About 10,000 au pairs to get paid in class-action settlement

Friday, July 19, 2019, Vol. 43, No. 29

DENVER (AP) — About 10,000 live-in childcare workers from around the world will be paid an average of $3,500 each under a class-action settlement that alleged exploitation of the mostly young women who perform the jobs.

U.S. District Judge Christine Arguello (ar-GWAY'-oh) gave final approval to the $65.5 million deal for au pairs on Thursday in Denver.

About 160,000 au pairs who came to the United States to work from 2009 to late 2018 had the potential to receive money under the settlement, but about 10,000 filed claims.

The deal also requires that agencies authorized by the State Department to connect au pairs with families notify both parties that au pairs can negotiate to be paid more than the minimum $195.75 a week required by the department. The agencies didn't admit any wrongdoing under the deal.