Chinese au pairs in the United States have been employed since 2007. In 2002, Chinese au pair applicants were first sent to Europe. In 2006, plans to bring a Chinese au pair to the United States were set into motion and in March 2007, Hongbin Yu of Harbin was the first Chinese au pair to arrive in the United States.
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History
The au pair concept was introduced in China in 2001 by the HHS Center (the first au pair agency in China), and was transcribed Hu Hui Sheng in Pinyin (互惠生). In 2007, negotiations between agencies in China and the United States were successful and the American Cultural Exchange (Go Au Pair) became the first organization to bring a Chinese au pair to the United States.
Chinese au pairs are desirable by American host families. The New York Times and Spiegel Online International attribute this trend to the growing number of Chinese baby adoptions and the desire of parents to teach their children Mandarin, to capitalize on China’s economic influence.
Inbound au pair program in China
The inbound au pair program in China began; as of 2012, there were over 1,000 au pair applicants from around the world and over 100 Chinese families interested in participating in the program.
The au pair program in China is supported by the Department of Education and the Administration of Exit and Entry of the Beijing Public Security Bureau.