How to Become an Au pair in France

If your answer to that question is an unwavering "Yes!", then you are ready for the rest :-)

As would be the case for any other au pair destinations, if you want to become an au pair in France, you have to ask yourself (and answer ;-) ) four initial questions. I have categorized these questions as either work-related , an administrative requirement or as being linked to your personal preferences and comfort :

1. Work -related: Do I have child care experience? In this case, childcare experience could have been acquired either within a formal context (such as a day care centre, a kindergarten or nursery school...), or within an informal context, such as within your family or home environment. For example, you may have acquired childcare experience through looking after your younger brothers, sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews or your neighbours children...You may also have acquired childcare experience in both formal and informal contexts. The bottom line here is, do not hesitate to consider whatever paid or unpaid, formal or informal childcare experience you may have!
   
2. Work -related: Do I have basic French language skills and is it enough to enable me communicate with the host parents and the children I would be looking after? Yes, of course you can become an au pair in France, even if you do not speak a word of French and still manage to find your way around, but believe me, your first weeks in France would be a great challenge! When I was an au pair in France, I had a number of au pair friends who neither spoke nor understood French on arrival. Needless to say, communication with their families and other people beyond the host family remained a constant challenge for months! So, please believe me when I say things would be so much easier if you arrived in France with some basic French language skills! Besides, before issuing au pair visas, French embassies normally require prospective au pairs to produce documentary proof of their French language skills . So, having some elementary French is after all, also an administrative requirement for obtaining a French au pair visa.
   
3. Administrative requirement: Am I aged between 18 and 30 years? On the one hand, if you are not yet 18 years old, becoming an au pair in France would be complicated, as your parents' or legal guardian's consent would be required for quite a number of documents related to your au pair application and your stay in France. On the other hand, if you are thirty years old or approaching it, then you would need to work on your au pair application fast! It is a question of you being eligible for an au pair visa or not.!
   
4. Au pair's preferences and comfort : Where would I like to live: In a big city, a small town, a village, the countryside? If you are a city person, and are not ready to live in a village or in the French countryside, then you would be better off seeking a host family that lives in a city or a big town. Let's be clear on one point though: France is V-A-S-T and you need not limit your chances of finding a good host family by insisting on Paris as your one and only desired destination! This is a common mistake among first time au pairs! Alternative cities include Lyon, Marseille, Aix -en Provence, Toulouse, Nice, Strasbourg, Montpelier...Of course, Paris is a charming city, and you will always have the chance to visit it from whatever corner of France.
   

If all your answers to the first three questions are "Yes, Yes, and Yes!", then your next step as a prospective au pair would be to decide what means you are going to employ in order to find a French host family (or a host family living in France).

When it comes to finding host families, prospective au pairs intending to become au pairs in France basically have two options.The first option is to engage the services of a French au pair agency and the second is to go it alone through on line au pair-host family matching databases .

As is the case elsewhere, there are several advantages related to going through French au pair agencies. For example, as far as French au pair agencies are concerned, all the prospective au pair has to do, is to put together a dossier containing a number of documents as directed by the au pair agency. The host family search is then in the hands of the au pair agency. Also, should the au pair and the host family encounter difficulties in future, the intervention of the au pair agency could be requested by either party. If the differences between the au pair and the host family prove to be 'irreconcilable' , then again the French au pair agency would be in charge of finding the au pair another host family.

Another advantage is that well reputed French au pair agencies are staffed with people who are well versed in the administrative procedures and legal requirements related to the au pair status. So, when it comes to applying for the prospective au pair's visa, work permit or residence permit, they are very qualified to give guidance and good advice to both host families and prospective au pairs.

It is interesting to note that in France, a large majority of au pair agencies have the legal status of associations and so privately owned au pair agencies are relatively very few. However, both association-based and privately owned au pair agencies, charge prospective au pair applicants 'agency fees', before proceeding to work on their applications.

On line au pair-host family matching databases also have their advantages. The main ones being the autonomy they offer prospective au pairs; in that the future au pairs are directly involved in selecting host families of their choice. Also, membership in these au pair-host family databases is usually free for the future au pairs. So, they do not have to worry about paying 'agency fees', as is the case with au pair agencies. Their main disadvantages are that first, there is high competition among registered au pairs, since the number of registered au pairs tends to be at least three or four times more than that of host families. Second, registered prospective au pairs constantly receive scam mails from unscrupulous persons claiming to be interested host families. Quite a number fall for these au pair scams and end up losing their money and time to these fake host families

I guess you are wondering :So, which of these two means should I employ in order to find myself a good host family in the shortest time possible? And how you would I best go about finding well reputed au pair agencies or well reputed on line au pair-host family matching databases?

First, you need not rush to choose one over the other , as they both have their advantages and their disadvantages, and you need to be aware of them. You could also consider using both means.

Second, I would suggest doing some on line research: Get information and read on line reviews available on both French au pair agencies and on line au pair- host family matching databases. The International Au Pair Association or IAPA, which is an international organization for well reputed au pair agencies and companies that are actively engaged in the au pair industry, provides country specific lists of qualified au pair agencies. As for reviews on internet based au pair-host family matching databases, these are not easy to come across on line . I am currently working on compiling an independent review of on line au pair-host family matching databases / services at Au pair 2 be. It focuses on the four or five most significant internet based au pair-host family matching databases.

Overall, when it comes to making preparations for becoming an au pair (as is the case elsewhere), what you have to bear in mind is that good quality information, from credible sources will always be your best ally to becoming an au pair in France!