Living together and settling in

What if the Schulbegleitung is off sick?

Short answer

Clarify early with the school or nursery what applies if the support assistant is absent and whether your child can stay. If they have to stay at home, an au pair can carry part of the day within its working hours — familiar and structured, without replacing lessons.

Last updated: 13.08.2026

What lies behind it

The call comes in the morning: the Schulbegleitung is off sick. For many families the whole day is suddenly in question — and usually the question lands with the same parent who is already juggling everything.

The most effective step is to agree things in advance. Ask the setting what applies in the event of an absence: can your child stay with reduced support? Is there a cover arrangement through the provider? From what point do they have to be collected? These are not answers you want to be chasing at eight in the morning.

If the school day falls through, an au pair in the house changes the situation noticeably. It already knows your child, does not have to settle in first, and within the agreed working hours it can carry part of the day: practising together, reading aloud, crafting, going outside, playing. That does not replace lessons and it does not turn the au pair into a teacher. But a chaotic cancelled day can become a calm day at home.

The siblings do not automatically have to take a back seat either. Sometimes one parent is with the child with a disability while the au pair keeps the siblings' ordinary afternoon running.

Whether an au pair could exceptionally accompany your child into the setting is for the school or nursery alone to decide.