Your Potential Our Passion
What We Require of You
The Au Pair and Nanny's Guide have quoted an experienced au pair's claim that in order to do the job of an au pair you need - a "sense of humour, the patience of a saint, a liking for children and the ability to leap over toy buildings in a single bound". So, if your question is - What is an Au Pair? - start with this image!!
Being placed with the right family can a wonderful incubator for recognising shared values and a remarkable growing experience. A place where giving of yourself, your talents and your loving is reflected back to you either via the adoration of the children, the parent's absolute gratitude or your self-acknowledged success due to the positive changes occurring.
Our Approach
To Au Pair at Home, the au pair as a client is just as important as the family.
Central to Au Pair at Home's approach to au pair placement is that the individual is always the focus.
To join Au Pair at Home you will need to come in to our offices for a personal interview - this is vital for both you and the families that you will be interviewed by. Fully understanding your needs and experience is essential to the matching process with the right family. We also offer you guidance during your interview with us, if required as well as some tips on handling the family interview.
We are so committed to personally interviewing you, that if you should require another job after a year with our agency, you will need to come in to fill out new forms. So much happens in a year!
Our application forms require loads of detail, as we want to know as much about you as possible. Your childcare and work experience is important to us but so are your personality traits, your interests and your life experience. The exciting part of placement for us is in the matching, where we present you to clients with your combination of 'gifts' - the who you are. Each family in their uniqueness requires something slightly different, thus the 'click' with you and vice versa is vital.
What We Seek in an Au Pair
• You need to have a driver's license with a clean record and a children-safe reliable car to use.
• You need to have child care experience other than your own family, with contactable references.
• The required extent of your childcare experience varies depending on the demand of the position and the age of the children. You need to have hands on experience with whatever age group you are going to work with.
• Qualities like commitment, honesty, reliability, trustworthiness, sensibility and punctuality are givens - you must also show a special love and enthusiasm for children.
• You need to spend some time on a weekly basis preparing for your week ahead - setting up a program based on the ages of the kids in your charge. At the interview we give you a handout on setting up a program.
• A successful au pair is one who gets involved and interacts with her charges - 'getting down on the floor or in the pool with the kids' having fun and being loving.
Documentation You Are Required to Bring With You When You Come in For an Interview
A Copy of your C.V. - an add-on detailing all your childcare experience is advised if not in your cv
2 I.D. size photos (for our office use)
A copy of any relevant child care related certificates or courses you have completed -
A copy of degrees or diplomas.
Written References pertaining to children and others.
A copy of your Matric certificate.
A copy of your ID
A copy of your Drivers license.
A copy of your criminal record check (if you have)
It would be nice if you send us a recent colour photograph of yourself via email to send on to our clients.
Salaries
Salaries are basically standard for the industry, but also depend largely on the financial requirements of the au pair. Below are a couple of "guide-line" salaries on a monthly basis, working a Monday to Friday week:
3 hours per day 5 days a week R3100.00 per month
4 hours per day 5 days a week R4100.00 per month
5 hours per day 5 days a week R5100.00 per month
6 hours per day 5 days a week R6100.00 per month
A "full day" (over 7 hours per day) salary can start at R7500.00 per month and go up to R12000.00
Code of Ethics and Conduct
We expect all au pairs working with, or joining Au Pair At Home in order to work with children, to conduct themselves with the highest sense of integrity and responsibility.
Au Pair At Home would also encourage you to undertake conducting yourselves according to these code of ethics:
• To reflect on the ethical responsibilities of childcare professionals.
• To respect the rights of children as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1991) and commit to advocating for these rights.
• To act in the best interests of all children and to ensure the protection and wellbeing of children as paramount.
• To listen to and learn from families, to acknowledge and build upon their strengths and competencies, and support them in their role of nurturing children.
• To recognise the rights of families to make decisions about their children.
• To recognise children as active citizens participating in different communities such as family and schools.
• To encourage and be respectful of the special relationship between children and their families and incorporate this perspective in all your interactions with children.
• To acknowledge the uniqueness and potential of all children, in recognition that enjoying their childhood without undue pressure is important.
• To be sensitive to the vulnerabilities of children and families and respond in ways to empower and maintain the dignity of all children and families.
• To develop partnerships with families and engage in shared decision making where appropriate.
• To seek and build collaborative professional relationships.
• To maintain confidentiality and respect the right of the family to privacy.
• To continually undertake self-reflection with regards to how you conduct yourself whilst at work.
• To prepare for the hours you spend with the children in your charge, ensuring a plan of stimulating, educational and fun activities - bringing in new ideas from your own creativity, books or from engaging with others.