find out if an au pair is the best childcare option for your family.

As a family, choosing the right childcare option is crucial for both your family’s needs and your child’s development. In this comparison, we highlight the advantages of having an au pair, who not only provides personalized care but also brings cultural enrichment into your home. In the table below you can see how an au pair can fit into your family’s lifestyle and help create a stable environment for your children.

Benefits

Cost

Flexibility

Personalised care

Household help

Availability

Safety and comfort

Cultural exchange

TOSS Au Pair

Generally more affordable for full-time care

Flexible hours tailored to the family needs

One-on-one attention for the child(ren)

Can assist with light household tasks (e.g., laundry, meal prep)

Lives with the family, available as needed

Familiar environment at home

Opportunity for cultural immersion and language learning

Daycare

Price per child/ per hour

Fixed hours and schedules

Group care, less individualized

No household help provided

Set hours, may require planning

Group settings, can be overwhelming

Non or limited cultural exposure

Nanny

Often higher hourly rates or salaries

Varies per nanny but usually limited hours

Can provide ppersonalized attention but not constant

Can handle minimal household tasks

Depends on nanny’s schedule

Half in home/out home

No cultural exchange aspect

We have combined everything in one price! Below you will find what’s included in our fee.

Fees and costs

Benefits of TOSS

Why choose TOSS as your  Au Pair Agency

Intake, screening and matching: We carefully screen and select all au pair candidates to make the perfect match;

Ongoing Support: Our team provides support throughout the placement to ensure a smooth experience;

We handle all the paperwork, visa application and biometric appointments;

Aftercare: Contact moments with the au pair every month, personal support and guidance with post arrival steps, cultural events throughout the year;

Welcome training & events: For all newly arrived au pairs, we organize a welcome training. We cover topics such as effective communication with the host family, giving and receiving feedback, raising and caring for children, and fun activities to do with children. We also discuss daily life and culture in the Netherlands and your au pair will receive basic first aid instruction.

Register as a host family

The process

Become a host family in 4 steps

1 Free introductory meeting

During this call we can answer all your questions and we can assess if you can host an au pair. We are also happy to explain how we work, how the process goes and costs. Book an introductory meeting here.

2 Intake call and matching process

It’s very important for us to get to know you and your family better, understand your needs and wishes so we can help you find the perfect match. Based on our intake call, we will find potential au pair candidates and propose their profiles to you. During this process we will keep close contact so we can make a successful match!

But what if you have found your own candidate somewhere else? We would be happy to help you. In this case, we contact your au pair candidate directly to begin a screening process.

3 Visa request and document preparation

Once the match is final, we will guide you and your au pair through the administrative part of the process. We will need a number of documents required for your dossier, such as the au pair schedule and supporting documents of your identity, address and income.   

We will assist your au pair with the visa application and scheduling the visa appointment at the Dutch embassy in her country.

4 Ready to fly

As soon as your au pair has the visa in her passport, she is ready to fly to the Netherlands! You can then start this exciting adventure together.  

We will contact you regularly to discuss the progress of the program. If there are any questions or issues that you cannot resolve among yourselves, we will help you find an answer or solution.

Register as a host family

Register as a host family at TOSS

Are you looking for a an au pair in the Netherlands? Get in touch with Michelle and explain your specific situation. She will then look into the opportunities for you.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How long does the process takes before an au pair can start?

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The process also depends on how quickly the match is made and how promptly you and the au pair gather the necessary documents. We will do our utmost to ensure the au pair can start as soon as possible.

How long can my au pair stay?

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An au pair receives a residence permit for a maximum of one year and is allowed to live in the Netherlands for a maximum of 1 year.

How many hours can my au pair work per week?

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An au pair is allowed to work up to 30 hours per week, with a maximum of eight hours per day. Additionally, an au pair is entitled to two days off per week and one free weekend per month (from Friday evening to Sunday evening).

What if issues arise with our au pair?

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We are always ready to assist both the family and the au pair. We will assess the situation and ensure a suitable solution is found promptly.

How do you do the screening?

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We conduct detailed interviews with all our candidates to assess their motivation for the cultural exchange, their level of childcare experience (and whether they truly love children!), and their interest in the host country and its language. Additionally, we perform a comprehensive background check, including a police record review, reference verification, and a detailed health assessment.

Is an au pair allowed to work extra hours?

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According to the rules of our cultural exchange program, it is not permitted to work more than 30 hours per week.

For families

Give your kids global connections and extra care with an au pair

What is an Au Pair?

A cultural exchange where the au pair helps with childcare in exchange for accommodation, meals, and pocket money.

What you should take into account

Benefits

Enjoy the many benefits of taking an au pair in your home

Au pair VS Daycare and Nanny