Becoming a Host Family for Exchange Students
How to Join a Homestay Program for International Students
Sep 12, 2009
Before applying to become a host family, it's important to review all the expectations and requirements of the homestay program in order to facilitate the application and matching processes.
Why Become a Host Family?
Host families often enjoy the multicultural flavour a homestay student can bring to the home. Foreign students can share recipes, songs and phrases from their culture, introducing children in particular to new experiences.
Host families have sometimes studied or lived abroad themselves, and know the need for international students to have a safe, welcoming environment in which to practice English and feel at home.
In addition, hosting an overseas student can be a fairly painless way to make a little extra income. Families with an extra bedroom and well-organised mealtimes tend to find slotting an extra family member in easy, and homestay programs offer the choice of short-, medium- or long-term exchange students
What is Expected of a Host Family?
To host exchange students, a family must go through the application process. This includes a home inspection, a police check on all family members over 18, and a screening process to determine the family's cultural sensitivity. Most homestay programs require host families to provide students with:
- a bedroom of his own containing a desk and study lamp
- power facilities for laptops, hair dryers etc
- meals – three a day plus snacks for secondary school students, breakfast and dinner plus snacks for tertiary students
- laundry facilities if the student prefers to do his own laundry; otherwise, this is the responsibility of the host family
Deluxe accommodations and facilities such as a swimming pool or ensuite may increase a host family's chances of placement, but are not required.
Some homestay programs also ask the host family to spend a minimum of 30 minutes a day talking to their exchange student in English. This can involve helping with homework or simply chatting while going about daily tasks together. Host families may also be expected to orient their students for the first day of school or Uni, teach them about currency and buses, and provide the student with a small gift when he leaves.
Matching an Overseas Student With a Host Family
Some programs have more detailed matching processes than others. Most allow the host family to select a preferred approximate age and sex; others allow for choices of race and personality (ie. quiet, geeky, a sports fan). Homestay programs require the host family to reveal any religious and dietary preferences in order to ensure the most comfortable match.
Programs for Hosting Exchange Students
Families living near a university can ring the international admissions department to see if the university is affiliated with a particular homestay program. Additionally, international homestay organisations exist which can match host families and students in a wide variety of settings and situations. Cultural Homestay International (CHI) has operated since 1980 and caters for 14 different types of placement, from 3-4 week stays to two-year stays. Another organisation, the International Homestay Agency (IHA), does not require its host families to provide food for their students. IHA categories homes into categories such as “deluxe” and “semi-deluxe”, which reflects luxuries such as high-speed internet and separate bathrooms; the board paid to the host families reflects these categories.
By choosing a suitable hosting exchange program, specifying any demographic information to ensure an appropriate match, and ensuring the home is fully equipped to deal with a homestay student, a host family can look forward to frequent and stress-free placements.
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