We have had many inquiries over the past few weeks from families living in rural areas of Canada wondering about the Au Pair experience and whether there are Au Pairs who would want to be hosted in non-urban locations.  We thought we would address this and put the “myth” to bed that all Au Pairs would prefer the big cities.

There are a variety of Au Pair search sites (Au Pair World for example) on the web and some of them allow the Au Pair to indicate her preference regarding the geographic location she would prefer (big city, small town or country).  This is incredibly helpful for host families as it allows them to whittle down their selections to girls who likely wouldn’t mind living outside the city limits.

Let’s look at Au Pair World… a quick search of all countries eligible for IEC Visas for the period of January 2024 for a minimum of 12 months shows over 600 girls interested in coming to Canada. Another scan of those same girls shows that the majority of them are willing to work in a big city, small town OR in the country.

It is safe to say that regardless of where you live, you need to be very honest in your conversations with prospective Au Pairs what your location has to offer.

If you are in the city, speak about your transportation, amenities, entertainment etc… Although these are attractive incentives for many girls, some Au Pairs become concerned about the cost of living in the and worry they won’t have enough money to maintain the city lifestyle.  Make sure you have discussions with Au Pairs about the cost of things in your city (night club cover charges, or eating at restaurants etc…)

If you are in the country, mention the types of activities your Au Pair could participate in.  Are there recreational facilities or opportunities to meet new friends where you live?  How far from a major centre are you and would there be opportunities to travel into larger centres?  Would your Au Pair be granted the opportunity to travel on days off and if so by what means?

Based on our conversations with families and Au Pairs, the majority of Au Pairs who have grown up in metropolitan areas are the least likely to enjoy a rural setting.  It is a much safer bet for the host family residing in a rural area to seek an Au Pair who has rural roots.

Erin

Canadian Au Pair Solutions