FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

a special kiss Is SOSChildCare.com an agency?

No. SOSChildCare.com is not an agency. We're an online finding service for Aupairs, Nannies and Babysitters and there are no introductory fees. Our site has a database of Child Carers and Families which you can search FREE. Parents can sign up FREE and Child Carers can sign up FREE.

You can use SOSChildCare.com to find a reliable Child Carer to care for your child(ren) or a suitable Family to work for. By signing up FREE and creating your public profile listing your preferences, you can find a job as a Child Carer or advertise your Family's child care needs. You can perform searches and review profiles - all at your own pace, without using an agency. By doing everything yourself, you can save costs. We have incorporated safeguards into our website to give you peace of mind, such as the Child Carer Credentials Upload feature enabling Child Carers to provide evidence of supporting documentation taking both the awkwardness and hassles out of checking for credentials. Our excellent Feedback system enables Parents to review Carers they have hired and Carers can comment on Parents they have worked for. We are here to help you in any way we can. Please contact us if you have any questions.

More about SOSChildCare.com

Must I become a Premium Member to use this service?

No. You don't have to become a Premium Member to use the service. You can still advertise yourself for free as a family with child care needs or as a child carer looking for a job. Your profile will be viewable by the public (unless you make it private). As a Basic (Free) Member you can reply to messages from Premium Members and you can introduce yourself to others via an Instant Introduction. As a Basic Member you don't have access to creating new mail in your account's private mailbox, therefore you must wait to be contacted by others if you wish to exchange contact details and negotiate a child care arrangement, unless you choose to upgrade to Premium Membership. If you wish to find child care without delay, or are in a hurry to find a position as a child carer, we recommend you upgrade to Premium Membership. As a Premium Member you gain unrestricted access to contacting other members and exchanging details. More information and fees below.

Must both the Parent and Child Carer be Premium Members to contact each other?

No. It is sufficient if either the Parent or Child Carer is a Premium Member. If a Basic Member receives a message from a Premium Member, then (s)he can can reply (but cannot initiate contact by creating and sending a new message from the private mailbox).

Why become a Premium Member and what does Premium Membership cost?

Premium Membership enables you to gain unrestricted access to contacting other members, and therefore exchange contact details. Current membership options available and their corresponding fees are listed in the comparison table below. These options are subject to change without notice.

	Basic Membership	Premium 1 Month	Premium 3 Months	Premium 6 Months	Premium 1 Year
Cost	Free	AUD $19.95 (convert)	AUD $39.95 (convert)	AUD $69.95 (convert)	AUD $99.95 (convert)
Duration	30 days (renewable)	30 days	90 days	180 days	365 days
Search Babysitters
Search Nannies
Search Aupairs
Send Instant Introduction
Reply to Mail (received from Premium Members)
Parents' Instant Request to View Uploaded Credentials
Create New Mail (to be able to exchange contact details)

As the prospective employer, families are encouraged to take the lead and buy premium membership in order to exchange contact details. Child carers who are actively looking for work, are also encouraged to take out premium membership to speed up the process of finding a position.

Please note, some sites automatically reveal member contact details to premium members. Our service will NEVER reveal member contact details under any circumstances. It is our policy to allow members to decide for themselves when they are ready to part with their personal contact information. We believe this is the best way to safeguard the privacy of our members and to protect our online community from unsolicited spam. It is up to members who have access to private mail to exchange their contact details at their discretion and in their own time.

What is an Au Pair?

An Aupair is a young person from overseas, usually between 18 and 30 years, who becomes a temporary member of your family. Approximately 90% of Aupairs are female, however male aupairs are on the increase. Most Aupairs are keen to explore new cultures and improve upon or learn a new language.

The cost to hire an Aupair usually involves providing free board (accommodation in your home or annex connected to your home, e.g. granny flat, guest house), free meals and a negotiated weekly allowance (pocket money).

In exchange for free board and meals, and a weekly allowance, Aupairs will look after your child(ren) for an agreed amount of days and hours. Standard arrangements usually include an occasional evening babysitting. In addition, some Aupairs are agreable to performing light house duties and tasks, e.g. stacking dishwasher, collecting mail, running simple errands.

Aupair vs Nanny

It is important to understand the difference between an Aupair and a Nanny:

Aupairs are always Live-in. Nannies can be Live-in our Live-out.
Aupairs do not always have qualifications or experience in child care and are often young foreigners, or backpackers, on a life experience, wanting to experience new cultures.
Sometimes an Aupair will require time-off for language studies.
Aupairs will often require the Family's assistance to settle into their new surroundings, e.g. provide Aupair with bus timetables, local map, drive Aupair around various landmarks such as shopping centres, nearest post office, explain local laws etc.
Aupairs may want to connect with other Aupairs of the same age to form new friendships and prevent loneliness.
Aupairs may require a valid work/visa permit.

Considerations

It is important for the family to be aware that the Aupair may be missing overseas family, friends or a partner, and to be allowed a period of adjustment while overcoming culture-shock. Families, also need to be conscious that an Aupair who is not speaking his or her native language can sometimes struggle with communication.

It is up to the Parents and the Aupair to be clear about each other's expectations, preferably in writing, in regards to the exact days & hours of work and the weekly allowance amount. It is also recommended to include other details such as whether the Aupair will be expected to drive the children, a list of daily house duties and tasks and any other expectations.

newborn Who pays for what?

The costs for flight(s) to and from the Aupairs country of residence are usually paid for by the Aupair.
Language courses are usually paid for by the Aupair.
All child-related expenses are paid for by the host family. Aupairs should not be expected to pay for children's outings, entertainment, food, clothes or gifts. If an Aupair is required to take the child(ren) on an outing with entrance ticket costs, then the Aupair's entrance tickets should be paid for by the host Family.
Petrol to drive children around is paid for by the host Family.

Treatment

An Aupair should be treated as an equal part of the family, not as a servant, and should not be required to wear a uniform. The usual practice is that Aupairs eat with the family most of the time, and join in some of the usual family activities such as outings and trips. However, host families normally expect to have some private time to themselves, particularly in the evenings. During this time, an Aupair might retire to his or her room to watch television, study, or go out with friends. Being an Aupair can be a great opportunity to experience a different country and culture. The "job" of the Aupair will vary depending on how much the host family expects. Duties vary from taking children to and from school, taking children to after-school activities, cooking, cleaning, babysitting, etc. The term au pair is French and signifies on equal terms.

Different Countries

In most countries neither the Aupair nor the Host Family is obliged to make use of an agency. The only exception is America (USA) where, to become a legal Aupair, you need to apply through one of the 12 federally designated au pair agencies, and apply for a J1-Visa.

As an employee, many countries have rules and government limits as to how many hours an Aupair is allowed to work. It is recommended that Aupairs and host Families do some research on the relevant countries. The following provides a rundown (although not exhaustive) on some of the world's government Aupair Schemes:

Finland
An Aupair’s responsibilities also include light housework, totaling six hours a day, five days a week. The au pair has her/his own room, is provided with food and is paid a weekly allowance amounting to at least €252 per month (minimum set by Finnish law). Additionally, the host family will arrange a Finnish language course to help the Aupair communicate better with the children and get more out of his or her stay in Finland. Aupairs can stay with their host family for up to one year or negotiate a shorter stay.

little dancer United Kingdom
An Aupair in the United Kingdom must be a national of the European Union or of one of the following countries: Andorra, Faroe Islands, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greenland, San Marino, Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Croatia or Monaco. Although other European Economic Area nationals are not included in the Aupair scheme, they are free to take Aupair placements in the UK.

Nationals of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Croatia, Macedonia, and Turkey need a visa from their British Embassy or Consulate.

Aupair permits are limited to candidates who are unmarried, have no dependants, do not plan to stay in the UK for more than two years as an Aupair, and can support and accommodate themselves without help from public funds. They are also required to leave the UK after completing their Aupair period. Aupairs may move to another family as long as the new arrangements continue to meet immigration requirements.

The "British Au Pairs Agencies Association" (BAPAA) was created by 23 members of the "International Au Pairs Agencies Association" (IAPA). The main goal of BAPAA within the UK is liaising with the Home Office and other government officials to improve the process of visa applications for those countries where a visa is needed and setting standards for the industry within the United Kingdom.

United States
The United States Aupair program offers qualified young people between the ages of 18 and 26 the opportunity to live and study in the US for one or two years in exchange for providing up to 45 hours of childcare per week. In the United States, to become a legal Aupair, you need to apply through one of the 12 federally designated au pair agencies, and apply for a J1-Visa. To quality for a J1-Visa, au pairs must be eligible under a Basic Application Criteria.

Europe
A new organisation named the European Committee for Au Pair Standards (ECAPS) was founded with the objective to create uniform European rules and guidelines for au pairs, host families and au pair agencies. ECAPS is an initiative of the International Au Pair Association (IAPA), RAL Gütegemeinschaft Au pair e.V. (GAP) and participating national au pair agency organisations including the British Au Pair Agencies Association, Union Francaise des Association Au Pair, Au pair Society and Netherlands Au Pair Organisation.

What is a Nanny?

A Nanny cares for the child(ren) in the family's house. Modern-day Nannies may live in or out, depending on their circumstances, those of the employer and the agreement reached betweeen the two parties. Live-out Nannies come to the family's house on a daily basis.

A Nanny may perform tasks such as:

Provide childcare during the hours agreed upon with the employing family.
Support the physical, social, emotional, creative, and intellectual development of the children of the family.
Protect the children of the family from harm and ensure that they have a safe environment.
Prepare nutritionally-balanced meals and snacks for the child(ren) they care for.
Maintain good communication with the parents, informing them of each of their children's development and concerns in behavior.
Tidy up after the children.

Typically, Nannies are females, ranging in age from their 20s to their 60's. Being a Nanny is a career and therefore Nannies are often well qualified and experienced in child care. Hours of work range from 40 to 60 hours per week.

A few positions are filled by men; the term manny is sometimes used for a male nanny, especially in the US and the UK.

What is Out-of-Home Care?

Out-of-Home Care is our term for a stay-at-home parent (usually a stay-at-home mum) who looks after your children from their home. Usually, the parent lives locally and minds your children as well as their own while you are at work.

This arrangement works best when the children are of similar age and you and the other parent are like-minded over issues such as nutrition and behaviour management.

As you only deal with one person regarding the care of your children, communication over your child(ren)'s development can be easier and more consistent, than for instance at a child care centre. On the flipside, it is important that you get along well and build a trusting relationship for this arrangement to run smoothly.

What is Shared Care?

Two, or more, local families share the time of a childminder and split the costs. The carer charges a slightly higher than average rate to compensate for the extra work, but the overall fee is lower than the combined cost of hiring two, or more, nannies. Shared Care can be successfully applied to all types of care including babysitters, nannies and aupairs. The carer might look after both sets of children at the same time or at different times. Equally, the arrangement might alternate between houses from week to week, or might be a fixed location or locations.

For shared care to be applied successfully, families need to have compatible schedules and values and of course it helps if the children get along! Scenarios where Shared Care is best applied are:

You are working part-time in the mornings and only need a nanny when you are at work.
You have children at school and need a nanny in the afternoons after school.
You can't afford a full-time nanny just for your child, and decide to share a full-time nanny with another family to split the cost.
You and your friends go out for dinner. The babysitter looks after both families' children while the group spends the evening out.

Where is SOSChildCare.com located?

We are located in Currimundi on the stunning Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia (GMT +10 hours). Feel free to contact us at any time at . We pride ourselves on our speedy response time to customer enquiries and our high quality of support.

More Questions? Haven't found an answer to your question?

Your questions are important to us and sometimes provide us with valuable information on how we can improve our service. Simply drop us a line. Please email us at or use the Contact Us form.

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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions