The Cultural Au Pair Association of Australia is the only trade association for the Au pair industry in Australia.
The Cultural Au Pair Association of Australia “CAPAA” was formed in 2012, on a not-for-profit basis, with the purpose of protecting and developing the Au pair experience as a rewarding cultural exchange programme.
CAPAA members agree to abide by the Code of Conduct and to meet strict business and ethical standards to ensure competence, fair dealing and high integrity. In addition, CAPAA acts as a voice for the industry and its members meet on a regular basis. For more information about the benefits of becoming a CAPAA member please click here.
If your family is seeking an Au pair, or you are a young Australian wanting to be an Au pair overseas please contact one of our CAPAA member agencies.
If you are interested to become an Au Pair please check the list of National Associations in your home country who are approved by IAPA. To become an Au pair, you will need to be eligible for either a Working Holiday Visa or Work and Holiday Visa. For more information, please refer to the Australian Immigration website.
PROTECT YOURSELF
It has come to CAPAA’s attention that there are websites that are promising Au pair services that do not exist and/or requesting fees under false pretences. If you see a non-CAPAA agency displaying the CAPAA logo, claiming to be a member, or claiming that they ‘abide by the guidelines of CAPAA or IAPA’ (the International Au pair Agencies Association), please notify CAPAA or the international Au Pair association, IAPA.
We urge you to carefully research any internet based agency. 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 however there are potential risks in arranging a placement in this manner.
10 potential risks you face when not using a reputable Au pair agency:
- limited understanding of Australian regulations and visa requirements.
- no on the ground support during the placement
- not registered as an Australian business entity so no opportunity for legal recourse
- high probability of unsuitable Au pair or host family candidates
- absence of a written contract
- little or no experience in the Au pair industry
- non-existent standards or guidelines
- lack of criminal checks, insufficient references and/or medical certification
- risk of document falsification
- no re-match policy (secondary placement) if the initial placement is unsuccessful