How do you write a host family profile that attracts the right au pair?

A strong host family profile attracts the right au pair by being honest, warm, and specific about your family’s life, values, and expectations. Au pairs are choosing a home, not just a job, so the families who stand out are the ones who give a genuine picture of daily life rather than a polished but vague description. The sections below answer the most common questions families have when writing their profile for the first time.

What do au pairs look for in a host family profile?

Au pairs look for warmth, honesty, and clarity in a host family profile. They want to understand what daily life in your home actually looks like, whether they will feel welcome as part of the family, and whether your expectations are realistic and fair. A profile that feels personal and genuine will always attract more interest than one that reads like a job listing.

Because the au pair program is a cultural exchange first and foremost, experienced au pairs are not simply evaluating a position. They are evaluating a home. They want to know whether your family’s personality and lifestyle feel like a good fit for them personally. The families that receive the most interest tend to share the small, human details: the Saturday morning pancake tradition, the dog who loves everyone, the children’s favorite games.

Au pairs also pay close attention to how families describe their expectations around childcare hours, household tasks, and free time. It is important to understand that au pair schedules are fixed, not flexible — the agreed working hours, days off, and rest periods are set in advance and cannot be changed week to week at the family’s discretion. Profiles that are upfront about the fixed schedule and the support a family offers, such as help with local orientation, language practice, or attending community events, signal that the family understands the program and will be a respectful host.

What information should a host family profile include?

A complete host family profile should include an introduction to each family member, a description of your home and the au pair’s private room, your childcare needs and weekly schedule, your household routines, your expectations around tasks, and what you offer the au pair in terms of support and cultural experience. Together, these elements give an au pair everything they need to decide whether to pursue a conversation with you.

Think of the profile as having two equal parts: what you need, and what you offer. Many families focus only on what they are looking for in an au pair and forget to explain what the au pair will gain from living with them. Both sides matter equally in a genuine cultural exchange.

Family introduction: Names, ages, professions, and a sentence or two about your family’s personality and values
Children: Ages, interests, personalities, and any relevant care needs
Home and private room: Location, type of home, and a clear description of the au pair’s room, including natural light and privacy
Childcare schedule: The fixed working hours and days, clearly stated, along with what the role involves day to day
Household expectations: Light tasks you expect help with, clearly and honestly stated
What you offer: Meals, monthly allowance, support with local life, language, and cultural activities
Languages spoken at home: This matters greatly to au pairs who want to improve their English or Dutch

Families registered through Sunshine Au Pair’s host program receive guidance on exactly what to include and how to present it, which helps profiles feel complete and professional from the start.

How do you describe your family’s daily routine in a profile?

Describe your family’s daily routine in concrete, time-specific terms so an au pair can visualize what a typical weekday and weekend actually look like in your home. Walk through a sample day from morning to evening, noting when children wake up, when the au pair’s involvement begins and ends, when meals happen, and what the household atmosphere is like at different points in the day.

Vague phrases like “we are a busy family” or “we need help with the kids” do not give an au pair enough to work with. Specific descriptions do. For example, explaining that the school run happens at 8:15, that the au pair has free time from 9:00 to 15:00 on school days, and that evenings are family time tells a candidate exactly what to expect. Remember that these hours form a fixed schedule — au pairs are entitled to know precisely when their working time begins and ends each day, and those boundaries do not shift according to the family’s convenience.

It also helps to describe the rhythm of your weekends separately, since this is often where families and au pairs have different assumptions. If your weekends are relaxed and family-centered, say so. If you occasionally need weekend help, be upfront about that too, and make clear that any such arrangements are agreed in advance and form part of the fixed schedule rather than being added on informally. Honesty at the profile stage prevents misunderstandings later and helps the right candidate self-select.

What photos should host families include in their au pair profile?

Host families should include photos of the family together, the au pair’s private room, the main living spaces, and ideally the neighborhood or local area. Photos are one of the most powerful parts of a profile because they give an au pair an immediate emotional sense of your home before a single conversation has taken place.

The room photo is particularly important. Program requirements specify that the au pair’s private room must have natural light and be separate from family bedrooms, with no dual purpose. A clear, well-lit photo of this room signals to an au pair that you take their comfort seriously and that the space genuinely meets program standards.

Family photo: A natural, candid image of everyone together works better than a formal portrait
Children: Photos of the children in everyday moments help au pairs connect with them before meeting
Au pair’s room: A well-lit photo showing the space, bed, and any furnishings
Living areas: Kitchen, living room, and garden if you have one
Local area: A photo of your street, neighborhood park, or nearby city gives a sense of location and lifestyle

Avoid overly staged or filtered images. Au pairs respond to authenticity, and photos that feel real and lived-in are far more appealing than ones that look like a property listing.

What mistakes make host family profiles less appealing?

The most common mistakes that make host family profiles less appealing are being too vague, focusing only on requirements rather than the family’s personality, understating expectations, and leaving the au pair’s experience out of the picture entirely. Profiles that read as one-sided or transactional tend to attract fewer responses from strong candidates.

A profile that lists a long set of requirements without explaining what the au pair will gain from the experience sends a signal that the family views the arrangement as purely practical. Experienced au pairs, the ones most families want, are selective and will move on quickly if a profile does not feel welcoming or balanced.

Other common mistakes include:

Using generic language like “we are a loving family” without any specific detail to support it
Omitting the weekly schedule or being deliberately vague about hours — au pairs need to see a clear, fixed timetable, not an open-ended description
Failing to mention the au pair’s room or describing it in minimal terms
Not including any photos, or including only formal family portraits
Describing expectations in a way that sounds demanding rather than collaborative
Forgetting to mention the cultural exchange aspect, such as language learning opportunities or community activities

The goal is a profile that makes an au pair think: “This family seems genuine, organized, and genuinely interested in my experience too.” That balance is what separates profiles that attract strong candidates from those that do not.

How do you tailor your profile to attract au pairs from specific countries?

To attract au pairs from specific countries, research what matters most to candidates from those regions and reflect those priorities in your profile. Cultural context plays a real role in what an au pair values when choosing a family. Families who understand this and write their profiles accordingly tend to find a stronger fit more quickly.

For example, many au pairs from Asian countries, which represent a significant share of candidates placed in the Netherlands, place high value on a structured and respectful household environment, clear communication, and a family that actively supports their personal development during their stay. Highlighting language learning opportunities, community involvement, and a welcoming family culture speaks directly to these priorities. Presenting a fixed, well-defined schedule also reassures these candidates that the household is organized and that their time will be respected.

Practical steps to tailor your profile include:

Mentioning any languages spoken at home that overlap with the au pair’s background
Describing how you will support cultural adjustment, such as help with local orientation or attending events
Noting proximity to public transport, international communities, or language classes in your area
Being explicit about the family’s openness to learning about the au pair’s culture in return
Using a warm, welcoming tone that signals genuine interest in the au pair as a person, not just as a caregiver

That said, the most effective profiles are authentic first. Tailoring does not mean writing what you think a candidate wants to hear. It means understanding what genuinely matters to them and making sure your profile communicates the real qualities your family already has.

How Sunshine Au Pair helps families create profiles that attract the right match

Writing a compelling host family profile is much easier when you have expert guidance and a clear framework to follow. Sunshine Au Pair supports families through every step of this process, ensuring your profile is both appealing to candidates and compliant with Dutch program requirements.

Dedicated Program Managers guide families on what to include and how to present it
Profile review ensures your information is complete, clear, and well positioned for matching
Access to a curated pool of pre-screened au pairs from 20+ nationalities, so your profile reaches motivated, qualified candidates
Matching based on mutual fit, with facilitated interviews so both sides can make a confident, informed decision
Ongoing support throughout the hosting year, not just during placement

With over a decade of experience and 1,000+ successful matches across the Netherlands, Sunshine Au Pair knows what makes a profile work and what holds families back. Ready to get started? Get in touch with the team and take the first step toward finding your ideal au pair.