Will summer au pairs happen this year?

[TwinningIt]

Hi, just before lockdown started we were in conversation with a German au pair to come to us for the summer, starting in July (she’s studying in Germany at the moment).

The agency we use seems to think this will all happen and is pressuring me to finalise things and get flights booked (I don’t even know if there are any flights?). The au pair also seems to think it will all be fine and is keen to book.

Am I missing something? I don’t see it being easy to have someone come for the summer - by July there still may not be flights, and looks like we’d have a quarantine situation if you enter the country from abroad. I don’t expect any holiday clubs to run (I work FT so use a mix of au pair hours and clubs to cover the weeks), and I expect I’ll still be wfh so it’ll be like it is at the moment, without the home school aspect.

So just to get some opinions, does anyone think summer au pairs from abroad will be possible, or am I being more realistic here?

I think you are right to be circumspect.. but assuming she can get a flight I guess it could work. It does sound as though the au pair will need to self isolate at your home for two weeks after arriving.. not the easiest way to help them bed in, but do-able. Yes, then you may well find you are all at home far more than you would usually be - under each other's feet. Much hinges on your home layout and locality I guess. But applications are down so much - Brexit having made no provision for au pairs, and Covid on the back of that - you're lucky to have someone in the bag. Instinct says don't let her go!