As this week is child safety week, we have decided to give you some very useful tips on how to keep your child or the children you mind, safe and well.
A very big thank you to first aid for life for allowing us to pass on their excellent tips to all our host families and au pairs.
Here are some of the most common safety concerns when minding children. To read the complete article for each of these, just click on the heading:

1. Bee and Wasp stings - this is particularly relevant at this time of year when children are spending more time outdoors and wasps and bees can be found busily looking for nectar. 
2. Burns and scalds - here is essential reading for everyone at any stage of life. Burns and scalds can occur so easily and unfortunately people of all ages get burns and scalds from hot items. If you do ever find yourself in this situation it will  be very useful to know what to do.
3. Choking - this is something everybody should know about. Very young children learn through their senses and this includes picking objects up and putting them in their mouths to taste! As a result young children are highly susceptible to choking so please do have a good read through this article. You never know when you might need it!
4. Meningitis & Sepsis - I hope that none of our families or au pairs will ever need this information but if you do, there is some great advice here.
5. Poisons -children are never too far from poisonous material whether it be household products or berries on a hedge. Please take a read through the following article. Even if you never need to deal with poison ingestion, it might just help you identify and prevent a child from ingesting an unexpected poison:) 
6. Swimming Safety Tips - here is a great article from jojomamanbebe.com Again this is so relevant at this time of year. And you thought that this company only produced gorgeous clothes;)

Other articles that may interest you:

​First aid for life

We had a fabulous trip to Belfast and the Giants Causeway on the 22nd November. It was a great trip with almost 40 au pairs from all over the world,including Canada, Germany, Austria, Norway, France, Korea, Spain, Brazil and Italy. Thank you to everyone who came and ensured that we had a great:0. Here are some photos below

Every year on the 17th of March Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in Ireland and around the world. In fact some Irish people go to New York or Boston to celebrate this Irish feast day!

Who was Saint Patrick?

Saint Patrick was born in Scotland in 387 AD and legend has it he was kidnapped, brought to Ireland and then sold as a slave to a landowner in Antrim, for whom he worked as a shepherd. During that time, he lived a very solitary life and apparently he managed to find some solace in the Christian faith. St Patrick is credited with introducing Christianity to the Irish citizens and driving snakes from Ireland. Patrick had to explain the doctrine of the Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) to the Irish people and used the 3 leaves of the shamrock to represent each of these. St Patrick died on the 17th of March 461 AD.

St. Patrick’s symbols and celebrations

St. Patrick's Day is a bank holiday in Ireland, so most businesses are closed. Thousands of people living in Ireland and tourists coming from all over the world gather on this day to take part at the traditional parade. All the cities and most of the towns and villages have a parade. People usually wear some green or shamrock. There are many festivals and cèilidh (Gealic folk music and dancing) on St Patrick's Day also.

Symbols

Shamrock. Irish people celebrating St Patrick's Day started wearing shamrocks in their lapel but nowadays people wear shamrocks in any possible way (shamrock head boppers, shamrock hair clips, shamrock earrings, shamrocks painted on their faces, etc.). The shamrock is considered to be a good-luck symbol all over the world. 

Green. The colour associated to Saint Patrick was originally the colour blue. The tradition of wearing green on Paddy’s Day comes mainly from the tradition of wearing shamrocks on this day. In 1790s green was used by the Irish nationalist movement, United Irishmen, as the colour of their uniforms. Irish people celebrating this festivity eventually started wearing green clothes as a symbol.

Parades and festivals. After Dublin, the second city in Ireland with the biggest celebrations is Downpatrick (county Down) where St. Patrick is buried. Every year St. Patrick’s festival has a different theme that varies from town to town. Nowadays there are St Patrick's Day parades in cities all over the world. In New York and Chicago the rivers are turned green to celebrate St Patrick's Day. McDonald's even sells green milkshakes on St Patrick's Day.

Here is a list of the festivals organized in the biggest towns in Ireland.

Dublin. Saint Patrick’s festival will be held for 4 days, from the 14th to the 17th of March. Dublin festival's theme is 'the Present'. There will be a parade on the 17th March and will start in Parnell Square, on to O’Connell Street and will end close to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Bands from all over the world will accompany the parade with music and lots of entertainment.

Other events on during these 4 days include a treasure hunt all, céilí performances, live gigs, funfairs and walking tours.

Going to sports events is part of Paddy’s Day celebrations in Dublin. As a tradition, the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship and the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship are held on St. Patrick’s Day in Croke Park.

For more information about the festival. Please visit the website http://www.stpatricksfestival.ie.

Cork. Saint Patrick’s festival will be held for 4 days, from the 14th to the 17th of March. Cork festival’s theme is 'Cultural Concepts'. The parade will start from the South Mall at 1 pm and will finish at Merchant’s Quay.

For more information on the events in programme, please visit Cork St. Patrick’s festival official website.

Galway. Saint Patrick’s Galway Parade will be held on the 17th of March. The parade will start at 11:30 am from Lower Dominick Street and will finish at Galway County Council Buildings. 

For more information, please visit Galway St. Patrick’s Parade official website.

Limerick. Saint Patrick’s festival will be held from the 14th to the 17th of March and the theme celebrated this year in Limerick will be ‘Spring’. The parade will start at 12 pm from Punches Cross and will finish in Ellen Street. A traditional thing to do on Paddy’s Day in Limerick is to go to St Patrick’s horse race that this year will take place on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th at 12:30 pm.

For more information, please visit Limerick Saint Patrick’s Festival official website.

We, at KA Au Pair Agency, wish all our families and au pairs in Ireland a great St. Patrick's Day!

Last week we had a great trip to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway City. A big thank you to all the au pairs who came along on the trip with us. It was lovely to get to know you all. This was our first trip of 2015 and was such a succes that we will be in touch with details of our next trip over the coming weeks! 
Here are some photos from our trip. 

We hope you enjoyed our photos and hope  you can join us on our next au pair trip! From all the KA Au Pair Agency Team 

Families often ask us about getting an au pair who can drive in Ireland. When it comes to driving au pairs, we do get applications from au pairs who have full and valid driving licences. However, it is important to bear in mind, if an au pair has a drivers licence, it does not guarantee that the au pair has much driving experience. Au pairs are primarily young adults in their late-teens or early twenties. As such they will have only been driving for a few short years. If your family needs your au pair to drive, we require that you provide her with enough driving lessons with a professional instructor to ensure that she is competent to drive in Ireland. Following professional lessons you should take your au pair for a drive to make sure they feel comfortable driving your car model. Remember au pairs will have driven on the other side of the road and will not be familiar with driving on the left side of the road nor with all the Irish rules of the road.

European au pairs with a valid European driving licence issued by any EU/EAA member state are allowed to drive in Ireland without any restrictions and don’t require any further driving permits. 

Make sure that the car your au pair is driving is fully insured, taxed and has an up-to-date NCT certificate and is roadworthy. Bear in mind that not all car insurance companies in Ireland will insure an au pair coming to Ireland from a different country and being under 25 years of age. We advise you to ring your insurance company in advance to check if you can add your au pair as a named driver to your car insurance policy. Please see below a list of some of the insurance companies who can insure au pairs on a family's car in Ireland.*

If you need your au pair to drive, you should provide them with enough  petrol to carry out their au pair duties or provide them with money to pay for petrol.

Keep in mind that au pairs will not be held responsible to pay for any costs arising from car expenses or accidents while they are driving the family’s car. It is important that you clarify all these issues with your au pair before they come to Ireland and that you agree on all terms.


*Liberty Insurance, 123.ie, Aig and OneDirect among the others would allow to add an au pair as a named driver to an existing policy with no age restrictions (as far as the au pair is 18+ and has a valid driving licence) against the payment of an additional charge. For more information contact your car insurance company.

Have you ever found yourself wondering: ‘How can I help my au pair settle in to our family?’‘Is our au pair happy with our family?'.

If you have, you’re already in the right direction to be a good host family!

When getting au pairs, you should always bear in mind that these young girls/boys have just arrived in a foreign country where they know nobody, they are in a different culture, they must speak a foreign language and probably eat different food to what they are used to. It is very normal for an au pair to take a little time to settle into their new environment. Here are a few things that you can do to help your au pairs to feel more at home. It will take them a while to adjust to their new environment, so try to .

1.       Spend some quality time with your au pair

When your au pair arrives it is important to be as understanding and as patient as possible and make them feel at ease. At the beginning it's always a good idea to show your au pair around the area where you live. Introduce her to the local amenities such as the park, the library, the shops, where to catch the public transport etc. We would also recommend that you would spend some time with your au pair each day. Use this time to ask them about their day, what they did, how they are finding their new environment, and tell them a bit about your day too. It’s important that you also share a small part of your life with them, so that you develop a relationship with them to help them feel part of your family. Remember at the beginning your au pair may not have the English to explain everything she/he wants to say but by talking to them, it will give them a chance to practice their English and improve their speaking skills.

2.       Get to know your au pair

The best way to make your au pair feel at home is to get to know them. For example, ask them what their favourite foods are and buy some of these when you do the grocery shopping. Or, find out their favourite hobbies and what they like to do in their free time. If your au pair likes cycling, you might encourage her to take your kids out for a cycle. If your au pair likes to cook you  might offer that she cooks for the family occasionally. This is a great way for your family to experience new foods and flavours and it will also allow your au pair to have some of their food from their own country. If you know their favourite band is playing in town, you could bring them to the gig. Or, if you know who their favourite author is, you could buy them a simplified English version of one of his books, so that they can practice their English and at the same time do something they like.

3.       Be fair to your au pair

Before starting a placement, au pairs and host families usually have a conversation over the phone or on Skype. It is important that the family and the au pair discuss the placement terms (pocket money, working hours, housework to be carried out by the au pair, etc.). An au pair agreement should also be drawn up and signed by both you and your au pair.  It's really important that the family and au pair stick to what it says in the agreement. For example if the au pair is due to finish work at 6pm, it is important that she finishes at 6pm. If you are due to give your au pair her pocket money on Saturday, she should be paid her pocket money on Saturday.  If for some reason you aren't sticking to the terms of the agreement, you need to sit down and talk to your au pair about this. For example, if you’re always late, you could give her an extra day off one weekend or you could buy them a special gift every now and then. Always remember to treat your au pair as if she was one of your own children. If you expect your au pair to stick to the agreement then it is important that you also stick to it.

4.       Help them find new friends

One of the hardest things for au pairs when they move to a new country, can be loneliness. Moving to a new country for 6 months or more is a big challenge for a young person and it's important that your au pair finds some new friends to share this new experience. Before your au pair arrives, you should check out what are the options available in your town to meet new people. Here are some suggestions:

• If your au pair hasn't enrolled in a language course yet, check out the language schools in your area.
  
• If your au pair is into sports, find a sports league in your town that he/she could join.
  
• Contact your au pair agency and ask them if they can give you the contact details of other au pairs in town.
  
• Find out if there are other au pairs in your estate or area and introduce your au pair to them.
  

5.       Say Thank you!

Life can be very busy for a family these days and sometimes it can be easy to forget to thank your au pair for all the effort and hard work she puts in. If you see your au pair is doing a great job with the children, helping you a lot in the house, and making your everyday life better, always remember to thank her/him every now and then. Show them you trust them and show your appreciation for the good things they do. Your au pair will feel rewarded and will be happy to keep on doing her/his best. Remember feeling appreciated is really important to everyone!

Be under no illusion when it comes to childcare there is no such thing as 'one size fits all'. There are a number of different childcare options here is some information about the most common childcare options in Ireland. It is important to have a clear idea of the differences between them all, as being able to distinguish the type of service provided will help you make the right choice for your family.

Before making a decision, you need to take into consideration a number of factors, such as:

·         Your child’s age

·         The amount of hours you need childcare for (full or part-time)

·         The days of the week when you need assistance (evenings, day-time, weekends)

·         Your budget

·         The options available in your area

·         How experienced your childcare service provider has to be

Let’s have a look at the main childcare options available for you in Ireland and how they could suit you.

Crèche

A crèche is a day care centre that provides care for children between 3 months and 5 years of age, 5 days a week (Monday to Friday). It is possible to choose between part-time (between 3.5 and 5 hours) or full day care (above 5 hours a day). Many crèches are open from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday. In the case of full day care, children will be provided with food and will have suitable sleeping facilities for children who require it. Children are minded by adults with previous experience and/or qualifications. Many crèches also offer after school care for school-going pupils and will often drop and collect children to and from school. They will usually do homework and do activities with older children. They will also provide full-time childcare during school holidays. The average cost for a full day care crèche in Ireland can be around €1,000 a month, after school care will be substantially less than this.

Recommended for: parents who need somebody to look after their children only during working hours and need no help at home, at weekends.

Au pair

An au pair is considered to be childcare support and is not considered to be suitable as the exclusive form of childcare for full-time working parents. An au pair is a young person who is treated as a family member in exchange for help with minding the children and a small amount of light housework. The au pair is given her/his own bedroom and food as well as weekly pocket money. Pocket money for a standard au pair is usually around €120-€150 per week for 30 and 35 hours per week. Please bear in mind that an au pair is on an au pair exchange programme and as such must be provided with time off to study their English classes and will also participate in some of the family's activities and family meals. 

Recommended for: parents who need somebody to help look after their children and with some help around the house for only a few hours a day. It would suit a family in which one parent does not work, works part time or have school-going children. Families who would like their children to get in touch with a different culture and learn a new language could also benefit from having an au pair also. Bear in mind that your au pair will need their own bedroom so you will need to have a spare room for them.

Childminder*

A childminder is a self-employed person who works from his/her own home and takes care for up to 5 pre-school children from various different families for more than 2 hours a day. Childminders have to be over 18 years of age and have to be insured. Parents will usually drop and collect their children to the childminders' house. Times are usually 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Some childminders will also collect children from preschool or school and mind these children in the afternoon.

Being self-employed, childminders are responsible for making annual tax returns and need to register with Revenue if their annual earnings exceed €15,000. Childminders set their own fees, terms and conditions and their weekly rate will vary according to their qualifications and experience. In Ireland a childminder usually charges €9 an hour.

Only childminders looking after 4 or more kids have to notify the HSE and are required to have Paediatric First Aid training, other than that childminders only need to have a few years of childcare experience and no qualification is required.

We always recommend that you check your childminder’s qualifications and that you visit her house and take a look at the equipment (toys, play materials, books, toilet facilities etc.).

Recommended for: parents who need an experienced person to look after their children for a good few hours a day at weekdays and/or weekends and who don’t mind to let their children stay at the childminder’s house with other children. Childminders who have notified the HSE are subject to HSE inspections.

Nanny*

A nanny is a person with childcare qualifications, who is employed to care for a child(ren) in their own home. There are different types of nannies:

·         Daily/live out nannies who come to the family home each day

·         Live-in nanny who lives with the family, usually in a flat or annexe

In Ireland a nanny is considered a domestic worker and being an employee, her employer, the family, needs to take care of taxes, PRSI, etc. If you are employing a nanny and you are paying her more than €40 a week, you must register as an employer with Revenue and you are responsible for deducting the PAYE (tax), PRSI and USC from your employee’s wages. You also must pay employer’s PRSI contributions for you employee to the Social Insurance Fund.

A nanny is entitled to receive a payslip, annual leave, paid holidays, extra pay or paid time off if working on a Sunday.

Nannies usually earn between €500 and €600 per week although a live-out nanny will usually earn more than a live-in nanny.

Nannies must have a minimum of qualifications in children’s care, learning, health, nutrition and development and have Paediatric First Aid training.

Recommended for: parents who need somebody fully qualified to look after their children in their own house and for long hours each day and/or weekends. This option is perfect if you want to make sure that your children will receive the nanny's complete attention and will avoid the stress of picking them up and dropping them in a crèche or in a childminder's house.

If you are looking for an au pair, please don't hesitate to contact us on 01 485 3774 or by e-mail at support@kaaupairagency.ie
​
For more information about childminders and nannies, we advise you to visit the Citizens Information website and the Revenue website.


*Please note that in Ireland nannies are often referred to as childminders, hence the confusion between the 2 professions. When in doubt, think about whether the person who’s providing you the service is providing it in your own home or not. If so, then you are responsible for her wages, taxes and social contributions.

How much pocket money does an au pair receive? 
This is a question that we frequently get asked by our au pairs and families. In Ireland there is no official regulation when it comes to the amount of pocket money au pairs receive. Based on the feedback that we have received from our au pairs and families over the past year we have put together the following guidelines.

Standard Au Pair

A standard au pair is an au pair who works either 30 hours per week plus 2 nights babysitting (with a maximum of 1 of these to be at the weekend) or 35 hours plus 1 night babysitting per week. The majority of an au pair's work will be childcare support and a small portion of light housework. We recommend that a standard au pair receive €120-150 pocket money per week*. If you have a larger family or very young children we recommend pocket money on the upper side of this range.

It is not uncommon for an au pair to receive more than the recommended €120 pocket money per week. Particularly in cases where the au pair has stayed longer than their agreed contract or if the family find that the au pair is working out really.
 
Demi Au Pair

A demi au pair works for 15-25 hours per week and 1 or 2 nights babysitting. A demi au pair will receive between €80-100 per week. A demi au pair is the least popular option of all au pairs for Irish families as many families require an au pair for longer hours than a demi au pair can provide.**

Elderly Care Au Pair

An elderly care au pair is an au pair who, instead of looking after children, will look after an older person offering companionship and who will do some light housework. An elderly au pair would still receive free board and lodging and some pocket money (usually €100 for around 30 hours of work per week). We do not recommend elderly au pairs for old people who require medical help.



*From our research, in families where an au pair is paid a higher rate of pocket money (€150+),  the au pair placement usually lasts longer (approx. 1 year) than with families who pay a lower rate of pocket money.
** We are currently waiting for advice from the au pair committee of Ireland for guidelines as to whether a demi au pair programme is an acceptable programme to offer our families and au pairs.

Choosing the right au pair can sometimes be a daunting task. As a host family, it’s important that you have a clear idea of what you want from your au pair and that he/she understands your needs. Usually the only contact you will have with an au pair before they arrive to your home is through skype/telephone interviews. It is very important that you make the most of these precious calls.

The best way to get to know your au pair is to have as much contact with her/him as possible before he/she arrives. We suggest that you call them preferably by Skype. This way you will be able to reading their body language as well as just talking to them. Make sure to ask all the questions that are relevant to your family. Tell your future au pair about your family and what is expected of them. Remember it is better to find out now, that you and the au pair have different expectations than to find out after the au pair arrives in your home. A good way to begin the phone call is to talk about yourself, about your family, how many children you have, their ages, interests, hobbies etc. Your family routine, yours and your children daily schedule, and any other information that can help your au pair figure out what it would be like to live with you.

The following are a few suggested questions that you can ask your au pair. The au pair's answers should help you to get to know this au pair. Not only should you listen to the au pair's answers but also her attitude and demeanour. Does she have a positive outlook, is she enthusiastic, is she shy, is she interested in learning new things? Remember as well as asking the following questions, you may want to ask some questions that are specific to your family, remember that every family is different, so don't forget to ask any questions that are relevant to your family also.

1.       Have you ever travelled abroad or lived away from home before?

This is an important question especially if you’re planning to have a long term Au Pair (6-12 months). If your candidate has never been away from his/her family, they may need a bit more support at the beginning of the au pair placement so be aware of this. Are they enthusiastic about the idea of travelling to Ireland? Do they sound like they are ready for this experience?

2.       Why do you want to be an au pair?

Sometimes families take for granted that their au pair will be  motivated for the right reasons and understand what being an au pair means. I good way to find out is to ask them why they want to be an au pair. It's important that an au pair is prepared to live as part of a family, help to take care of the children in the family and understands that they must respect the rules way of life of their host family. It is also important that they are prepared to move to a different country that has a different culture and language and that they will embrace all that this means.

3.  What do you know about Ireland and why did you choose to come to Ireland?

This is another good question to ensure that your future au pair has consciously chosen to live in your country and thinks he/she will have a good time. Has he/she done any research about Ireland.? What do they know about Ireland? Do they have friends living in Ireland? Do they have a positive attitude towards Ireland and ll things Irish? The more prepared and enthusiastic they are about Ireland the better!

4.       What childcare experience do you have?

 I mention this question but very often the amount of childcare experience that an au pair has is not the best indicator of how good she will be with your children. Sometimes a girl who has only some babysitting experience will be as good or better than an older au pair who has worked in a childcare setting. A really big indicator is how interested your au pair is in your children. How enthusiastic is she/he when they talk about their childcare experience. Do they sound like they enjoyed their time with children? Does she ask about your childrens' hobbies, their ages, what activities they like? If your au pair is younger or has not had much experience with children she may need more guidance at the beginning, than an au pair who has had a lot of experience with children but with the right support she/he may turn out to be a brilliant au pair!

5.       How would your friends describe you and what are your favourite hobbies/interests?

These questions are essential to understand your au pair’s personality. If he/she has a lot of experience with kids but you feel that the two of you might not get on well, then this might not be the right au pair for your family. For example, you might want an outgoing person that interacts a lot with you and your family because you want to be able to communicate extensively with your au pair. An au pair's hobbies can also give you an insight into your au pair personality. An au pair who likes reading, might be more introverted while someone who is a member of a drama group is probably more outgoing. Also an au pair's hobbies can be a great way to find some common ground. An au pair who loves the outdoors and is very involved in outdoor pursuits might suit a family who also enjoys outdoor pursuits or who lives in a rural location which has access to these outdoor activities. Or say, for example, if you have enrolled your children in swimming lessons and you find out that an au pair loves practicing sport. Well, then he/she might be more inspiring to your children and this common interest could help them get on well more easily.

The questions listed above are just a guideline that you can follow while talking to your potential au pairs. There are a lot more questions that you can make according to your needs and situation (e.g. Are you comfortable with pets?, Are you from a rural area or a city?, Can you cook?, etc.).

If you want more support or tips on how to conduct your phone interview, feel free to e-mail us at support@kaaupairagency.ie.