Your safety comes first

I am on Internet, but I am not a free matching site where families and au pairs arrange themselves their matches, without screening and counselling, nor support or advice in case you need it.
Destino Idiomas is accredited by  AEPA (Asociación Española del Programa Au Pair). 
​I follow its Code of Conduct and do my best to offer quality service.
Destino Idiomas  is a legally registered au pair agency in Spain, acredited by  AEPA - the Spanish Au pair Association. I follow the European Agreement on Au Pair Placements signed by the European Council in Strasbourgh on the 24th of November, 1969. Spain signed this agreement on 24th, January 1986 (BOE nº 214 ) as well as ECAPS (European Committee for Au Pair Standards) recommendations.
Online free matching platforms may seem a good alternative but unintentionally, you are taking some risks.
  • No personal councelling during the matching process.
  • Risk of receving false information on the family side. Nobody vets the families on those sites.
  • Risk of being a victim of a con family. 
  • ​Lack of support if problems appear. No one will help you to solve the situation nor to change family,  no mediation at all .
  • Lack of families and au pair screening following suitability criteria.​

Destino Idiomas cares for you.
​Support and follow up, all throughout your stay.

Destino Idiomas' goal is that your au pair stay in Spain is a success.
​To attain it, each placement step is important. 
Hi, this is Ana, I run Destino Idiomas, your au pair agency in Spain. My own personal experience as au pair (BI- before Internet :D) and professional one as au pair agent helps me to be aware of the aims, doubts and expectations at both sides: family and au pair.​ My main goal is that your experience as au pair in Spain is a success. 
Reasons to rely on Destino Idiomas:
  • Free matching service for the au pair.
  • Personal counselling.
  • Welcome info prior to arrival.
  • Time saving: I do the search for your match so you can spend your time on other issues.​
  • Mediation between au pairs and families: ​Should you have any problems with your host family, lack of harmony,  bad interaction with your host family or so, I will:
Check if there is solid base for it.
Mediate and/or counsell both family and au pair.
If no solution can be reached, a change of family is posible.
  • Regular follow up.
  • Ranked in 2018 at GoOversas as  Top Gap Year Provider- Category Value.

Information process

First enquiry:
  • Provide with clear information about the programme.
  • Schedule video call to clear out doubts, be confident and enroll in the programme.  I identify false expectations to avoid future dissapointments or frustrations. This video call also helps me to validate your level of English (mostly).
  • The video call means no commitment on your side, but it is the best way to explain things, and have our first meeting.

Matching process​

  • Review your application file, advice if changes need to be done to improve it.
  • Check and translate child care references.
  • Translate into Spanish: references, medical cert, police clearance ...
  • Provide you with family proposals + list of questions for family interview.
Before departure:
  • Send welcoming guide.
  • Include your contact details in au pair contact list.

Support once in Spain

During your stay in Spain, I will do:
  • Follow up:
First working day after arrival.
After 1st week.
After 2nd week.
At the end of 1st month.
  • Avaliable 24 hrs in case of emergency.
  • At the end of your stay:
​I request your testimonial.
I send you certificate of your stay

Problems and change of family.

Whenever there are differences between host family and au pair, both can get in touch with me, I will listen to both parts and offer counselling and advice. Sometimes the au pair has a problem with the family, sometimes it is the other way round. I clasify problems into two categories: Easy to solve, Difficult to solve.

Easy ones: Related to some kind of break of the agreement, for example, au pair hours increase, not respecting au pair free time or similar, adding au pair duties that were not in the agreement... or au pair not performing her duties well: lack of interest, lack of puntuality, lack of responsability, hanging too much with the mobile on au pair duty hours...
If both parts show willingness to sort them out, they will.

​Difficult ones: Related to clashes of personality among the different participants: au pair/host parents/host kids. I will do my best to offer advice, but I cannot change anybody's personality. On this respect, the previous interview process it is so important...

Either easy or difficult ones, if after a reasonable period of time, situation remains the same, any part can put an end to the agreement giving 2 weeks notice and request a change of family and/or au pair.  During those 2 weeks, I will endeavour to find an alternative family/aupair under certain conditions.

NOTE: Each case is different and as such it will be dealt with respect and equanimity.
Conditions to request a change of family:

  • The au pair has passed the adaptation period (2 weeks in a short stay / 1 month in a long stay).
  • The conflict is not the au pair's responsability.
  • The au pair informs Destino Idiomas.
  • The au pair gives two week's notice (au pairs carry on with duties and host families carry on providing pocket money, room and board).
  • Au pair accepts moving to another location.
  • Summer au pairs cannot be rematch (no remaining time for a change).
Destino Idiomas es miembro de la Asociación Española del Programa Au pair - AEPA
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