Au Pair work

I am looking to work as a Au Pair this summer, and received an offer from a family in Western US. They are new to the states, and are not sure about the visa process for me, and neither am I. I know that there are several Au Pair agencies who handle the visas, however they charge families a lot of money. As a Canadian, do I need to go through an Au Pair agency if I am only going to be working for 3-4 months and then returning home? Is there a way to do this cheaper for the family, and how long will it take. Most of the information I have been able to find did not mention Canadians, and as such I am wondering if it is different for us?

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it!

You would definitely need some sort of visa to allow you to work legally, but what kind, I really don't know.

You have to go through Au Pair in America. They are the only agency that deal with Canadian Au Pairs in the US. Yes, you will need to go through them to work legally.