Australia's largest and most trusted Au Pair Service
Welcoming an Au Pair into your home is a big decision, so choosing the right agency matters. AIFS Au Pair is Australia’s only Child Wise accredited Au Pair agency, ensuring the highest standards in child protection and safeguarding. Every AIFS Au Pair undergoes rigorous screening, a thorough interview process and reference verification before acceptance. Plus, before entering your home, they attend an orientation week in Sydney, complete with first aid training and hands-on guidance in age-appropriate care and cultural adjustment.
Hosting an Au Pair is more than just childcare; it will open doors to a life-changing cultural exchange and provide global experiences for your children. Whether your family is in Melbourne, Cooma, or Cairns, let AIFS help you find the perfect Au Pair.
What We Do
Welcome to AIFS Au Pair
Get to Know Us
Why Choose AIFS?
50+ years’ experience in providing cultural exchange and educational opportunities to young people
An industry leader, setting the highest standards for service quality and support to ensure successful placements
A service delivered under AIFS Au Pair Child Protection Policy and Reporting Framework
Rigorous screening and verification of all AIFS Au Pairs to ensure the safety of your family is our number one priority
Bespoke matching service to ensure every Au Pair placement perfectly meets your family’s needs and requirements
24/7 comprehensive support to all families and Au Pairs, including access to our after-hours Community Counsellor
Trusted by families across Australia – AIFS is Australia’s largest Au Pair agency
We provide similar overseas opportunities to young Australians, continuing our mission to facilitate cultural exchanges
Trusted By Families
The AIFS Difference
Our Mission
Leading cultural exchange opportunities since 1964
The American Institute of Foreign Study (AIFS) provides the highest quality educational and cultural exchange programs to enrich the lives of young people throughout the world. Since 1964 we have been the leading provider of such opportunities, helping more than 1.8 million young people increase their global understanding in our diverse world.
Our Values
Committed to care, respect and honesty
Our mission can only be achieved through exceptional support and care for our program participants to ensure their safety and wellbeing. We always provide honest, equitable and non-discriminatory treatment of program participants, our partners and employees, safeguarding teamwork and collaboration both within our organisation and with our partners.
Our Support
24/7 emergency support for Au Pairs and Host Families
When you choose AIFS, we provide comprehensive support, including our own unique after-hours Community Counsellor support. From the start of your application to the end of your placement, we will be there for you every step of the way. This is just one of the many reasons why so many families use AIFS as their Au Pair agency year upon year.
The Sabet Family
Perth, WA
The Taylor Family
Bungendore, NSW
Ready to find the perfect Au Pair?
Start your application to become a Host Family today and let AIFS help you to find the perfect Au Pair for your family.
Experiences Shared by Real People
We’ve been helping families in Australia find their perfect Au Pair since 2005. This is just a snapshot of some of these life-changing experiences and why many return to us year upon year.
We are incredibly grateful for the experience of hosting AIFS Au Pairs for the last 6+ years. Our trusted Au Pairs have all become part of our extended family.
AIFS work incredibly hard to match our family with an Au Pair that suits our family lifestyle. We plan to be an AIFS Host Family for the foreseeable future.
I found the application process very reassuring. I didn’t have to worry if an Au Pair was a suitable applicant, as I knew they’d been fully vetted by AIFS.
Hosting an Au Pair is a rewarding and enriching experience (and a big help!). AIFS have been empathic, understanding and full of good advice.
It takes a community to raise children and our community includes Au Pairs. They formed wonderful bonds and allowed our family to function much more smoothly.
Our experience as a Host Family has been life changing. We will continue to use the service AIFS provides, they run a professional organisation at every level.
How Can We Help?
Frequently Asked Questions
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01What is an Au Pair?
An Au Pair is a young person who comes to Australia from another country to provide childcare and related in-home support in exchange for experiencing life with an Australian Family. As the Host Family, you will supply room, board and pocket money for the duration of the placement.
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02Who is AIFS?
The American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) and its family of companies organises cultural exchange programs throughout the world for more than 50,000 students and young people each year. Since 1964 AIFS has been the leading provider of cultural exchange and educational opportunities for more than 1.8 million young people.
1972 was the first year we operated in Australia, recruiting young Australians to our Camp America program. In 2005 AIFS opened its Sydney office and student centre, expanding our outbound programs and offering inbound programs to Australia. Today AIFS’ programs include Au Pair, high school exchange, Winter Work in Japan and Canada, volunteering and Work & Travel. For more information about AIFS in Australia please visit www.aifs.com.au. For more information about AIFS around the world please visit www.aifs.com.
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03What are the typical duties of an Au Pair?
An Au Pair’s primary role is childcare. While they are happy and able to help with light household duties that are childcare related (e.g. tidying the children’s room, making their beds, helping with meals or laundry for children), they are not housekeepers or cleaners.
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04How much does an Au Pair cost?
There are several costs to consider when using AIFS to find your Au Pair. AIFS will charge a Service Fee (non-refundable) and a Placement Fee, which is due 1 month prior to your Au Pair’s arrival.
Once your Au Pair has arrived, you’ll also need to cover the costs of weekly pocket money for your Au Pair, their completion bonus and leave and full board throughout their placement.
For more information about AIFS’ fees and the costs you will need to consider, please visit our fees page.
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05How long does it take to find an Au Pair?
Generally it takes around 4-8 weeks to find an Au Pair for your family, but this can change throughout the year. Au Pairs from countries other than Germany can normally arrive in Australia at short notice, although finding the right match between your family and an Au Pair’s profile is our number one priority. While the matching process may take a little more time, it ensures that your Au Pair will fit your family and its requirements.
AIFS Au Pair
AIFS Au Pair
AIFS Au Pair
AIFS Au Pair
AIFS Au Pair
