Opairly is live: the app for host families with an au pair

Today, Opairly is officially live. An app that helps host families and au pairs keep track of tasks, working hours, and agreements in one place. No more scattered spreadsheets, WhatsApp lists, or paper schedules that disappear into a drawer.

This is the story behind the launch.

Why we built Opairly

I'm Sjoerd, founder of Opairly and a host parent myself. When we welcomed our first au pair, I thought the organizational side would be straightforward. Discuss the task package, track working hours, set up house rules. Surely that fits on a single sheet of paper?

In practice, it was harder than expected. We used a mix of Google Docs, a shared calendar, WhatsApp messages, and loose notes. My partner and I sometimes weren't sure which tasks we had already agreed on. Our au pair was uncertain about her working hours. And when the agency asked for a formal weekly schedule for the IND application, we had to piece everything together manually.

There had to be a better way. So I started building.

What Opairly does

Opairly brings together everything a host family and au pair need in one app. Not complicated software, but a clear dashboard that works right away.

Tasks and weekly schedule. Create tasks (one-time or recurring) and Opairly automatically arranges them into a weekly overview. Your au pair sees exactly what is expected each day. Check off tasks, log hours, done.

Hours and limits. The hours add up automatically from the weekly schedule, split into childcare and household work. Opairly warns you in time about the limits: maximum 8 hours per day, 30 hours per week. That makes it easy to keep track of Dutch au pair working hour regulations.

House rules. Set up clear agreements about meals, cleaning, bedtimes, and more. Opairly provides templates you can customize in a few clicks. Read more about setting up house rules.

Export for the agency. A signed weekly schedule is required for the IND application; house rules are not an IND requirement, but they are a useful agreement to have. Opairly generates both as PDF or Excel, complete with signature fields. Check out our weekly schedule templates.

Leave and holiday days. In practice, your au pair gets around 14 holiday days per year (a common sector norm). In Opairly, the au pair requests leave, and the host family approves or declines. The balance is tracked automatically.

Medical information and emergency contacts. Store allergies, medications, and emergency contacts per child. Your au pair always has this information at hand when it matters.

Reference letters. After the au pair year, you write a reference letter as a host family. Your au pair can accept it, share it with future families, or download it as a PDF.

What makes Opairly different?

There are plenty of planning and task management apps out there. But none are built for the specific situation of a host family with an au pair in the Netherlands.

Built for Dutch regulations. Opairly knows the limits: 30 hours per week and 8 hours per day, plus the common norm of 14 holiday days per year. You get an automatic warning when you are about to exceed them.

Two roles, one household. The host family manages tasks and settings. The au pair sees the schedule and the hours, and requests leave. Everyone has exactly the right level of access.

Agency-ready exports. The documents Opairly generates meet what placement agencies and the IND expect, without any manual formatting on your side.

Bilingual. Opairly works fully in Dutch and English. Your au pair switches to their own language with one click.

How it works

1. Create an account and name your household.
2. Set up your tasks and house rules. Opairly has templates to get you started.
3. Invite your au pair via an invite link. It is completely free for au pairs.
4. Manage everything from the dashboard. Check off tasks, review hours, export documents.

It takes about 10 minutes to set everything up. After that, it runs on its own.

Try it yourself

Opairly is now available with a free 30-day trial. No credit card required, no obligations. See our pricing page for current plans.

We are a small team and we actively build based on feedback from real users. If you are missing something or have an idea, we would love to hear from you.

Related articles

• How many hours can an au pair work in the Netherlands?
• Au pair house rules: template, examples and tips
• First week with your au pair: a practical checklist
• Au pair rules in the Netherlands: the complete guide