An au pair is a young adult who lives with a host family and provides childcare services in exchange for room and board. The term 'au pair' is French for 'equal to, ' referring to the relationship between the au pair and the host family. NANNY, AMAH, nannie, DUO, TYKE, and KIDS are all related terms that refer to different types of childcare providers. A NANNY is a professional caregiver who is employed by a family to provide full-time childcare. An AMAH is a traditional Chinese term for a female domestic servant or nursemaid. A nannie is a British term for a NANNY. A DUO is a pair of nannies who work together to provide childcare. A TYKE is a slang term for a child. KIDS is a slang term for children.