Dear (me),

We thank you for your in interest in our family which is not completely
fluent in English. BUT just this is au-pairing: to experience other
cultures without being lost (because your guest family is with you and
helps you). On the other hand you are not tempted to speak (bad) German
or French to our children who are still learning to express in any
language (also in their mother-tongue).

When can you start? I know that your holidays start rather late for our
schedule.

Kind regards,

(cute little host family)

Only apparently there are like a hundred complaints about host families trying to use their au pairs as sex puppets or getting pissed and throwing them into the street.
So um.
What do I do?  How do you get background checks or whatever?

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MUSICIANS SMASH YOUR INSTRUMENTS
BLIND MEN take the stage

Wouldn't it be more fun just to take a trip rather than be an au pair? There's no guarantee you're actually going to be able to see the country--you're going to be taking care of the family and the kids. Ever see the movie? Those kids were brats. Don't count on the happy ending she got, you might just be stuck with bratty kids and not-so-fun parents.

On the website, are there ways to review your host families? If there is, it could be a starting point.