An au pair placement is generally a year plus. However, unforeseeable circumstances can necessitate the au pair leaving before then. How the child reacts to an au pair leaving also depends on the parents approach to their departure. An au pair does not replace a parent and if the parent/s are the core care providers then an au pairs departure should be treated as a natural process of people coming and going in a child's life. A parent should also be mindful of the close bond that can form between an au pair and a child and a proper good-bye process should be adhered to, with the au pair's leaving being due to no fault of the child. The au pair should be encouraged to keep contact.