Recommendations for Au Pair Agencies

[CricketMonster]

Hello

First time posting here with a question about what I'm sure is a well worn subject by now. My wife and I are looking into an Au Pair.

Does anybody have a recommendation for where we might find one? If I google it then a myriad of options appear... Is an agency the best option or should I just look on EBay?!

We are in Greenwich, London.

Thanks in advance.

You don't need an agency. Waste of time.

So where do you find them then?

Aupairworld.com

Hi CricketMonster, sorry I can't recommend an agency in London but I do think it's a good idea to use an agency with your first au pair. A decent agency will help you learn the ropes and also provide mediation if you have any hiccups.

Once you've had an au pair you'll know what to look for, which is when aupairworld is great.

Received wisdom on here is that aupairworld is the way to go. That works for lots of people, but I really wanted to use an agency, and have been very happy with Busy Bees. They aren't based in London but we are, and we've had some really lovely au pairs through them. Because they do all the basic checks (criminal record, qualifications, right to work, health, and taking up and translating personal and childcare references) that means I am just looking for personality and 'fit' which makes my job simpler and easier.

Au pair world - don't waste your money on an agency (which will offer you very limited options only). Greenwich will be an attractive option for au pairs.

I spent ages on aupairworld and got tired of time-wasters so registered with an agency (A2Z Au-Pairs). Selected a candidate within a week. I did however have language requirements (Spanish speaker) so that did complicate my search somewhat.