The State Department is considering raising the age limit on au pairs from 26 to 30.
This new statue, combined with the 2007 law that allows au pairs to stay an additional year (from 12 months to 24 months) could expand the pool of au pairs by 40%.

This new age limit may be good news for host parents. However, it is important to consider both sides of the new law that may go into effect in the next year:

Pros: au pairs who are over the age of 25 generally would be more mature, responsible and more capable of making sound decisions. This age group differs significantly compared to the present age group of au pairs who are recruited from the ages of 18 - 25. Psychologists define "adults" people over the age of 24.

Why 25?  At the age of 25, psychologists state young adults are now "cognitively mature" because their pre-frontal cortex (located in the front of the brain) is now fully developed. The pre-frontal cortex is the last part of our brain to mature and is where our executive functioning resides. Executive functions include planning, setting priorities, organizing thoughts, ability to suppress impulses, decision making and judgement.

Psychologists once thought adolescents (ages 18-24) made poor decisions and acted out in typical teenage behavior due to "raging hormones." Now we know that this behavior can be linked to the immature pre-frontal cortex.

This new statute is great news for host parents, as we can expect au pairs between the ages of 25 - 30 to be much more responsible with children, make good decisions related to drunk driving and to avoid risking behavior in general compared to adolescents from the ages of 18 - 24.  Data on driving by age collected by the car rental industry confirms this brain maturation link to responsible behavior - the minimium age they allow any adult to rent their cars is 25!

Cons:  There is another perspecitve to consider hosting an "adult" au pair.

One, what kind of young woman, between the ages of 25-30, signs up to be an au pair?  We would expect that most women in this age group to be busy with her professional career, finishing her education and/or starting a family. An older woman who has not reached these developmental milestones may have problems in these areas: work, relationships and education.

Two, an older young woman may not be as flexible as a younger au pair. She may have her set ways of doing things or she may go 'by the book' and refuse or resent working overtime or working on a weekend. She may not want to be as involved in your family compared to a younger au pair who is more open to becoming a "family member." Older au pairs tend to have their own life outside the family.

Some host families may prefer an older au pair because they do not want the obligation of eating and socializing with their au pair on a daily basis and value their personal privacy. Many older au pairs will not spend much time in the home, as they tend to go out after working hours and are frequently gone the entire weekend.

Tips:  Know and recognize your family's needs and family style.  Consider the following questions before you match with an older childcare giver:

Do you value  your privacy or do you look forward to your au pair becoming a family member? 

Do you need an older woman to take care of a special needs child that demands high levels of maturity and patience?  

Do you prefer a younger au pair to be a "mother's helper" who will be more flexible regarding hours and scheduling.

Does your family need a good driver?  If driving is one of your top childcare needs, you may want to consider an older au pair - your car insurance will be cheaper and she will most likely have better driving skills.

Do you have an infant? If so, you should strongly consider an older au pair as they will be less likely to become frustrated and impatient with a crying, fussy baby. Younger au pairs are far more likely to shake a baby to stop him from crying, which may result in Shaking Baby Syndrome (seenationmaster.com/encylopedia/louise-woodward).

We will continue to report on this new development as it works its way through the State Department and the au pair agencies.