On November 7, 2025, the Au Pair Quality Association celebrated its 20th anniversary in the conference area of RAL Deutsches Institut für Gütesicherung und Kennzeichnung e. V.  In addition to member agencies, friends, and companions, representatives from the relevant federal authorities, including the Ministry of Family Affairs, the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Employment Agency, were also invited.

Two decades of quality and safety

Since 2005, the RAL quality mark au pair has stood for transparency, high standards, and reliability in the German au pair program. The quality association was founded with around 100 agencies to provide guidance and security for au pairs and host families.
After the Federal Ministry for Education, Family, Seniors, Women, and Youth (BMFSFJ) discontinued its funding after ten years, the office of the Au Pair Quality Association was relocated to Calypso Verlag. Even after the move to the private sector, responsibility and quality have remained high. Since then, the member agencies have borne the costs of regular reviews of their performance and reliability in accordance with the strict RAL guidelines.

International guests and special moments

The anniversary celebration was attended by the independent auditors who had been involved from the very beginning, the IAPA International Au Pair Association, and almost two dozen au pairs from Rwanda, Madagascar, Mozambique, India, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Colombia. Their supervising agencies had invited them on a panoramic boat trip from Bonn to Königswinter, which turned out to be a special highlight in the bright sunshine.

Challenges and demands

In addition to looking back, the focus was on current problems:

Lack of au pairs due to unreliable visa practices, changing countries of origin, and high language course costs

Lack of planning security for agencies and families

Chairwoman Sevda Nagel emphasized the original goal: trust and guidance for all involved. Joachim Hauser expressed his gratitude for the long-standing trust in RAL.
Cordula Walter-Bolhöfer presented the results of the latest business survey, which illustrate the critical situation.
Michael Zubke called for uniform global standards for visa issuance and recognition of the au pair program as an educational and exchange program.

“Only through joint action by politicians and certified agencies can we preserve and further develop the au pair program as a valuable instrument of cultural exchange.”