Au pairs and Nannies, and Their Comparison

Many parents are interested to hire people for taking care of their children. Thus nanny care has become a common use these days. The nanny care involves many types of persons who take care of children. They include nannies, au pairs, nursery nurses, baby sitters, and parent helpers. Let us now discuss about an au pair and a nanny and their comparison.

Nanny:
A nanny is termed as the person who is a child-care provider. She works only for you. A nanny may live with the family of the child. Such nannies are termed as live-in nannies. Some may not live with the family, instead they come to the home of the child for working. Such nannies are called live-out nannies. Some nannies may have childcare experience and professional training. The family is responsible for following the employment laws and regulations and paying the employment related-taxes.

Au pair:
An au pair is that person who is a foreign national who comes to work in another country through a specific type of work visa. An au pair is generally between the ages of 18 and 29. An au pair helps in providing childcare for a family in exchange for a small salary. They must be provided with meals and a private bedroom in the United States. If the minimum wage increases, then salary of an au pair should be increased. They must be provided with one full weekend off each month and two weeks of paid vacations. The first $500 for the academic coursework of an au pair should be paid by the family.

Comparison:
Nannies make the work of child-care as their career, where as an au pair does not. An au pair may have basic childcare experience and they are between ages of 18-29. Nannies may be much older and mature than au pairs. The nannies also have several years of experience in childcare unlike au pairs.

Au pairs, who are foreign nationals, stay at the family’s home for a cultural exchange or childcare work for one year. Nannies may not necessarily seek the cultural exchange. Also they seek for making a long-term career in childcare.

Sometimes a nanny may be responsible for some additional work that include cooking, household management and so on. Based on the childcare experience and performance of additional duties, the salaries of nannies differ. However, the salaries of nannies are higher.
The nanny should be paid with employee taxes but an au pair cannot be paid with that.