Are you a Bristol parent who could do with some extra help in the house? If so, have you ever considered having an Au Pair?

Bristol Language Centre (BLC) has recently launched a new Demi Au Pair Programme and is looking for Bristol families to become hosts to European Au Pair students aged 18 – 25 who want to learn about British culture and improve their English skills.

In return, host families can receive 20 hours childcare per week, plus benefit from learning about different cultures and foreign languages; a great learning opportunity for children in the host family!

Having an Au Pair works by BLC’s Au Pairs spending part of their time as an Au Pair to their family and part of their time as an English student at BLC. Families must be friendly and welcoming and willing to share their lives with a student from a different culture.

The Au Pair lives with their host family and is treated as equal to family members, contributing in just the same way as another adult family member would.

Families provide meals and accommodation for their Au Pair, provide them with transport or financial support for travel costs to their English language class each morning from 9.15am – 12.30pm and give their Au Pair weekly pocket-money of £50 – £70 per week.

In return, the Au Pair provides the host family 20 hours of Au Pair work each week which could include babysitting, light housework and other minor jobs around the home, for example cooking.

As well as help in the home, an Au Pair  gives you an ideal ready-made babysitter as your Au Pair will already know your children and their bedtime routine well – a real plus when you need to go out on an evening!

Having an Au Pair also provides a fantastic learning opportunity for your children: not only will they learn about foreign languages and cultures at a young age, they might even learn a few words of a foreign language!

If you are interested in having an Au Pair you can register your interest via completing a short online form on the BLC website. Once BLC receives this form, they will arrange with you a time for someone from BLC to visit you in your home so as to meet you in person and assess the space you can offer.

This home visit is really important as it ensures BLC has a good relationship with you and ensures open communication from the very start of your journey to becoming a host family to an Au Pair.

Once you are fully signed up as a host, BLC carefully matches you and your family up with an Au Pair who matches your profile.

20 hours childcare per week, plus fantastic learning opportunities for you and your children – all in return for helping your Au Pair to learn about British culture and improve their foreign language skills – it’s a win-win situation!

If you are interested in arranging to have an Au Pair through Bristol Language Centre’s Demi Au Pair programme please visit http://www.blc-english.com/courses/english-for-everyday-life/demi-au-pair-host-families