Go Au Pair in Grand Rapids offers a child care experience through cultural exchange.
Au Pairs provide reliable, live-in child care which meets the specific needs of your family.
And – an Au Pair costs the same no matter how many children you have.
What our Host Families love about the Au Pair program
Local Area Representative in Grand Rapids
Mackenzie Smit
The areas I serve in Michigan
I cover the west Michigan area – the greater Grand Rapids area, including from Cedar Springs to Kalamazoo and Lansing, the lakeshore, and surrounding areas.
My name is Makenzie Smit. I am a wife and mom to two young girls. I studied accounting and Spanish at Albion College. I work in Financial Reporting, and we have welcomed an au pair into our family to help with childcare. After experiencing how great the program was, I became the Local Area Representative for the Grand Rapids area.
I enjoy being part of the au pair program because I have experienced firsthand the benefits of the program. I love the cultural exchange that it provides, in addition to consistent child-care. My girls love their au pair! I enjoy connecting with the families and au pairs.
I love the Au Pair program! I enjoy working with all the Host Families and Au Pairs, helping to create a wonderful experience for them throughout their year! I’ve seen what a big impact the program has on the Host Parents, children and Au Pairs and I love being a part of that!
The au pairs in our cluster right now are from Ecuador and Columbia. We have a variety of families in our cluster ranging from single income families where the parent that stays home is looking for extra hands to both parents working outside of the home. Our families have children with a variety of ages from babies to school aged children.
Au Pair Cultural Activities
Au Pairs are required to attend a number of Cultural Activities with their Local Area Representative and nearby Au Pairs to make sure they experience the local community and culture during their stay. Below are some of the activities Mackenzie’s cluster has been up to recently!
In the fall we visited an apple orchard, a common fall event in Michigan. We picked apples, enjoyed donuts and cider, and did a corn maze.
We visited the new Christmas market in Grand Rapids to see all of the vendors and shared lunch together. There were many festive activities to participate in, crafts, food to try, drinks, and desserts.
We welcomed a new au pair’s arrival by visiting a popular walking trail in the city and getting ice cream together.
The Tulip Time Festival in Grand Rapids happens every year and it was such a joy attending with my au pair cluster this year. We attended the parade and enjoyed carnival rides and fireworks.
Additional Resources for Families and Au Pairs in Grand Rapids, MI
Au Pairs will need to have their International Driver’s License in order to take a written test. If they pass that then they need to schedule a Road Test with a 3rd party company, which they will have to pull into a parking spot, back into a spot and also parallel park. If they pass the parking then they take a road test on surface streets first and then on the expressway.
https://www.michigan.gov/sos/resources/forms/what-every-driver-must-know
There is not much public transportation in the greater Grand Rapids area. There is a bus line in the areas close to downtown, but most of families live outside of the city. Most au pairs have access to a car that they use to get around or the utilize ride sharing services like Uber and Lyft.
There are several colleges and universities in the area, but the most common classes that au pairs take are through Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC). GRCC offers English classes for adult learners geared towards students where English is a second language. The students do not have to apply directly to the school but instead to the program. They place into a class that matches their English level and are able to meet lots of new people through these classes. https://www.grcc.edu/programs/adult-education
We also have a few language schools that many of our Au Pairs like to attend. Our Utah Au Pairs attend American One Language School and Lumos Language School, both in the Salt Lake Valley.
Au Pairs and Host Families can learn about tax withholdings and filing specific for the Au Pair program. Always consult a tax advisor to learn how taxes apply.
An Au Pair will need to get a Social Security # before getting a bank account and driver’s license. Go Au Pair will provide a welcome packet with social security information, on the Au Pairs arrival. We advise Au Pairs to wait 10 days after arrival to get their social security number. You can make an appointment at a social security office, closest to your home.
Child-Friendly Activities for Au Pairs and Host Families
Au Pairs will find that Grand Rapids offers a wide variety of exciting things to do and places to visit. There are many historical museums, art displays, scenic touring, and physical activities. Families can help Au Pairs find activities they are most interested in.
In Michigan we get some colder winters. It always makes winter better to enjoy some winter activities. Every winter there is ice skating downtown at the city center Ice Skating at Rosa Parks
West Michigan is known as “the fruit belt” and grows many different types of fruit really well. It is very common to go berry picking throughout the summer at one of the many orchards in the area – strawberries in June, blueberries in July, peaches in July/August, and apples in September/October. Popular Orchards
West Michigan is well-known for it’s beautiful and clean beaches. The beach is a perfect spot on any sunny day in the summer. A bonus is that most of the beaches have small towns nearby that are fun to visit and walk through.
This is a garden and sculpture park that is a great visit. They have a children’s garden, expansive outdoor areas to walk around and experience as well as some indoor gardens. They have events throughout the year such as the butterfly exhibit in the spring or the Christmas Tree exhibit in the fall. https://www.meijergardens.org/
