Welcome in France @ au-pair-south-of-france.Com ( APSF )
 

To become an Au Pair in the South of France - Application procedure, from A to Z.

Monaco - Menton - Villefranche - Nice - Antibes - Juans les Pins - Cannes - St Tropez - Grimaud - Toulon - Aix en Provence - Marseille - Avignon - Arles - Nimes - Montpellier - Béziers - Narbonne - Perpignan, Corsica,
Auron, Isola 2000, Valberg, Courchevel, Val d'Isère, Megève, Tignes, Méribel
St Barthélémy, St Martin (F.W.I.)

To download our Au Pair form and instructions click here !

A.  You will have to be between 18 and 27 years old.

B. You must have some childcare experience (babysitting, camp counseling, kinder-garden internship...) and possibly
     childcare related or first aid diploma is an advantage.

C.  You also should have completed high school and be in good health for applying.

D.  You have learnt french at least 2 years at school, your french has to be at least basic.

E. You must be a student when applying or have just finished your studies recently, the driving licence and swimming is not
     obligatory but it's better to have the skills.

F.  Most of the french families ask to have an au pair for one year, we have many families where the needs are on september
     for 1 year or in june to come for 2 or 3 months.
     But if you do accept to be placed anywhere in the South of France, we place you the whole year through.

G.  You should work 30 hours per week, you will look after the children and you will do some light housework.

H. You will have to organize and pay for your travel, but if needed we will help you finding the best way and rate..

I.  You will go to french classes each week and you will have to pay for it which is usually around 75 € per month.

J.  You will check your needs for a Visa.
     Au Pairs from outside the European Union need a Visa to allow them to work. Please, contact the nearest French Consulate/Embassy to be sure you
       are  eligible (you need to be a student in the current year and have studied French in school). Then, you wait for a family placement to apply for
       your visa.

Which application documents we expect from you :

We expect from you that: all documents are translated in French and that you do not ommit to provid full information

When you choose to use our documents and files they' re already translated in french therefor its just for you to fill in the requested information .

K.  A letter in French adressed to your future host family in France*.
      * Including details about yourself - your character, hobbies, experiences, future plans " minimum two pages"  

L.   4 ID photos and several photos of yourself with children who you have taken care of earlier.

M.  Au Pair application form, childcare references form ( click here for a model and print them out )

N.  School Certificates, French language classes certificate 

O.  Medical Certificate, not older then 3 months(this part of document is obliged to be translated to french)

P.  A copy of your vaccination records*. Vaccinations for tuberculosis, diptheria, tetanus, polio and hepatitis B are
       obligatory for non-members of the European Union ( this part of document  is obliged to be translated in french)

Q. A copy of your criminal record( this part of document is obliged to be translated in french)

R.  Copy of your Intl Passport, driving licence  and Visa* (*if needed, please check at the nearest French Embassy or consulate in your country)

S.  Birth certificate  

T.  Any other relevant documents


 To download our Au Pair form and instructions click here !

Once all documents are fully completed by you and sent to us by regular mail or email *, we will study your application, after this study, if your application shows all needed requirements, we will organize for you an appointment with one of our
local agents.

* Digital pictures, documents and email specifications :
Pictures have to be of a maximum :  640 X 480 of resolution and no more then 60 kb each !! please.......;-)
Documents have to be in .doc format (MS Word) or in .pdf,. jpg or .gif

What will be your benefits as an "Au Pair"   

And why to become AuPair with APSF...

U.  You will have your own bedroom and you will have 1 day and a half off per week minimum.
     You will be full boarded by your Host familly.

V.  At APSF :
     We provide you emergency 24/24 h and 7/7 days assistance in case of misconduct of your host family.
     We will host you free of any charges in a good location with a maximum of 15 days.*
     (Free own bedroom and bathroom, food,  telephone, internet access, travel assistance )
     *Only valid for 9 to 12 months stays. And a APSF exclusivity.This hosting is agreed case by case.

W. APSF takes good care of its participants

     This is why we offer a special insurance for young people who wants to be an au pair abroad.
     This travel insurance includes medical and emergency costs as well as liability insurance.
     This insurance is provided by APSF with ISIS and paid by your host Family.

X. You are entitelted to choose your first location.

Y.  You will be paid : Au Pair - 30 hours (5-6h a day) = 75 EURO / week
                               Au Pair Plus - 35 hours = 95 EURO / week

Z.  You will learn French on the spot in a sunny location combined with art and culture.

AU PAIRS ARE ALWAYS NEEDED IN FRANCE ALL YEAR LONG

Our placements are mainly:

10 months : from September to June
12 months : All year long
2 to 3 months, from June to September "Summer Au Pair"
6 months : from January to June

We are open to all other combinations

Many decent families are waiting for you, short, mid and long term stays are requested
France is a country with a high quality, a great artistic life and, above all, excellent food
South of France offers a very mild climate, palm trees, beaches, the sea and a superb nature in general

 

!!!  Online Application forms for Au Pairs !!! click here !!! to apply 
in order to become an Au Pair in the South of France!!!    PDF file

An "Au Pair" placement is an agreement between a young woman (or man) and a host family. She is integrated for a definite period of time in her host family and will take care of their children.

This stay in France allows the Au Pair to improve her language skills and become fluent in french after a long term stay.
She discovers a different culture, quickly makes new friends and builds lifetime memories!

Location: You are able to choose your location BUT we mainly place in the South of France.
Not all families live in Monaco, Nice, Cannes or St Tropez so don't turn down an offer from a family who lives in the surrounding small towns.
It might be the right one for you!
Our families are aware of the distance problems and try to help you in this matter.

Host family: Once your application is completed and accepted, you will receive a phone call from your potential family. Try not to be shy about your oral French: a sentence with grammar mistakes is better than nothing at all! Try to relax and talk about the family's expectations, the children, the environment... If you get along with the family and you both agree on the placement, you can decide on your arrival date. If not, we'll propose you to other families until we find a match.

Insurance: For a long term stay, French families have to declare you and it will ensure your social security. For a short term stay, be sure to have an international medical insurance. In any case, we always advise you to have a personal insurance.

Travel: You are to pay for your travel expenses. If you are applying for a short term placement, we advise you to buy a return ticket. Be sure to know which airport is the closest to your family's home. The same apply if you are coming by train or bus.

Languages classes: You will certainly have the possibility to follow French classes in a private school. The school fees are at your charge. Please note that schools are often closed during the summer. Once you arrive, our agency will provide you with suitable school addresses.

Be flexible, because your work hours can be scheduled differently according to the family or the day of the week.

Children will be the main share of your time. You must enjoy being with children, learn to be patient and responsible.
You will have (according to their age) to take them to school, pick them up, prepare their meals, play with them, supervise their homework, give them bath and bottle...
The family will ask you to help with the light housework. The parents can expect you to help preparing meals, keep your room and the children's rooms in order... Most tasks will be related to the children.
Some families will ask you to vacuum once a week and tidy up the house or help with the ironing. The housework is of course to be done within your working hours. If you expect to be treated as a full-fledged family member, consider yourself as the big sister who shares the housework and helps her parents.

Everyday life in France does not exactly follow a slow rhythm and Au Pairs, especially coming from the North of Europe, can find this quite disturbing.

In a typical French family, both parents work, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 or 7:00 PM, therefore they have little time to care for their children or do the housework. Some jobs also require to work on week-ends, as shops and restaurants tend more and more to be open on Sundays. The South of France is a region appreciated by tourists (France is the first travel destination in the world!) and the period from May to September can be very hectic in families running businesses relying on tourism.

Of course, we request from our host families that they welcome you as member of their family. In counterpart, you have to respect your commitment. Don't forget you are being paid to work and bring an efficient help.

Au Pair - 30 hours (5-6h a day) = 75 EURO / week
Au Pair Plus - 35 hours = 95 EURO / week

You will receive free board and room (personal bedroom - but exceptional situation, if you follow the family on vacation e.g. ...)

You will generally receive your pocket money each week. You are entitled to 1 day-off during the week and hours of free time during the day. You will probably be off on Sunday. You will also benefit from 1 week of paid vacation 6 months within your long term stay. Of course, if your family agrees, you can take more days off (without pay).

Female visitors are usually accepted within your family but you always have to ask permission first. Male company is generally not permitted. Try to respect your host family's private life.

You are free to occupy your free time as you wish and going out at night won't be a problem unless your work the day after feels the effects of it. Be reasonable, childcare requires your full attention .

Please, ask your family before making long distance phone calls. Many families have a detailed phone bill and can ask you to pay for your calls at the end of the month. Also, ask permission before giving the home number to strangers. You can also buy cards used in public phones. It's an easy way to monitor your phone expenses!

The family doesn't have to lend you a car for your personal use. If the parents give you the keys to their car, they will expect you to pay for your gas and to avoid drinking while driving.

Please respect the family's wish if they ask you not to smoke at home and especially in front of the children. Being a non-smoker is a plus for your placement.

If problems were to arise, we advise you to talk to the family first and try to solve them. If this leads you nowhere, you can contact your agency - us. We ask both sides to respect a 15 days notice in case the family can not keep you or you want to leave them.

A rematch is possible if the quality of your work and your seriousness are not questioned. If you leave the family without notice, a deduction can be made on your due pocket money.

Your stay will be successful if you are able to adapt to your host family's lifestyle. Keep in mind that it was your own choice to share the life of a French family and you should be flexible and follow the living patterns of your family. Don't always criticize food, habits, education... Think positive and respect this new culture!

Most Au Pairs come to France, and especially to the French Riviera, with many clichés of a beautiful, sunny, fun place to live in mind. To a certain extend, it is the simple truth. But life is no fairytale and reality may not be as wonderful as it seems. Nowadays, insecurity has become a problem people deal with on a daily basis. Precautions that are obvious to French inhabitants may seem unnecessary to foreigners.

Here are a few tips girls should take in account when living in France, especially in big cities like Nice:
- No hitchhiking! Keep an eye (or a hand) on your bag.
- Don't walk the streets and don't take the bus or the train alone late at night.
- Drink reasonably and don't drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs...

Insecurity cannot be ignored and, remember: better safe than sorry !

Au Pair in  France - Enjoy your stay

Take more language classes and get more childcare experience before leaving so you'll feel more confident once in the country.
Save some money for your personal expenses and think of bringing an international credit card (Visa) with you if possible. Always have money in your bank account.
Get some information about your placement location. You can ask the consulates or travel agencies for more details... Don't forget to buy a travel guide as well!!
You could bring a little present to your host family, especially for the children, representing your region: food specialties, book, local toys... It will help you create a good contact with them right from the start!
Don't get bored! We'll give you other Au Pairs phone numbers and you can go to the library, the local gym club or other cultural centers. Your stay will be more enjoyable if you make friends quickly!

Show interest for the children you are taking care of and for your family's lifestyle, they'll be glad to share their activities with you!

!!!  Online Application forms for Au Pairs !!! click here !!! to apply 
in order to become an Au Pair in the South of France!!!    PDF file

Au-Pair-South-of-France.Com  APSF, together we will build your future.

For more information or in the event you would like to apply to become an au pair in the south of france, read the procedure, prepare all needed documents and send them to us
contact us by email in French or English, thanks...

 

WARNING                                       Protect Your future:                        Always use a legally registered au pair agency, do not go direct.

Newspaper, internet advertisements or one of the many web-based matching services may appear to be acceptable and inexpensive alternatives for securing an au pair placement.

There are, however, potential risks in arranging a placement in this manner.

10 potential risks you face when not using a legally registered au pair agency

high probability of unsuitable au pair or host family candidates absence of a written contract little or no experience in the au pair industry lack of professionalism or financial stability nonexistent standards or guidelines insufficient references and/or medical certification danger of document falsification no rematch policy (secondary placement) if the initial placement is unsuccessful no local support during the placement limited understanding of national au pair regulations