GreatAuPair - Where care providers and families click™. Child Care Jobs & Caregivers: Nanny, Babysitter, Au Pair, Pet Sitter, Housekeeping, Tutor, Personal Assistant and Senior Care.

How to Hire Caregivers on GreatAuPair.com

  1. Register for free

    Create your free family profile, which is like your online job advertisement so that care providers can find you; learn about your family, your job and your requirements. Simply register for free as a Family and select the main care type you're seeking. You can select additional care types as you complete the free registration.

    Register using your valid email address. We'll send your password to that email address. You will use your email address and the password for your sign in credentials on GreatAuPair.com. We will not share your email address with anyone. You will receive messages from caregivers that are interested in your job. You may reply for free to any message sent to you from within your personal GreatAuPair.com Messages section.

  2. Validate your email address

    We will send you an "Email Validation Required" email that contains a button that you must click to validate your email address. You cannot receive emails from or reply to care providers unless your email address is validated. You can change your password or your email address at any time under the "My Account" tab, below "Account Options" along the left side of the page.

  3. Hire

    Once you are signed in, click the Hire tab on at the top of any page. You can refine your results using the search criteria on the left side. Save your custom search criteria using My Searches. Find care providers: Au Pairs, Nannies, Babysitters, Pet Sitters, Housekeepers, Tutors and Senior Care Providers that interest you. Be sure you understand what each candidate is offering, where they're willing to work and which services they're willing to provide. Only solicit care providers that are well matched to your specific job requirements. Be sure to review the care provider's requirements for live-in or live-out, as well as driving and language capabilities.

  4. Research your visa options

    If you intend to hire an au pair, nanny or other care provider from outside your country, we highly recommend that you review our visa section to familiarize yourself with your preferred country's visa requirements and aupair programs if supported by your country's government and your preferred destination country. You can review the visa information for the most popular aupair job destinations.

  5. Use Favorites to notify care providers of your interest

    While viewing search results, click on the photos or headlines to review the profiles and if you'd like to let the care provider know you are interested in learning more, simply add them as a Favorite by clicking the green [+] icon "Add as Favorite". When you add a care provider as a Favorite, we send them an email with your profile information to let them know that you are interested in them. Caregivers can instantly reply to you with an email that tells you whether or not they are also interested in you. This is a fast and easy way to get communications started with care providers of interest.

    Under the My Account tab, you'll find your Favorites section, which is a powerful tool that allows you to keep track of your favorite candidates, keep notes and respond to care providers who are interested in you. Click the Auto Respond tab to instantly send responses to candidates who have sent you a Favorite notification. Just click the buttons "INTERESTED" or "NO INTEREST" to send an auto reply message. Learn more about Favorites.

    Your Response Rate shown in your profile is calculated based on how many candidates you have and have not responded to through your Auto Respond section, so keep your "Responses due" equal to "0".

  6. Reply to care provider emails

    Under the My Account tab you'll find the Messages section where you may reply to any message in your Inbox and review messages you've sent under your Sent tab. As a non-paid member, you may reply to existing messages in your Inbox and threaded messages in your Sent history.

    It's also free for you to initiate new emails to paid care providers who have added you as a Favorite. To initiate a new message, select the Recipient list: "Interested paid Candidates" and select a recipient to send them a new email message. Subscribe to initiate new messages to any candidate on GreatAuPair.com.

  7. Use your FastMatch

    Your FastMatch is a free service of GreatAuPair.com that will send you daily emails of new candidates that match your requirements. Your match preferences are determined by the answers you provided during registration combined with the preferences you set in your FastMatch section, under My Account. You may edit your profile and change your FastMatch preferences at any time to adjust the number and types of results you receive in your online FastMatch results and in the daily FastMatch emails we send to you. You can also opt out of receiving FastMatch emails under your Preferences section under My Account.

    If you've fine-tuned your profile and your FastMatch preferences, your FastMatch results will be very accurate. When you get FastMatch results, you should review the jobs and contact the caregivers if you're interested in taking things to the next step.

  8. Pay for a Subscription

    A paid subscription gives you the ability to email GreatAuPair.com care providers directly, without having to wait for them to contact you first. If you're serious and you really want to hire great candidates, you should buy a subscription so you can take the initiative to make contact first. As with most things of great quality and value, they are in demand. Your subscription allows you to see care provider interviews, their photo galleries, videos, background checks and referrals as available.

    A subscription makes it easier for you to quickly make the most informed decision regarding which care providers are best for you. A subscription also allows you to be proactive so you can go after the candidates you want.

  9. Verify everything

    It is your responsibility to get background checks, reference checks and referrals to ensure that everything you've learned about a prospective care provider is true and correct. While we do all we can to protect our members from scams and fraud, you must be aware to protect yourself. Before accepting any candidate into your home, be sure you've done your homework and that you've read through the details in our Security Center.

  10. Hire your ideal candidate

    Once you've made contact with several caregivers, determined your visa requirements (if needed), checked their references and decided on the right candidate for your family, be clear about your expectations, salary, timing, etc. and come to an agreement with your chosen candidate. Use our au pair & nanny contracts.

First-Time Families

Hiring the right aupair for your family can restore balance and peace to the typically hectic lives we've come to lead. Finding the right aupair requires thoughtful evaluation of the type of person that best suits your family. To assist you in forming a successful relationship with your chosen aupair, nanny or caregiver, we have provided some general guidelines to give you an idea of what to expect when hiring an aupair for the first time.

  • Click for in-depth information on Au Pair and Nanny Salaries. The aupair's average weekly salary for 40 to 45 hours of childcare is US$195.75 and may be less in other countries.
  • An aupair's living expenses, which include room and board, are covered by the family, unless the aupair requires unique dietary items for which she/he should be responsible. Also the aupair is responsible for all personal items such as toiletries, health supplements, hair care items, etc.
  • A private bedroom should be provided for the aupair. Extra amenities in the room such as TV, stereo, phone, computer, are not required. However, the more comfortable an aupair feels in your home, the more successful the arrangement is likely to be. If you put a little energy into creating a warm environment for your aupair, it is more likely that your aupair will feel genuinely welcomed and respond positively to your family.
  • The family can expect the aupair to pay for her/his long distance phone calls.
  • If the aupair is required to drive the kids to and from school and activities, and/or do the grocery shopping, the family pays for gas, oil and maintenance. The family can expect the aupair to pay for gas when she/he uses the car for her/his personal errands. Many car insurance policies cover houseguests driving your vehicle for limited time periods. There is also the option of adding your aupair to your insurance policy for the duration of their stay. Be sure to check with your insurer to make the most informed decision.
  • The aupair is generally responsible for her/his medical insurance/expenses unless the aupair arrives through an agency, in which case insurance is included in the fees paid to the agency by both the family and aupair.
  • Airfare for the aupair is usually negotiable. If the aupair does not come through an agency, caregivers and aupairs often split the cost of a roundtrip ticket. If the aupair doesn't have the money to pay for her/his half of the ticket up front, caregivers can cover the cost and deduct the balance from wages. If the aupair comes to the U.S. through an agency, only the cost of airfare to New York is typically included in the placement fee paid to the agency by the family. You would then have to get the aupair from New York to your home.
  • We highly recommend that you ask for and check an aupair's references before making a commitment to hire. In the event the aupair does not have previous aupair experience, ask for references from previous candidates and/or teachers if they are recently out of school.

Tips for a successful relationship with your aupair, nanny or caregiver

  • Keep in mind that there is always an adjustment period when you hire an aupair. Try to be patient and supportive and remember that your aupair is in an unfamiliar environment with all new people. A little bit of love and encouragement goes a long way.
  • Be specific about the aupair's responsibilities and schedule. An aupair wants to find a family that can be trusted and who won't take advantage of her/him.
  • Be clear about your expectations and if something is not going as you had hoped, talk to your aupair. Nine times out of ten, most situations can be resolved through open and loving communication.
  • Treat your aupair with the same respect and consideration that you would like to receive from her/him.
  • Try to remember that your aupair wants to feel like a part of the family. Include them in activities even when they're off duty.
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