Au Pairs Au pairs are foreign high school graduates age 18 to 26 who spend a year living with an American family to provide child care. In return, they receive wages, room and board and $500 for education. For a 45-hour week, the pay works out to about $4.35 an hour. The minimum wage in the U.S. is $7.25 an hour.

Local Recruiters These foreign companies work with the U.S. sponsor agencies to find au pairs in different countries. Local recruiters charge fees to au pair applicants and provide guidance.

Sponsor Agencies Sponsor agencies are matchmakers‚ — they recruit au pairs and families, run background checks, and arrange training and travel. They earn money from fees: Host families pay about $9,000 a year; some au pairs pay $1,500 or more. Fifteen sponsor agencies are U.S. approved.

U.S. State Department The U.S. State Department oversees the au pair program as a cultural exchange. It sets the rules, approves sponsors and issues temporary visas to au pairs. Critics say the department has dropped the ball on oversight, exposing some au pairs to overwork and abuse. Sponsor agencies dispute this.

Host Families The au pair's host family must be fluent in English. They're expected to include the au pair in family meals, outings, holidays and other events. Agreements spell out the au pair's duties, but in general the au pairs are not expected to do domestic work unrelated to child care.