Historically, live-in childcare has been a luxury typically only enjoyed by wealthy Australians. In recent times, however, a new generation of parents are enthusiastically welcoming au pairs from around the world into their homes. The rising cost of traditional childcare and the increased demand for assistance outside traditional working hours has more families seeking au pair services to meet their unique requirements.
This new movement is somewhat inevitable when you consider that the cost of hosting an au pair is between $200 and $250 per week versus roughly $100 per child, per day for traditional childcare. Furthermore, au pairs offer the added benefits of: exposure to foreign languages, help with the, school runs, sport and activity drop offs, light housework assistance and flexible, negotiable working hours, which traditional childcare providers simply cannot.
According to Georgie McCourt, the Founder and Director of Global Au Pairs, an Australian online community where au pairs and host families can connect, they have been positively surprised by the sheer volume of Australian families registering on the site since its launch in April and this popularity is expected to continue well into the future.
Michael Ebeling, Director of RT Edgar Toorak, reports “that over the last twelve months we have noticed that buyers are more frequently seeking homes with a guest room, or even a separate entrance, to help them comfortably accommodate the family’s au pair.
“What’s interesting, is that agents across all our offices have noted this movement, not just those from the more affluent suburbs,” said Mr Ebeling.
This evolving trend provides vendors and rental property owners with a new and different angle for marketing their property to potential buyers and renters.
All that is needed to make a property “au pair” friendly is:
- A spare room that offers some privacy and ideally an exclusive toilet and or bathroom.
- A positive family environment that is prepared to welcome an additional member into their home.
Visit globalaupairs.net.au to find out more.
