How do you find an au pair?

[Scraggyaggy]

Hi, I hope that someone out there can give me a few suggestions as to the best way to find an au pair and perhaps a few pointers about pay.

Ideally I am loking for someone to act more as housekeeper than actually care for my children. My partner and I want to share the childcare and then spend the rest of our time back at work, so we thought an au pair might be able to help us out.

Also, we haven't a clue how the pay works. I assume that they are treated as your employee? And how would you go about paying their tax etc? Also, do any "benefits" count towards minmimum wage?

We are thinking of proviing them with living accommodation (bills paid) separate to our family home, although they would be able to eat with us, so their outgoings will be practically nothing..... what would you pay?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Ta, Scraggy

Scraggy - I had a coupld of au pairs in the first 18 months after baby no 3. I used an agency, which was recommended by a friend I paid an agency fee of about £250 (one off). The Au Pairs wage is not subject to tax and will depend on how many hours per week you want her to do. However, I think you'll have a problem getting an Au Pair to do mostly housekeeping. The whole idea is that they live as part of the family and help with childcare with some light cleaning. Most Au Pairs don't much like the cleaning bit and in many family don't have to do it as there is already a cleaner in situ in other families they do some cleaning, but they're not always that great.

In my experience and that of friends the Au Pair did things like putting the toys away and restoring the kitchen to normal at the end of the day while mum did the bathing etc, or sometimes visa versa.

I would recomend you ring around some agencies and tell them what your're looking for, they'l soon tell you if it's reasonable.