The au pair during the school holidays: can an au pair look after the children all day?

Six weeks of summer holidays, two weeks of Christmas holidays, Easter holidays, autumn half-term – and suddenly the children are home all day.

For many host families, the question arises sooner or later:

Can our au pair look after the children all day during the holidays?

The answer is clear: no.

The same working hours apply to an au pair during the school and nursery holidays as during the rest of the year. In principle, helping out may amount to a maximum of six hours a day and 30 hours a week.

So the holidays do not mean that an au pair suddenly becomes full-time childcare.

With a little planning, though, an au pair can still be a wonderful help to the family during the holidays.

A maximum of six hours a day still applies during the holidays

When nursery and school are closed, family life changes – but the au pair's permitted working hours do not.

An au pair cannot take over childcare at 8am and be solely responsible for the children until the parents finish work at 5pm.

A long lunch break doesn't automatically turn a very long day of childcare into a good holiday solution either.

The host family should therefore think, before the holidays even begin, about how cover can be ensured across the whole day.

Plan holiday cover with an au pair early

An au pair can be an important building block of holiday cover – but not the only one.

Depending on the family, various options can be combined:

The au pair might take on part of the day, for example. For other times, holiday programmes or holiday camps may be an option. Perhaps grandparents can help, the parents can split their annual leave, or organise cover together with friends and other families.

That way, the au pair's 30 hours don't suddenly have to cover the whole holiday week.

What might a holiday day with an au pair look like?

An au pair could, for example, take over the children for a few hours in the morning.

Having breakfast together, then going to the playground, doing crafts, cycling, going to the swimming pool or on a little outing.

After that, the parents, grandparents or another carer take over.

In another family, the au pair might be needed in the afternoon instead and have the morning free.

Here too, the same principle applies:

Working hours may be used wherever the family needs support most urgently.

They simply need to be clearly agreed and planned within the daily and weekly limits.

Holiday camps can be a good addition

Holiday camps and holiday programmes can be an enormous help to families during term-time breaks.

The children spend a few hours with others their own age, experience something new, and have a structured day.

For families with a child with a disability, though, an additional question sometimes arises:

Can our child even take part in this holiday programme?

Not every holiday offer is designed to be inclusive from the outset.

In certain cases, it can be worth checking whether the child can take part with a familiar companion.

Can an au pair accompany a child with a disability to holiday camp?

If the organiser or provider allows it, and the activity stays within an au pair's normal tasks and working hours, accompanying the child during the holiday day can be an option.

Perhaps the child can generally take part in the holiday programme but needs a familiar person to provide orientation, help with transitions, ease communication, or simply be there as a known reference person.

The au pair could then, for example, accompany the child for a few hours.

But clear limits apply here too.

If the child needs professionally qualified educational, inclusion, care or medical support during the camp, this must be organised separately.

The holidays can be particularly challenging for children with disabilities

During term time, there are fixed structures.

Getting up, school, childcare, therapy, clubs – much of it runs similarly every week.

In the holidays, these structures suddenly fall away.

For children who particularly benefit from routines and predictable sequences, an au pair can therefore be a valuable constant.

They can continue familiar daily routines, play together, go outside, accompany leisure activities, or look after siblings.

Sometimes the biggest relief works the other way round:

The au pair spends a lovely holiday day with the siblings, while Mum or Dad have dedicated time for the child with a disability.

Can the au pair go on the family holiday too?

Yes, a shared holiday with the au pair is also possible.

An important distinction is needed here, though:

If the au pair comes along in order to support the family with childcare on holiday, this isn't simply the au pair's own holiday.

The agreed childcare hours are working time.

The normal limits of au pair work also apply at the holiday destination.

Just because the children are suddenly being looked after at the seaside instead of in their own bedroom at home doesn't turn eight hours of childcare into free time.

Family holiday or working time?

A simple question helps here too, even on holiday:

Does the au pair need to be present right now, and is their support expected?

If the family says:

"We're going to the beach today from 10am to 2pm and would like you to help us with the children." (Translated)

then that is working time.

If the au pair is then off duty and can decide for themselves whether to stay by the pool, explore the town, or retreat to their room, that time is free time.

This should ideally be discussed before the trip.

A holiday with the host family does not automatically replace the au pair's own holiday

This, too, is occasionally confused.

A stay with the host family does not become the au pair's own restful holiday simply because the family is travelling.

If the au pair is expected to look after the children regularly and support the family during the trip, they are working during those times.

Host families should therefore discuss clearly before travelling together:

When is the au pair needed? Which tasks will they take on? When are they off duty? How are the working hours distributed? And what expectations are there around joint activities?

Clear agreements prevent a supposed "holiday" turning into a week of permanent availability for the au pair.

The holidays are a special time for the au pair too

With all the planning around childcare, it's worth remembering that the au pair also wants to get to know the United Kingdom.

Perhaps they would like to visit friends during the summer holidays, travel for a few days, or take their own holiday.

We therefore recommend planning holiday periods together as early as possible.

The sooner both sides know what they would like, the easier it is to combine the parents' leave, the au pair's leave, holiday camps, grandparents and the au pair's 30 hours of support.

The au pair is part of the holiday solution – not the whole of holiday cover

An au pair can be an enormous help, especially during the holidays.

They can take over in the mornings, go on outings with the children, accompany a child to a holiday activity, look after siblings, or support the family on holiday.

What they cannot do is suddenly take on the role of full-time cover during several weeks of school holidays.

Even if the children are home all day, the same limits remain:

a maximum of six hours a day and 30 hours a week.

That's why the best holiday cover with an au pair is usually a combination.

Au pair, holiday activities, parents, grandparents and other childcare options work together – and six hours of support become six hours of genuine relief, without the au pair turning into a full-time nanny.