Difference Between Au Pair and Nanny

Au Pair vs Nanny

People, especially those who are not that exposed to the Western set-up, don’t know, or have not heard about au pairs. Perhaps the term nannies are more familiar, although the two terms pertain to different types of workers. So who are these people, and how do they differ from one another?

When you are on the verge of hiring a house helper that will tend to your family members, especially the young ones, you are actually looking for either an au pair or a nanny. Sometimes, its nerve-wracking enough just for the employer to identify who the best person is for the job. In this regard, knowing the differences between the jobs will help you decide.

An au pair is an overseas, young individual, who comes to a certain place or country to render work or services with the provision of free housing, but is under a set of predetermined rules and regulations. They also usually incur a weekly remuneration. Many countries have employed the au pair system for many years now. Two common au pair ‘hot spots’ are Norway and the U.S.

On the other hand, the word nanny is a much more general term that pertains to any person that a certain family hires, whose tasks are to watch over, or take care of the children in the home. These individuals are usually original residents of the place of employment. So, for example, if you are hiring a nanny in the U.S., you are actually looking for an American citizen who has lived in the country for quite some time. Nannies have the option to either live-in with their employer families, or to independently live-out. This is practically not the case with au pairs, because they are almost always staying with their employer families.

Due to the fact that au pairs are foreigners, they can be hired from the au pair agencies that are approved by the state government. Nannies, on the contrary, can be recruited simply through word of mouth, online manpower suppliers (an example of which is Nannies4Hire.com) and also from some duly approved nanny agencies. Moreover, au pair have the tendency to fall a little short of the language, because they come from another country. Nevertheless, both workers can render housekeeping services depending on the set agreement.

1. Au pairs usually need to be educated in the language of the country to where they will be employed, unlike nannies, who are from the area.

2. Au pairs are usually hired from approved agencies, compared to nannies who are hired either personally (directly) or online.

3. Au pairs are foreign workers, while nannies are residents of the country where they will be working.

4. Nannies can, or cannot live with their employing families, while au pairs really need to stay with their employers.

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