Household help expo to push au pairs

Shanghai's first domestic service expo will offer local families the opportunity this weekend to hire young foreigners to take care of their children, the event's organizer said Monday.

The expo, which was organized by the Shanghai Women's Federation, aims to showcase the services available to local families in need of domestic caregivers for the old and the young, said Zhou Juemin, vice president of the Association of Shanghai Family Service Trade.

The concept of hiring a foreigner, typically a recent university graduate, as an au pair is relatively new in Shanghai.

Currently, there are only about a dozen families in Shanghai who have au pairs, Zhou said.

"Along with getting some more help around the house, one of the advantages of having an au pair is that she can serve as a private foreign language tutor for the children," Zhou told the Global Times.

Interested families will have to pony up an agency fee of at least 10,000 yuan ($1,602) to hire an au pair. The families will also be responsible for providing meals and accommodation for the au pair, plus 1,000 yuan per month in spending money, Zhou said.

The au pairs will stay in China on student visas and will be able to reside with their host families for as long as both parties agree.

The agency that provides the au pair will require the families meet certain criteria, such as being able to accommodate the au pair.

"The au pairs will be able to learn a lot about Chinese culture and experience life in Shanghai with their host families," Zhou said.

The expo is scheduled to run from May 24 to May 25 at 5369 Jiasong Road in Qingpu district. It will take place at the same time and the same venue as the annual Shanghai Love & Marriage Expo, the city's premier matchmaking event.