Homestay Guidelines

Homestay Guidelines for Families

The following represents Family Homestay Guidelines to assist you in understanding and adjusting to general areas of interest involved in daily homestay living.

PLEASE review the “Homestay Guidelines” in the Students and Athletes sections to gain a complete understanding as to the expectations that shall be communicated prior to formal placement into your home.

It is vital to the success of every Homestay Florida placement that that both the student(s) / athlete(s) and host families understand each other’s responsibilities in order to promote a smooth homestay transition.

 

Host Family Responsibilities

 

Student's BedroomStudent / Athlete’s Bedroom

Host families are asked to respect the privacy of the student / athlete’s bedroom. Oftentimes, this area serves as a safe haven for a student / athlete who is new to the United States and you may find that the student / athlete will initially tend to spend most of their free time in their bedroom. This is common as they adjust to a new environment and to our culture. Please be patient and softly encourage the student / athlete to interact with your family. Students / athletes are asked to keep their bedroom clean and tidy, Please feel free to discuss your house rules for eating and drinking in the bedroom. Back

MealsMeals

If you are providing homestay for a high school student, you are required to provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. If you are providing homestay for an athlete, meal plans will vary. Note that breakfast will usually consist of toast, cereal, muffins and other self-served, light foods that the student / athlete will typically prepare on their own. They are advised that cooked breakfasts prepared by the host family, especially during the week, are not common in America. We ask the student / athlete to call you either before they leave for school in the morning or immediately after school if they will not be home for dinner, or if they will be late for dinner. Back

CleanlinessGeneral Home Cleanliness

We remind the students / athletes that they are expected to be aware of some general rules of home cleanliness. The following is provided to them:

Bedroom: Please keep your bedroom neat and clean at all times. Make your bed before you leave the home and keep your possessions organized.
Bathroom: Please keep your bathroom clean and personal products (toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brushes, etc.) organized. Please ask your host parents if you are unsure as to the the proper way to use the bathroom (shower curtain, proper disposal feminine hygiene products, etc.). Be respectful and limit your shower time to under 10 minutes.
Kitchen: Please assist in cleaning up after eating with your host family, as well as after preparing food or snacks for yourself. Ask your host family their rules for bringing food or snacks into your bedroom. If they allow this, then make sure to return dirty dishes and glassware to the kitchen and clean them when you are finished. Back

LaundryLaundry

The students / athletes are advised that it is not typical for homestay families to offer to include the laundry washing as part of their homestay, and that most families prefer the student / athlete to do their own laundry. Please show your them how to use the washing machine, provide the basic necessities he or she will need, and communicate the appropriate time(s) to do your their laundry. They are responsible for purchasing any special items that they’ll require. They understand to not use the washing machine to wash only one or two items, as this is wasting water. They’ll be sure to have a half or full load to wash, depending on the settings of the machine.  Back

Cell PhoneCell Phone

Most international students / athletes will arrive with a cell phone. We request that you please be available to assist them in acquiring a cell phone and establishing an account if required. They are advised to be courteous when on their cell phone around the home by talking to others quietly, in a private area of the home, and not in front of any member of your host family or your guests. Back

InternetInternet

Wireless internet must be available. Please keep in mind that most students participate in video-driven, online courses that require a reliable, high-speed internet service, and both students and athletes regularly use the internet to communicate with their families. We request that they ask you before downloading music, making video calls (Skype, QQ, etc.) or watching movies online. They understand that these activities take up a lot of bandwidth and may limit the internet usage for other members of your family. Also, we encourage them to respect their commitment to school work, and refrain from staying up late at night enjoying the internet! Back

Safety and SecuritySafety and Security

Students / athletes should be provided with a door key. Stress to them the need to secure the house should they be the last to leave – many cultures do not experience house break-ins to the extent that we do. Students / athletes staying in America for a reasonably long period are advised to open a bank account and should be discouraged from keeping large sums of money or valuable possessions in their rooms or on their person. Back

Medical InsuranceMedical Insurance

All international high school students and athletes arrive with travel insurance in the event that general healthcare or medical assistance is required. Back

TransportationTransportation

Some host families will be required to be responsible for transportation, depending upon the type of homestay placement. Beyond this, we ask that you be available to assist the students / athletes with reasonable transportation requests, just as you would with your own children. Examples of these would be trips to the mall, visiting with a friend over the weekend, etc. Most of our host families work together in sharing transportation duties, as students / athletes most often participate in activities with their peers. Back

Family ActivitiesFamily Activities

Our international students and athletes often enjoy being included in family activities outside of the home. These include dinners out, trips to the beach, shopping, vacations, etc.

We remind them that they are generally responsible for any expenses outside of the home (clothes, entertainment, movies, meals at restaurants, souvenirs, theme parks, etc.), and to please be prepared to pay for themselves unless otherwise offered by your family. We encourage you to discuss with them the cost requirements prior to any applicable activity in order to avoid potential confusion or awkwardness. Back

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