ü      In-home care offers the parents a sense of control over the child's schedule, meals, activities, and social contacts.

·        Live-in care versus live out care

Again, live-in care provides parents with a greater degree of flexibility. If, for example, the parent is delayed in returning home he/she can rest assured that the children are cared for. In addition, live-in care provides the parent with an opportunity to establish a personal relationship with their caregiver helping to communicate the parent's values and approach to childcare. Both the Host Parent and the caregiver can observe one another and provide more consistency in the way the child is reared.

·        Using a placement agency versus finding a caregiver on their own

There are many agencies in the U.S. where families can turn to help find a caregiver. Typically agencies provide families with the names of possible caregivers who have been screened (depending on the agency, screening may be comprehensive or minimal). Families pay a fee to the agency for this service. Once the caregiver is placed, the agency is no longer involved  (unlike Aupair USA which is actively involved with both the family and the Aupair throughout the year-long exchange). While the fees paid by the family to the agency tend to be less than those charged by an Aupair organisation, the caregiver is likely to be paid considerably more than an Au Pair participating on a U.S. government approved program like Aupair USA. This is in large part due to the "employment" status of these individuals.

Most placement agencies in the U.S. tend to refer to their applicants as "Nannies" however this term is used loosely and does not necessarily mean a trained caregiver as it does in /England, Australia and other places around the world. There are no national standards for in-home child care providers in the United States so most in-home placements go unregulated. In contrast, Aupair programs are highly regulated by the U.S. government, which should be reassuring to potential Host Families considering in-home care options.

Families can and do look for caregivers without the use of an agency. This method requires that the parent develop their own screening methods and interviewing skills. Often advertisements are placed in the local newspaper with varied degrees of success.

In addition to the enormous benefits associated with in-home care options like the Aupair program, the benefits of cross cultural education and the "on par" relationship developed between the family and the Aupair are important. As an extended member of the family the Host Family has a chance to develop a relationship with their Aupair different from a nanny employee/employer relationship and very different from the relationship they would tend to have with a caregiver outside the home. The host children develop a broader awareness of the world and people from other countries.