IAPA

Au Pair of the Year Award

This contest recognizes outstanding young individuals in au pair programs around the world by shining a spotlight on their contributions and promoting awareness of this meaningful cultural exchange. It’s also a fantastic chance to feature IAPA member organizations!

The Winner´s Prize

The winner of the next IAPA Au Pair of the Year Award will travel to Sofia (Bulgaria) where the award will be presented at the Work Experience Travel Market and IAPA Annual Conference (WETM-IAC). Travel to the conference and accommodation in the conference hotel will be covered by IAPA.

Your Guide to Participating in the Au Pair of the Year Contest

Also this year, the contest will be video-only! We loved the creative, compelling videos from last year’s participants, which truly brought the au pair experience to life. We’re inviting au pairs to make their own video submissions, so they don’t need to be nominated by a host family to enter. By sharing their perspectives, au pairs can highlight the unique cultural exchange that makes this program special.

Please remember: au pairs and host families must submit their videos to their placing agency or sponsor, who can select and forward up to two nominations to us!

Contest Procedure

Please read carefully

IAPA member “receiving” agencies should invite au pairs and host families to submit a video featuring a deserving au pair to your organization.
The receiving agency/sponsor then reviews the entries and selects their top two entries which they then submit to IAPA by using our online application form
Please note that both, – sending and receiving agency – must be members of IAPA.
The deadline to submit the entries was 30 January 2026, 23:59 CET.
IAPA staff will review the videos and entries to verify eligibility and request missing information or documents.
Eligible entries will be submitted to our jury who will select the winner and runner-up.
The IAPA member agencies who submitted the winner and runner-up will be notified by IAPA.
IAPA will make travel arrangements for the winning au pair to the next WETM-IAC event to receive the award (subject to availability). Therefore, please make sure in advance whether travel will be possible with regards to the au pair´s visa status or obligation towards the host family.

Please note that we do not announce the winner before the ceremony.

What are the requirements?

We´re looking for compelling, unique stories of cultural exchange experiences, personal growth, integration in a family, culture, language, community.

Content: How did the au pair integrate, overcome challenges, and experience cultural exchange. What are they doing to make the best of their time abroad? How did the au pair make a difference in the family’s life?
Creativity: Everything is possible, but it is important that the video wasn’t created by the agency or their professional staff.
Legal compliance: Ensure that the entry is in compliance with all the legal and copyright requirements.
Consent: Everyone featured in videos entered to sign the consent form. If someone doesn’t consent - including parents on behalf of their children - please edit the video accordingly.
Language: IAPA accepts registrations in any language. However, for judging purposes, all videos should have English subtitle
Technical requirements:
- Videos must be in mp4 or mov format and no larger than 3 GB
- Music can be added, however, please make sure that you are allowed to use the music. As a resource for royalty-free music for videos you can use Youtube Music Library or any other resource that offers royalty free music.
- Make sure to check whether you need to mention the source of music in your video and do so, if required.

Please read the full Terms and Conditions and also inform your au pairs and host families about the rules and regulations. Make sure to have them sign photo and video release forms that allow us to use their content.

Apply now

Au Pair of the year award

Our winners

Our Winner 2026 – Jemimah Waceke Mwithiga, Kenya

At the WETM-IAC Conference in Sofia, Jemimah received the 2026 IAPA Au Pair of the Year Awardfrom IAPA´s Managing Director Patricia Brunner in front of a moved audience.

A Journey of Cultural Exchange and Growth

At this year's WETM-IAC Conference in Sofia, Jemimah received the 2026 IAPA Au Pair of the Year Award from IAPA's Managing Director, Patricia Brunner, in front of a moved audience.

Jemimah's au pair journey began with Family Enevoldsen in Denmark, placed through Aupairagent. Adjusting to a new climate, culture, and a lifestyle with far more freedom than she was used to, she approached every challenge with an open heart and a genuine willingness to learn – including taking the time to learn Danish, which allowed her to connect more deeply with her host family and community.

For the two children in her care, Jemimah became far more than an au pair – she became a beloved older sister, sharing fun and secrets, while the children in turn helped her learn the language. Her warmth and patience created a bond that went beyond cultural differences, and sharing her own Kenyan traditions enriched the whole family's life in return.

Jemimah's winning video captured this journey and the impact she made on her host family, moving the audience at the ceremony. In her acceptance speech, she described the au pair programme as "the best way to experience real cultural exchange" – a reminder of the connection and understanding these journeys create across borders.

The placing agency was Aupairagent from Denmark.

You can watch the video about Jemimah and her host family here.

Our Winner 2025 – Isabella Foster, UK

This year, we were delighted to award Isabella Foster from the UK the title of IAPA Au Pair of the Year. She was nominated by her U.S. host family, the Brights, who share an unbreakable bond with her. To them, Issy will always be part of their family. Caroline Bright, her host mother, describes Issy as the younger sister she always wished for.

Issy fully embraced her cultural exchange experience in every way—she explored new foods, attended concerts and cultural events, and, most importantly, supported her host family through challenging times. When her host father was away for five months and her host mother was pregnant, Issy stepped up, providing invaluable help with the family's three small children. As a testament to their deep connection, the Brights honored Issy by naming her the godmother of their youngest child, Birdie, forever tying her to their family.

But this bond extends beyond Issy and her host family. Over time, the Brights and the Fosters have visited each other, forming a true transatlantic family—a perfect example of how the au pair experience creates lifelong relationships across borders.

Placing agencies was US sponsor Cultural Care Au Pair

You can watch the video about Issy and her host family here.

Our Winner 2023 – Antonella Arnau from Argentina

In 2023, our winner was Antonella (Anto) Arnau! The receiving agency was Cultural Care Au Pair (USA)! Her host family - the Serfati family - nominated her because she was so supportive from her first day. She is more than just an au pair to them. She has become an integral part of the whole family.

“We really can't imagine the past two years without Anto and want the world to know that she deserves every bit of recognition for the human being she is… and we continue to love her.” The Servati Famil

You can watch the video about Antonella and her host family here.

Previous Winners

Want to know more about some of our previous winners?
Click on the links to see the full stories.