Kokun is the HR team behind modern au pairing.

We help families find, employ and support au pairs, and help au pairs build safe, fair and rewarding arrangements with their families.

That can start with recruitment. Kokun can source, screen and shortlist candidates from both traditional au pair networks and a broader pool of people who might not previously have thought of themselves as au pairs.

Or it can start after you've already found each other. Whether you matched independently or through another agency, Kokun can help with employment setup, payroll, insurance, practical HR guidance and ongoing support when questions or tricky people issues arise.

We also support the traditional au pair experience through our free Kokun Community, helping au pairs coming to Australia connect, access practical information and build a network beyond their host family.

Because finding the right person is only the beginning. Kokun helps make the whole arrangement work.

Kokun is for families, au pairs and people who might never have thought of themselves as au pairs before.

For families, Kokun can help you find the right person, set up the employment arrangement properly and provide ongoing HR and payroll support - whether your au pair comes through Kokun, another agency or your own network.

For prospective au pairs, we're broadening the idea of who au pairing can work for. You don't have to be coming from overseas. You might be studying, relocating, taking a gap year or simply looking for flexible work combined with somewhere affordable to live.

And for traditional au pairs coming to Australia, our free Kokun Community provides connection, practical guidance and a network beyond your host family.

In short, Kokun is for anyone who thinks au pairing could work better with a little more structure, support and imagination.

That depends on what you're looking for.

Traditional au pair agencies primarily focus on matching families with traditional au pairs - typically young people coming to Australia for a cultural exchange experience.

Kokun can manage recruitment too, but we look more broadly.

We can source, screen and shortlist candidates through our own networks and recruitment partners, including traditional au pair agencies. And because we don't think an au pair has to come from overseas, we can look beyond the traditional candidate pool to find the right person for your family.

But recruitment is only one part of what we do.

No. Some families come to Kokun after they've already found an au pair, while others ask us to help them find one. We can support families either way.

Yes. Many Kokun members find their au pair or host family independently.

Kokun can provide guidance, resources, and support regardless of how the placement was arranged.

It depends on the arrangement, but many au pairs in Australia are employees.

Calling an arrangement a “cultural exchange” doesn't automatically mean it isn't employment. An au pair can have a wonderful cultural exchange experience, become part of family life and be an employee.

What matters is how the arrangement actually works.

Where a family relies on an au pair to work agreed hours, perform regular childcare duties and follow the family's direction, the arrangement may be an employment relationship. That brings minimum employment entitlements and can also create obligations around pay, tax, superannuation, workers' compensation and other employment requirements.

There are also genuine cultural exchange arrangements where the person is primarily living with a family for the experience and provides only a small amount of assistance. Those may be different.

This distinction is important to Kokun because once you stop assuming au pairing has to be defined by cultural exchange, the whole idea opens up.

An au pair doesn't necessarily have to come from overseas. They can simply be the right person for a family who wants flexible work and, perhaps, somewhere to live.

Kokun helps families understand the arrangement they're creating and put the right employment, payroll and practical support around it.

Yes. Kokun provides practical resources, guidance and ongoing support to help families host with clarity and confidence.

Host Families have access to a growing library of practical resources, including:

• guided completion of employment and accommodation agreements

• onboarding guides and checklists

• house manuals and schedules

• practical guidance on communication, expectations and boundaries

• information about employment, payroll and insurance requirements

Families also have access to the Kokun Host Families WhatsApp group and regular Office Hours, where they can ask questions and receive ongoing HR support throughout the placement.

Our goal is to help families create well-structured, positive and compliant arrangements from the outset, while giving them confidence that support is available whenever they need it.

Not every au pair arrangement works out. Sometimes expectations don't align, circumstances change or it simply isn't the right fit.

This is another area where treating au pairing as employment can actually help. Clear expectations, agreed responsibilities and an employment framework give both sides a better way to address problems — and, if necessary, bring the arrangement to an end.

Kokun's ongoing HR support gives families somewhere objective to turn before small issues become big ones. We can help you work out what's actually going wrong, prepare for difficult conversations and understand the options available.

Sometimes that means getting things back on track.

Sometimes it means recognising that the arrangement isn't working and helping everyone move on fairly, respectfully and properly.

Because ending an arrangement doesn't mean it failed. Sometimes it's the right outcome for everyone.

The Kokun Community is a free Facebook community designed to help au pairs settle into life in Australia with confidence.

Members receive:

• practical guides and resources covering everything from preparing for Australia to everyday life once you arrive

• curated information on working as an au pair, Australian culture and common questions

• advice and tips from the Kokun team

• the opportunity to connect with other au pairs across Australia

• updates about Kokun events, workshops and meetups

Whether you're preparing to arrive or have already landed, the Kokun Community is a place to ask questions, find reliable information and connect with others who are sharing the same experience.

Kokun's pricing depends on the level of support you need.

If you've already found an au pair, our Set Up & Onboarding service is $195. We'll help you establish your arrangement with confidence, including preparing your employment and accommodation agreements, setting up payroll, providing compliance guidance and giving you access to the Kokun Host Family Hub.

If you'd like us to help you find an au pair, our Placement Service is $1,750. This is payable as:

• a $295 Search Engagement Fee to commence the search; and

• $1,455, payable only once you've successfully matched with an au pair.

Placement clients do not pay the separate Set Up & Onboarding fee.

Once your au pair starts, Host Families join Kokun Membership for $35 per week for the duration of the placement. Membership includes:

• payroll administration through Pay The Nanny

• continued access to the Host Family Hub

• ongoing HR guidance and practical support including probation check ins

• access to the Kokun Host Families WhatsApp group

• regular Kokun Office Hours

Getting started with Kokun is simple.

If you're an au pair, join the free Kokun Community to access practical guidance, connect with other au pairs across Australia and find reliable information to help you settle into life in Australia.

If you're a host family, explore our Host Family membership. We'll guide you through setting up your au pair arrangement, help you prepare your employment and accommodation agreements, support you with payroll and employment requirements, and provide ongoing HR support throughout the placement.

Whether you're still looking for an au pair or have already found the right match, Kokun is here to help you create a positive, well-structured and compliant arrangement from day one.

The $35 weekly Host Family Support fee begins on your au pair's employment commencement date and continues until the arrangement ends. It covers your payroll administration fees, continued hub access, and our team's availability for ongoing advice and support throughout the duration of your au pair's stay.

No.

Trad au pairing has usually centred on young people travelling overseas for cultural exchange. We still love that model, and Kokun's free Community is designed to support traditional au pairs coming to Australia.

But it isn't the only way au pairing can work.

Kokun starts with a simpler question: does one person need reliable childcare while another wants flexible paid work and, perhaps, somewhere to live?

If the answer is yes, there may be a great au pair arrangement there - regardless of whether the person has travelled 15,000 kilometres or 15.

That's what we mean by modern au pairing.

Absolutely. You don't need to come from overseas to be an au pair.

At Kokun, we think au pairing can work for a much broader group of people than the traditional cultural exchange model suggests.

You might be an Australian moving interstate for university, a student who wants flexible work alongside study, someone taking a gap year, relocating for work or simply looking for a way to combine paid work with somewhere affordable to live.

What matters is that you have the right to work, the role fits around your other commitments, you're comfortable caring for children, and living with a family appeals to you.

For international students, your visa conditions still apply. Most Student visa holders can currently work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session, with different rules applying in some circumstances and during course breaks.

Maybe you've never thought of yourself as an au pair before. That's kind of the point.

If your au pair has been referred by one of Kokun's agency or referral partners, your setup process may differ. We'll let you know exactly what's included before you get started.

Generally, no. Most host families employ an au pair as private individuals rather than operating a business, so an ABN is not usually required simply because you're an employer.

That said, you'll still have a number of employer obligations, which may include registering for PAYG withholding, withholding tax from your au pair's wages, arranging workers' compensation insurance, paying superannuation (where applicable), and keeping appropriate employment records.

Kokun will guide you through these requirements as part of your onboarding.