Before you are officially accepted into the cultural exchange program (i.e., before you can host an au pair), you and your entire family must be interviewed by the au pair agency of your choice.  Why?  This is one of the government regulations put into place by the Department of State. 

Au pair agencies must comply with this regulation - each au pair program is audited once a year to ensure they are following the letter of the law.  The host family interview, if done correctly, will help ensure your success with your au pairs.

What To Expect During the Host Family Interview - TOP 6 TIPS

The agency's local representative (or counselor) will come out to your home, at your convenience, to conduct the 60 minute interview. Not only will the counselor want to interview you and your spouse, but she will want to meet your children and prefer they stay around in her sight during the meeting. 

If there are any other people living in the home, the counselor will have to meet them too and document their status and their suitability to live under the same roof with an au pair.

TIP #1. Orientation to the Cultural Exchange Program:   One of the more important elements of the interview is to educate you and your spouse about what the cultural program is all about.  The agency should make you aware of certain facts:  au pairs are not employees; au pairs will expect to be welcomed into your home as a family member; they cannot work over 45 hours a week (and no night hours) and au pairs are often inexperienced, young and may have trouble driving and speaking good, clear English.

TIP #2. Family Assessment:  A good counselor will assess you and your family members' "suitability" for the program. What do they look for?  Signs of discord between you and your spouse, glaring problems such as a messy, even dirty house, and children who are unruly.  If your children are not well-behaved, or become highly disruptive during the interview, the counselor will not want to place a young au pair in that home. 

You and your family should be dressed in clean, appropriate clothes - be yourself, but remember the first impression the counselor has can be key to whether or not you are accepted into the program. If your home is cluttered or disorganized, you may be rejected.  Au pairs often complain and ask for a rematch due to the condition of the host family's house. The agency has a responsibility to the au pair and her parents - and they promise to place the au pair pair with a good family in a clean, safe environment.

The counselor will also identify any special needs children at this time - you can match with an au pair if you have a special needs child, but the agency will want to find you an appropriate match that suits both your child and the au pair.

"When I arrived at the family's home, the host dad's brother met me in his skinny, tight bathing suit, holding a bottle of cold beer in his hand.  He was planning to live there for the next 8 months. The brother drank several beers and was a bit tipsy by end of the hour. The young children were running in and out of the pool, unsupervised. The mom never made it to the interview because she decided to work late instead of coming home to meet with me even though I made it clear that the entire family had to be present at the interview. The husband made jokes about getting a blond, Swedish au pair. Ha ha. We didn't accept this family into our program."  LCC in VA 

TIP #3. Parental Expectations & Needs:  The counselor will carefully identify your childcare needs and let you know if the au pair program can meet those needs.  She will also review your expectations of hosting an au pair - a good counselor will tell you if your expectations are out of line with the program's requirements and regulations. 

"My counselor explained the program to us during the interview and made us realize we had no idea what would be involved in hosting an au pair. We went out and bought a second hand car and made up the den for the au pair, buying all new bedding, etc. We expected our au pair to room with our teenage daughter and to take the bus! We have had 3 great au pairs since then and we love participating in the cultural exchange program!"  Host Mom in CA

TIP #4.  Au Pair Room:  Your counselor will need to see the room you have set aside for the au pair.  She will look to make sure the room has the following requirements:  the room must have a window, an escape route in case of fire and the space must be exclusively the au pair's (you cannot store anything in the room).  It should also have a bed, desk, chair and dresser. These are the basic minimums.

TIP #5.  Question & Answer Period:  You should take the opportunity to ask all the questions you have - a good counselor will know the answers to questions and if she doesn't, she will find out for you. 

She will also let you know what the next steps are in the application process and she may give you a few good tips on interviewing and matching with the right au pair for your children.  If she doesn't volunteer the tips, ask for them! 

TOP TIP #6:  Allow enough time for the interview - if you are rushing and will be late, call and let the counselor know.  Make sure your spouse and all of your children are present during the interview.  Don't hide the fact you have a special need child - it is to your advantage that you fully disclose your family's childcare needs so the counselor/LCC can best assist you in matching with an appropriate au pair.