Why Choose a Dream Au Pair?
Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a live-in Au Pair you could count on to take the pressure off, helping care for your children at home and keeping the household running while you are at work.
Many busy families chose to employ a live-in Au Pair as an affordable and flexible childcare option. Dream Au Pairs cost as little as $346 per week. Being matched with the right Au Pair gives parents the reassurance of being able to depend on a familiar and trusted member of their household. Your children can carry on with their usual routines and activities, spending more time growing up in their home environment and local community.
An Au Pair is a young person who wants to experience life in New Zealand living with a Kiwi family and helping to care for the children. In exchange for board and lodgings, plus a small weekly wage, your Au Pair provides 20-45 hours of childcare per week. They can drive your children to school, help with their homework and prepare their meals.
Your children will form a lasting bond with their Au Pair and enjoy the company of someone they know and trust, in their home environment. And because you have a live-in Au Pair, you can enjoy a free ‘babysitting night’ every week.
Au Pairs are often young and energetic and love playing with the children at the park, bouncing on the trampoline and kicking soccer balls for hours. Each Au Pair will bring unique skills into the family home. Imagine an Au Pair who is the most amazing artist teaching your children to draw. A beautiful violinist playing for the kids as they do their homework. Every Au Pair is yet another person in this world who will love your children as well as adding new dimensions to your children's lives.
Your Au Pair's duties will be related to the children, providing care and supervision either as a parent helper or for children older than 6 months, in sole charge while parents are out working.
Your Au Pair will play with and entertain the children contributing to their learning and development. They are able to attend the children’s activities and classes with them, transport them to school and kindergarten, prepare snacks and meals, supervise bath time, dressing and changing and help with homework.
Your Au Pair may also be responsible for household chores relating to the children; from tidying up children’s bedrooms, play areas and the bathroom, to laundry and kitchen duties. As a rule, any household task related to the children and their wellbeing during care.
Becoming an Au Pair Family
Au Pairs are usually young school leavers and for some of them, this will be their first time away from home. They will need the support of a family as they settle into New Zealand, get orientated and make new friends.
As a Host Family, you are expected to provide your Au Pair with a private, furnished bedroom, including linen and use of a bathroom. Your Au Pair’s full board and lodgings includes all of their daily meals and snacks. Your Au Pair should be treated as part of your family. They’ll join you at mealtimes and on family activities such as outings and trips.
Of course everyone needs their space and host families can expect to have some private time to themselves, often in the evenings when your Au Pair might retire to their room or go out with friends.
Is a Dream Au Pair right for us?
Employing a live-in Au Pair might sound expensive, but 20 to 45 hours of live-in childcare (plus your free “babysitting night'’) starts from as little as $346 per week.
Your Au Pair becomes part of your family, so achieving the right fit is vital and we go to great lengths to ensure that everyone is happy. Through our personalised matching service, we have placed thousands of Au Pairs into Kiwi homes nationwide.
Dream Placement Service
Matching and Arrival
Pre-arrival matching and placement of your Au Pair
A comprehensive placement agreement
Comprehensive Au Pair Orientation (online pre arrival and in person once your Au Pair has arrived into NZ)
All Au Pairs have a current first aid training certificate in the home country and an overview of child first aid in NZ
Access to Dream Au Pair driving assessment and instruction (charges apply)
Payroll and Subsidies
Paye, ACC, sick leave, public holidays, annual leave
Friendships and fun for your Au Pair
Nationwide network of other Dream Au Pairs
Facebook page for Au Pair news and upcoming events
Au Pair Coffee groups and special events
Exclusive Student Trips offers
Total support for you and your Au Pair
Settlement assistance, pastoral care and ongoing support
24 hour emergency telephone support
Mediation and re-match if needed
Children love the energy an Au Pair brings into the home. Take a look at our short video to hear their stories.
Our Programmes
Children learn best when they are enjoying themselves in a comfortable and familiar environment. One of the fundamental advantages of having an Au Pair is that your child is not constrained by the routines of a day care. In a centre environment your child must fit in with the routines of the centre, whereas an Au Pair will tailor every day around the individual needs of your child.
Expert Au Pair:
Expert Au Pairs have a degree/diploma in education + 6 months experience, or 1 year full time experience with under 5’s
Have you found our own Au Pair and would like some support? We would love to help.
Benefits include:
Placement Agreement Template
Advice regarding expectations in hosting an Au Pair
Orientation
Payroll
Payroll service (additional $15 + gst per week). If you choose to use Dream payroll service you will need to adhere to the standard Au Pair rates.
Please note that rematch and mediation are not included.
So you have it all in hand and are an expert at hosting an Au Pair! However, registering as an employer and managing your Au Pair’s wages can be a bit daunting.
Why don’t you take advantage of our Payroll Only Service?
Let Dream manage wages, ACC, PAYE and all leave entitlements, letting you get on with hosting your Au Pair.
Orientation
All Dream Au Pairs will attend an online Orientation prior to their arrival into New Zealand and then an in person Orientation upon arrival.
Orientation prepares them for their placement with a Kiwi Family. We provide practical training tips on caring for children, set expectations about their duties within their roles as an Au Pair, help them to understanding what are work hours and what is personal time as well as driving theory and information on the NZ early childhood curriculum.
Au Pairs will arrive into Auckland and attend their in person Orientation. Host Families will then pick up their Au Pair from Orientation or arrange transport to their home.
Each Au Pair will receive a local SIM card, information on how to set up a NZ bank account and how to apply for an IRD number. Dream Au Pairs have a current First Aid qualification.
What Does it Cost?
Hosting a live-in Au Pair is an affordable way to source reliable childcare from someone you trust. 20 to 45 hours childcare as well as all the extra help you get around the house only costs as little as $346 per week. When you compare this to the cost of daycare or a Nanny, the choice is an easy one.
What’s included in the Weekly Wage?
Everything. Our expert Payroll team make it easy by helping you complete your individual employment agreement and set up a weekly automatic payment to our Payroll account. So PAYE, ACC, and the Completion Bonus have all been worked out. We also keep records of leave and calculate any holiday pay owing when the placement ends so you don’t have to.
Good to know: Your ACC contributions are included in the weekly wage so there are no surprise bills from ACC.
What’s included in the Placement Fee?
Understanding the needs of our Au Pair Families is of the utmost importance to us and we take care of the following to make life easier for you:
- Dedicated Placement Consultants providing personal matching services
- Comprehensive placement agreement (New Zealand employment contract)
- Individual settlement assistance, pastoral care and ongoing support
- Mediation and re-match if needed
- 24-hour emergency telephone support
- Support from an Qualified Early Childhood Teacher as required
- Dream Au Pair driving assessment (charges apply)
- Dream Au Pair Weekly Work Planner
Dream Au Pair Placement Fees (+ GST)
| Family Registration | FREE |
| Standard Au Pair | $,1695 |
| Expert Au Pair | $1,995 |
| Private Au Pair Support | $795 |
Register Now
Take the First Step
If you are interested in hosting an Au Pair, please fill in our Family Registration Form or contact us for more information. Once you are registered, we will be in touch to find the perfect Au Pair for your family.