Au pair work in the Netherlands? Proceed with caution!
Every year, thousands of young Asian women find work as au pairs in the Netherlands. Dutch agencies make enormous profits recruiting and supplying them to families. The market has doubled in just 10 years. However, Dutch au pair agencies are coming under increased scrutiny due to reports of exploitation.
‘Live-in household and childcare help for just 340 euros a month plus room and board’: it’s music to the ears of working Dutch parents with children.
Cleaning instructions An au pair takes care of the children, performs light cleaning duties, learns the Dutch language and about Dutch culture. The job description appealed to Catleya, a 23-year-old Philippine woman. The Smiling Faces au pair agency arranged for her to start working for a family in Amsterdam.
On her first night in the Netherlands, she could hardly sleep because she was so excited. The following day, she was given a list of cleaning instructions. On the second day, more tasks were added to her list, including cleaning the windows. This didn’t fall under the ‘light household cleaning’ clause in her contract but she was too scared to say anything.
“My host father was a perfectionist when it came to cleaning. If I did one tiny little thing wrong, he’d tell me over and over again. I thought to myself, have I exchanged my life in the Philippines for this? I hadn’t expected to be treated like a menial by the family. I slowly learned to accept the fact that if there was something dirty in the house, I was responsible for it.”
Salary rights A week after she arrived, her host family had given her a cleaning roster: on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays, she had to dust and vacuum the entire house. On Tuesdays, she had to clean the kitchen from top to bottom and on Thursdays, she did the bathrooms and toilets. She made breakfast for the family every morning and cooked a hot meal every evening. And in between all that, she took care of two children.
Catleya’s story is far from unique according to Diane Oosterbeek, who runs Bayanihan, an organisation for Philippine women working in the Netherlands. Every week, the organisation gets complaints from au pairs who have to work far too hard.
“On paper, they’re au pairs, but in fact, they’re cleaners. They work long hours and don’t get any days off. They’re being used as cheap labour and they therefore have the right to a salary.
Au Pair Agencies - News
Every year, thousands of young Asian women find work as au pairs in the Netherlands. Dutch agencies make enormous profits recruiting and supplying them to families. The market has doubled in just 10 years. However, Dutch au pair agencies are coming
This is down from the 1328 au pair permits granted to Pinoys in 2009. More au pairs are expected to enter the country, however, as au pair agencies estimate more au pairs can be deployed to Norway due to the lifting of the ban. Energy Au Pair manager
Peekaboo Childcare are a London-based nanny and au pair agency with over 2500 nannies and carers on their books and in work placements in the London area and abroad. Their business ethic revolves around providing a friendly, comprehensive agency
My client is a leading Au Pair agency who are seeking a Business Development Manager to play a key part in the development of the company through management of strategic commercial, operational and program initiatives.
SANA: Then we just have to find other destinations that will offer better terms, for example, in Europe, they're lifting suspension for example, of the au pair program. What we are saying is that there are many other destination countries.
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Please note: There are 12 au pair agencies in the USA that have US Department of State designation. Please make sure that you sign up with one of those LEGAL au pair agencies. They are able to provide a legal J-1 visa to your new au pair. A J-1 visa allows au pairs to provide childcare to the children in your family only.
Au Pair Agencies - Bookshelf
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Great Au Pair
Live-in au pair and nanny search offering worldwide placement.
EurAupair
Arranges well screened aupairs, or nannys, from western Europe for American children.
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Learn about hiring and hosting an au pair and the advantages of in-home childcare or how to become an au pair in the USA with InterExchange Au Pair USA
Millennium Au Pairs
Au pair agency based in the U.K. and offering au pairs from all over Europe.
FindAupair
Offers a database to match families with au pairs.