Who can become a host family?
To become a host family, you should have at least have one child under 13 years and you should be officially registered in Belgium.
You should be open for other cultures, integration and dialogue and be willing to offer a warm environment for your au pair.
Which conditions?
Each host family should meet the following conditions:
- provide a separate bedroom,
- provide free access to their house and provide cost and living,
- support the au pair to follow language courses (French, Dutch or German),
- subscribe for a health insurance covering medical, hospitalization and repatriation costs,
- transfer monthly a minimum amount of 450€ (pocket allowance) on the au pair’s bank account. This allowance is exempted from social contributions since your au pair does not work under your employer’s authority. To benefit from this exemption, all conditions of the placement agreement should be strictly respected,
- your au pair can take at least 1 day per week, 1 full weekend per month, and 1 full week every 6 months off.
Most host families bear part of the costs of the airplane tickets and visa costs, if any.
Tasks of the au pair ?
The au pair can take care of the children and have some light household chores.
For example:
- bring and pick up the children to and from school or kindergarten,
- prepare the children’s lunchbox,
- help the children bathing and get dressed,
- prepare a snack after school,
- tidy up the children’s bedroom and make the children’s bed,
- dress the table,
- empty the dishwasher,
- do some ironing,
- mob the kitchen after cooking,
- do some daily shopping, …
The au pair could also have other light household chores, insofar they do not exceed 4 hours per day and 20 hours per week.