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Resources.

Plain answers, with sources and the date each guide was last checked. Two sets: pick yours.

For host families Thinking about an Israeli au pair for your kids. What it costs, what the rules are, and how the year actually works. See the guides For candidates Thinking about a year as an au pair in America. How the program works, what you earn, and who qualifies. See the guides

For host families

What an au pair costs, what the rules are, and how the year actually works.

Two parents at their kitchen table in the evening, one writing in a notebook, the other reading on a laptop

For familiesUpdated October 2026·9 minute read

Au pair vs. nanny: the real cost, the real rules, and which one fits your family

A side-by-side with 2026 numbers: what each costs, the federal hour and duty rules for au pairs, taxes, experience, and an honest take on which families each one suits.

Read the comparison
A mother at her dining table in the morning, writing figures in a notebook beside a calculator and a few bills

For familiesUpdated October 2026·8 minute read

How much does an au pair cost in 2026? Every line, with sources.

The program fee, the stipend, the $500 education contribution, the hosting costs nobody budgets for, taxes and tax breaks, and the candidate's side. Every number sourced and dated.

Read the cost guide
A young woman reading a picture book on the living room floor with two children, a parent in the kitchen behind them

For familiesUpdated October 2026·10 minute read

What is an au pair, and how does the J-1 program actually work?

The definition, the five parties involved, what the federal rules require of au pairs and host families, the visa process step by step, and what an au pair is not.

Read the guide

Coming next

  • Israeli au pairs: what U.S. host families should know.
  • Hebrew-speaking au pair or Jewish nanny: which fits your family?

Find your match Two minutes. No commitment.

For candidates

For Israelis thinking about a year as an au pair in America. The guides are being written in Hebrew; the first three are listed below.

Coming next

  • A year as an au pair in the U.S., for Israelis: how the J-1 program actually works
  • What an au pair in the U.S. earns, and what the year costs you
  • Who can be an au pair in the U.S.? The requirements, and how to get ready
  • The J-1 visa for Israeli au pairs: the interview, the documents, the timing.
  • After the army: a year as an au pair, or the big trip?

Check my eligibility A few questions. No documents. No commitment.