How do I find an au pair?

[jerin]

I'm looking for childcare for my 3 dcs - aged 2.7 and 1.4 twins. I work part time, 2 weeks on, two weeks off and would need cover for up to about 10 days in that two week period. Times would vary as me and dp both work shifts. Have no idea how to find someone or how much I would expect to pay them. If I were to want someone from outside of the EU how would that work?
How much more could I expect to pay a nanny?
As we both work sometimes very unsociable hours would prefer childcare in our home.

I honestly think you'd be best to look for a nanny. With twins of that age you will need to find someone who is capable. You haven't mentioned hours in your post - if you work part time and the 10 days are not full days, or if your twins go to nursery and you plan to use an au pair for an hour or so either side of nursery then it may be ok.

Outside of the EU, the only nationalities who are able to work without having to get a work permit is Canada, Australia, New Zealand & Japan.

You could expect to pay a nanny anything from 3 to 5 times more than an au pair. Although that is comparing a 25 hours a week au pair with a full time nanny.

If you are looking for a non-EU person then I'd recommend using Great Au Pair - an on-line database of candidates - of which there will be some from Canada, Australia etc. For an EU nanny or Au Pair I'd always use an agency especially with your young twins.

I agree with Treeesa. Nanny would be a better choice than an au pair just simply because she'd have proper experience.
3 young children for a young inexperienced girl in a foreign country would be a lot to handle and what would you do if suddenly she decided it's too much and left.

Given your odd shift rotation how do you feel about someone living in on your weeks off? And what would you do about pay? Have a set weekly rate or pay for hours worked? I assume this would involve weekend working and early starts/late finishes?

For FT childcare I concur that a nanny would be a better prospect. An au pair is usually fairly young, inexperienced and unqualified. You can find qualified Aus/NZ nannies wanting to come over here so you may be lucky searching for someone outside the EU and then you don't have the language barrier to worry about.

Alternatively, if you don't want live in, could you find someone with the opposite shift pattern and share a nanny with them to bring the cost down?

Cost depends on the experience and qualifications of candidates, live in or out, hours expected, weekend working - a whol ehost of things.

Immigration wise you would probably be looking for someone under the Youth Mobility Scheme from the countries Treeesa mentioned.