“The Moment of Belonging – from Stranger to Family Member”
Why this theme?
This International Au Pair Day, we’re asking au pairs, host families, and the agencies who support them to share moments and experiences of belonging.
There’s a moment in an au pair and host family relationship when it stops feeling like a stay. It starts to feel natural. It starts to feel like home. That’s the moment an au pair changes from being a stranger in the house to being a family member around the table.
This moment doesn’t happen on day one. It’s built gradually, through small things done right
Stories of belonging
- When did you first feel at home?
- When did it start to feel natural to be part of this family?
- When did your surrounding feel like your 2nd home?
- What helped you get there, and what would you tell someone just starting out?
Together, these stories paint a real, practical picture of what belonging actually looks like inside the au pair program.
How to participate
For Au Pairs
Tell us about the moment you first felt like you truly belonged – not like a guest, but like part of the family. Then add one piece of advice for a new au pair still finding their way there.
What to include:
- The moment: A specific scene, e.g. a shared meal, holiday, an inside joke, being trusted with something small, a random Tuesday that suddenly felt ordinary.
- The tip: One concrete thing that helped you get there, worth passing on to someone just starting out.
How to share it: Post it on social media around International Au Pair Day (or in whatever way your agency suggests), or simply share it with your host family and community directly.
For Host Families
What’s one thing you did that helped your au pair feel like they belonged – something that turned them from a guest into a family member?
What to include:
- The moment or action: A specific thing you did e.g. including them in family traditions, giving them their own place at the table, checking in during the first hard weeks, a special welcome.
- Why it mattered: A quick note on what changed and is worth passing on to other host families.
How to share it: Post it on social media around International Au Pair Day (or in whatever way your agency suggests), or simply share it with your au pair and community directly.
For Agencies
As an agency, how do you help create that feeling of belonging? For au pairs and host families alike.
e.g. a practice built into your onboarding, advice you give host families in the first weeks, or support you offer during that early adjustment period.
| Agency Checklist ✅ Share the theme with your au pairs and host families ✅ Prepare activities, meetings, contests, social media post to celebrate the day ✅ Encourage participation by collecting stories or media in advance ✅Celebrate on 24 November on your website and social channels using the hashtag #InternationalAuPairDay ✅Tag us so we can reshare and highlight your work! #InternationalAuPairDay |