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Trust and safety

Our Safety Approach

One step for everyone: a verified contact point. And a voluntary identity verification (KYC) for those who want to go further.

How verification works

  1. Everyone · at sign-upVerified contact pointAn email address or phone number whose holder proved control of it at sign-up (Google or Apple sign-in, SMS code or emailed link). It confirms the contact channel, not who the person is.
  2. Voluntary · VIP accounts onlyIdentity verificationID document and liveness selfie, checked by Stripe Identity. Depending on the country, proof of address and a criminal record extract can be added through separate steps.
  3. Shown on the profile“Certified” badge“Certified” means the ID document was verified by Stripe Identity (document and liveness selfie). “Certified+” adds, depending on the country, a criminal record extract, proof of address and confirmed references.

What the badge proves, and what it does not

It proves

That the ID document was verified by Stripe Identity. With “Certified+”: depending on the country, a criminal record extract, proof of address and confirmed references.

It does not prove

A member’s safety, competence or lack of a prior record. No badge replaces a manual check: video calls and references are still needed.

Your first contact with a family

Talk by video call directly in the mobile app, with no third-party software and without sharing your contact details. Your phone number is never shown on your profile, and AuPair Connect does not pass it to the other party.

Before you commit

  • Have at least one video call with the family.
  • Check their address.
  • Ask for an ID document, and a criminal record extract if the law allows it.
  • Never send money by untraceable transfer.
  • Put everything in writing in the au pair agreement.
  • Keep an emergency contact.
A message makes you uncomfortable?The “Report” button is in every conversation. Every report is reviewed by moderation; sanctions can go as far as a permanent ban.

Your first contact with an au pair

Talk by video call directly in the mobile app, with no third-party software and without sharing your contact details. Your phone number is never shown on your profile, and AuPair Connect does not pass it to the other party.

Before you commit

  • Have at least one video call with the au pair.
  • Ask for an ID document and references, then check them.
  • Ask for a criminal record extract if the law allows it.
  • Put everything in writing in the au pair agreement: hours, pocket money, housing.
  • Get the room ready and explain the house rules.
  • Keep an emergency contact.
A message makes you uncomfortable?The “Report” button is in every conversation. Every report is reviewed by moderation; sanctions can go as far as a permanent ban.

Identity verification vs manual agencies

Both approaches aim to reduce risk. The difference lies in what is verified, by what method, and how the result is bounded and dated. The matrix below sets out the comparison honestly — verification tools reduce risk, they do not eliminate it.

Comparison of AuPair Connect verification and a manual agency check
  AuPair ConnectManual agency
Baseline reachability A verified contact point on every profile (email or phone, control proved at sign-up)Varies; often limited to an email provided at registration
Identity document Digital identity verification via Stripe Identity: document check and liveness detection (voluntary, VIP accounts)Document emailed or handed in, reviewed by staff
Proof of address Depending on the country: recent dated document, checked and timestamped, as a separate stepSometimes requested; freshness often unstated
Criminal record Depending on the country, as a separate step: result reduced to a status (CLEAR, FLAGGED or INCONCLUSIVE) + timestampDocument dependent on what the candidate supplies
Reproducibility Deterministic, timestamped result per memberHuman review; consistency varies by office
Sensitive data Raw documents stay with the authorised partner (GDPR Art. 9)Documents may be retained in agency files

Compliance & Safety: the US federal framework (22 CFR § 62.31)

For placements in the United States, the au pair route sits inside the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. The controlling federal rule is 22 CFR § 62.31, which we translate directly into our screening expectations. The key requirements are:

  • Hours: childcare capped at 10 hours a day and 45 hours a week in the standard programme, and 30 hours a week in the EduCare programme (22 CFR § 62.31(c)(2) and (j)(2)).
  • Private room: a host family may not be designated unless it can provide the au pair with a suitable private bedroom (22 CFR § 62.31(e)(6)). Board (meals) and a study space are part of the standard J-1 au pair placement and are set by contract with the sponsor, but they are not stated as a distinct federal obligation in § 62.31 itself.
  • Stipend: there is no federal minimum. The weekly stipend is based on a 45-hour week and compliant with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and is fixed by contract with the designated sponsor. EduCare is set at 75% of the standard rate.
  • Mandatory screening: the au pair must pass a background investigation covering school verification, three non-family personal and employment references, a criminal background check and a personality (psychometric) profile (22 CFR § 62.31(d)(6)); host parents and other adults living full-time in the household must also pass a background investigation with employment and personal character references (22 CFR § 62.31(h)(4)).
  • Insurance: medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness, plus repatriation of remains ($25,000) and medical evacuation ($50,000), with deductibles not exceeding $500 — required under 22 CFR § 62.14(b).

Because the J-1 route legally requires a designated sponsor, the programme and sponsor formalities — and the screening above — are structural, not optional, when you host an au pair in the US.

Sources: eCFR — 22 CFR § 62.31 (Au pairs), eCFR — 22 CFR § 62.14 (Insurance), US Department of State — BridgeUSA au pair programme.

Privacy & GDPR Compliance

In accordance with GDPR Article 9, the platform never stores raw criminal record details. Only the validation status (CLEAR, FLAGGED or INCONCLUSIVE) and timestamp are recorded. Sensitive documents remain solely within authorized identity verification partners under GDPR-compliant Data Processing Agreements.

Frequently asked questions

What does 22 CFR § 62.31 require?
22 CFR § 62.31 is the US federal rule that governs the au pair category of the J-1 Exchange Visitor Program. It caps childcare at 10 hours a day and 45 hours a week for the standard programme (10 hours a day and 30 hours a week for EduCare), requires the host family to be able to provide a suitable private bedroom to the au pair (with board and study arrangements set by contract), requires the au pair to pass a background screening (school verification, three non-family personal and employment references, a criminal check and a psychometric personality profile) and requires host-parent adults to be background-checked too. It sets no federal minimum weekly stipend: the stipend is a weekly amount based on a 45-hour week, compliant with the Fair Labor Standards Act and fixed by contract with the designated sponsor.
Is identity verification compulsory on AuPair Connect?
No. Every profile has a verified contact point, as a systematic baseline: an email address or phone number whose holder proved control at sign-up (Google or Apple sign-in, SMS code or emailed link). Identity verification is voluntary: it is started from the Trust Centre in the app, it is limited to VIP accounts and never required at sign-up. The “Certified” badge only appears once the identity document has been verified by Stripe Identity.
How is identity verification different from a manual agency check?
A manual agency relies largely on documents a candidate emails in, reviewed by people, with variable and often unstated freshness. AuPair Connect verifies the contact point of every profile, then offers, on a voluntary basis, a digital identity verification: identity document and liveness selfie checked by Stripe Identity, to which a proof of address and a criminal record extract can be added depending on the country, through separate steps. The result is bounded and timestamped, and the raw sensitive documents stay with the authorised verification partner rather than in our database.
Does AuPair Connect store criminal record details?
No. In line with GDPR Article 9 on special categories of data, we never store raw criminal record details. Only the verification result (CLEAR, FLAGGED or INCONCLUSIVE) and the timestamp are recorded. The detailed documents remain exclusively with the authorised identity-verification partner under a GDPR-compliant Data Processing Agreement.
What should I check myself before confirming a match?
Use the “Before you commit” checklist on this page: make at least one video call, ask for an ID and references, put the terms in writing in the au pair agreement and never send money by an untraceable transfer. Verification tools reduce risk; they do not replace your own judgement.
Do I need VIP to make a video call?
No. Video calls are available in any conversation you have started, including your 3 free conversations in total, directly in the mobile app, with no third-party software and without sharing your contact details. They are not reserved for VIP accounts, and they are not available in the web version.
Which official sources back this page?
The US federal requirements are sourced from the eCFR (22 CFR § 62.31 for au pairs and 22 CFR § 62.14 for insurance) and the US Department of State BridgeUSA au pair programme page. French and European references come from Service-Public.fr (F13348), France-Visas, Urssaf and Légifrance. All figures and texts are dated and reviewed by our Compliance Team.

Official Sources & Regulations

For all legal and regulatory frameworks surrounding au pair stays in France and Europe, please refer to the following official institutional sources (reviewed by our Compliance Team):

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See safety approach in action

Not sure what an au pair exactly is? What an au pair is: definition, role & rules.

Prepared by AuPair Connect — Compliance Team

Every legal, tax or safety detail in this content is verified by the AuPair Connect Compliance Team against official sources and dated.

Notice anything inaccurate or out of date? Help us keep this content up to date by writing to [email protected].