Is there overlap between au pairs and pedagogical professionals?

Au pairs are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to childminders or daycare. More and more families are choosing to hire an au pair, for example because there are long waiting lists at regular childcare. These are often young women from outside Europe. Young Dutch people themselves do not hesitate to work as an au pair with a foreign family. But if there are so many young people from the Netherlands and abroad who enjoy working with children, where is the overlap with working in childcare? What opportunities are there?

Cultural exchange

The idea behind an au pair is intended as a cultural exchange. In exchange for bed, bread and pocket money, young people take care of the children and at the same time discover the country and culture in which they can temporarily immerse themselves. In reality, this often turns out to be slightly less rosy.

Rose (19, South Africa) says she has no time at all to discover the Netherlands. ‘I’m often exhausted on my days off and really don’t want to go on a nice cultural trip.’ Money also often leaves much to be desired; having an au pair costs a family between 600 and 800 euros per month, of which about 300 euros actually goes to the au pair. An au pair in the Netherlands may work a maximum of 30 hours per week and never longer than 8 hours per day. Rose: ‘I don’t do it myself, but I know many au pairs from other countries but also from South Africa who send most of those 300 euros back to their family and do not leave the house on their days off because they want the money. don’t have for it.’

Working hours

In the United States, where Lize (21, Netherlands) worked and lived with a family for six months two years ago, those hours are slightly higher: she could be deployed 45 hours a week. ‘The children were really sweet, but there were three of them and I really had to do a little more household chores than I had estimated in advance. All in all, I thought it was quite tough for a first real job, but I also had a lot of fun.’

Demotivated

According to both Lize and Rose, the way in which au pairs are currently deployed is most likely the reason why they do not see themselves working in childcare anytime soon. ‘And, as an au pair, you can of course easily get a temporary work visa in the Netherlands, for example, which lowers the threshold,’ says Rose. But even if a special, easy-to-obtain childcare visa were available, she would think carefully about whether she wanted to work in childcare in the future. ‘I honestly think that being an au pair makes you less likely to want to continue this work and ultimately end up in a completely different sector. You are a bit put off working with children.’

Lize also started doing something completely different when she got home. ‘I currently do something administrative, but I would still consider working in childcare. I understand that many au pairs have recovered somewhat from their urge to work with children after a year or so, but I think the working conditions are really better if you just work at a daycare center. Even if only because you go home to your own home at the end of the day.’

New research needed

Sanne de Vet, who works at Partou in the monitoring, science and advice department, says she finds it striking that there currently appears to be very little overlap between au pairs and pedagogical professionals. ‘I’m surprised, these are people who have decided at a certain point that they want to take care of children, here or abroad.’ She indicates that it would at least be interesting for the sector to conduct research into this.

Every year, around 1,600 young people – mainly women – come from outside Europe to the Netherlands to work as an au pair. Think of countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, South Africa or Brazil. According to the IND, in recent years – with the exception of the years during the corona pandemic – there has been an increasing trend in the number of families choosing a live-in au pair instead of a childminder or childcare. Of course, it will take a lot before we can offer these au pairs a job in childcare. But there is also a lot of potential that remains almost completely untapped by the sector.

Names of the interviewed au pairs have been changed for the sake of anonymity.