The Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) is set to revoke the license of Nina Care, the largest au pair agency in the Netherlands, due to serious failings in its screening processes.

The decision follows numerous complaints and fines levied against the agency for neglecting its duty of care. Parents who utilized Nina Care’s services reported a range of issues, including au pairs lacking expected experience, disappearing without notice, and engaging in inappropriate behavior such as drinking alcohol while on duty and mistreating children.

According to Nieuwsuur, parents recounted instances where au pairs displayed a lack of understanding of their responsibilities. One family reported an au pair who drank alcohol while caring for their child and lifted him by one arm in a manner they described as “like a monkey.” The same au pair also made alarming statements about avoiding returning to her home country if she became pregnant and later threatened self-harm when the family considered dismissing her, leaving them feeling unsafe in their own home. The family stated that Nina Care did not offer a solution to the situation and suggested they should have purchased insurance for a replacement au pair.

IND spokesman Gerard Spierenburg emphasized that agencies must act immediately when issues arise, which he said was not happening in this case. Nina Care has been fined 40 times, totaling €100,000, for its failures. Half of the fines were for serious failings.

Nina Care, owned by sisters Jasmijn and Lyla Kok, attributes the problems to “rapid growth” and intends to appeal the IND’s decision. They stated that they believe “those days are behind us.”

In the past year, 2,310 individuals from outside the EU arrived in the Netherlands under the au pair program.