Need Someone Who Can Swim?

A lot of host families have the need for a Childcare Provider who can swim.  This can be because they have a pool in their back yard, or they spend a lot of time at a lake, the ocean, community pool, etc.  It's great to be able to trust your care provider to take your children swimming or to play in water, but it is also important for most parents that the person know how to swim in case of an emergency.  90% of Go Au Pair's au pairs say that they can swim.

Here are a few questions you might consider asking an au pair candidate to determine if they have the swimming skills you feel necessary for them to care for your children while they swim:

1.  How long have you been swimming?
2.  Are you able to swim on your own, or do you need a flotation device?
3.  How often do you go swimming?  Where?
4.  Have you had experience caring for children in a pool, lake, at the beach, etc?  Are you comfortable caring for children in the pool...etc?  Just one child, or multiple children?
5.  Create scenarios that could help you know what they would do in specific situations.

The summer may be over soon, but don't let that stop you from looking for someone who can swim, if you feel you will be needing your au pair to take the children swimming at indoor pools, on vacations, or even next summer.