Host Family Terms and Conditions

Home stay accommodation is not the same as staying in a guest house or in a hotel, it is a stay with a friendly welcoming family where students are treated as members of the family and have the opportunity to speak English and interact with a Family.
Students should join in family life as much as possible and behave with respect and courtesy to the host family at all times.

Arrival:

Host families who agree to host students should meet them at the local point of entry to the city (Airport, Train or Bus station).If for whatever reason you cannot meet them personally you are required to pay for a taxi to collect them. Transfers are included in your weekly rate.
Host families will have house rules which they will tell students at the beginning of their stay, these rules will include information on the use of the kitchen, bathroom, laundry etc.

Meals

Meals are to be provided by the host family in accordance with normal family life and household routine and should be varied and nutritious.
Breakfast normally consists of cereal, toast and juice, tea/coffee or a warm breakfast
Lunch is a full packed lunch which should be varied and normally consist of substantial sandwiches, a drink, fruit and a snack. This is dependant in whether lunches are pre agreed with partnership International.
Dinner will be the normal family evening meal. We advise students to inform their host families if there are any foods they cannot eat, but in general students are expected to fit into the normal household routine. Please note that students are also entitles to hot meals.
Please remember that students are living with the host family as part of the household and therefore should keep their bedroom clean and help the family clear up after dinner etc.
Families should provide towels, and change bed linen once a week and will also do a student’s laundry once a week.
In Ireland, it is customary to say PLEASE and THANK YOU, when asking for or receiving things, and families maybe offended if you don’t use these polite terms.

Use of the Bathroom / Kitchen etc.

Students should have access to have one shower a day in the host family, but should be careful of the time they spend in the bathroom and the amount of hot water they use as homes are often busy, and students should be aware of other’s needs. It is also normal to clean the bath/shower/wash basin after each use.
Students should respect the use of communal areas including the living room, TV room and must not take over any space that is normally shared by other members of the family.
Should a student damage or break any item, their parents will be asked to compensate the family where appropriate, (in certain instances household insurance may cover some of the cost).
**Partnership International takes no responsibility for any such damage.

Smoking/Alcohol.

Smoking is not allowed in the family home, unless the family state differently. Students under 18 years of age or those attending school / summer programmes are not allowed to consume alcohol, whether it is inside the home or outside the home and should not enter pubs. This is regardless of what is permitted in their own homes or home countries.

Telephone Calls

Students must ask permission to make out going telephone calls from the host family home. Students should ask their own families/friends to call their host family house at a reasonable time and limit the length of call.
Going to School or work and Coming Home. Students can take a bus and use their bus and rail pass.
Families are only expected to help students find the school on the first day and will not drive students to school or collect them after school.
Students need to fit into the family routine, in some families parents work and will not be home before 5pm, junior students should check this with the family.

Junior student Home Supervision

If a family, for any reason, will not be at home with the students in the evening, or are away for the night, the school should be informed and the family should arrange for a responsible adult minder for the student. In no circumstances should a student be left to look after themselves, regardless of the freedoms they have in their own country. This is in order to protect the student, the family and the family home. Students attending a youth programme/under 18 years of age, should not stay out overnight unless Partnership International receives written notification with parental permission in advance.

House Key

It is up to the discretion of the host family whether they give students a key to the home.
We advise parents of junior students pre departure to set their own limitations and not allow them to leave the local area during this time. Students are not permitted to go to the city centre at night, or attend discos/other such events not arranged by Partnership International. During their free time (evenings/Sundays) parents should note that juniors don’t take part in organized activities and need to have been given limitations/rules etc. by their own parents to ensure their own safety.
Sunday is a day where students can choose to spend the day with their host family or with friends.

Curfew for juniors:

All students attending a Youth Programme must be home no later than 10pm each night. It is the host family’s responsibility to ensure that students are home and safe by 10pm, if a student is not home, the host family must inform the school by using the emergency phone number. Students who disobey this curfew rule will be expelled.
Students attending an Adult programme should inform host family of any late night home arrivals.

Medical Emergencies

Host families should deal with any emergencies in the same way they would with a member of their own family. This may require phoning the police/ambulance or doctor.
Partnership International should be informed of any such emergencies. European Students should have a European Medical Insurance card with them, this will cover both hospital and private practice visits and some prescriptions.
Students from outside the EU should arrange private medical insurance for the duration of their stay. All medical costs and associated costs should be covered by the student where insurance does not cover costs. Students should have sufficient funds to cover necessary visits to doctors/dentists etc.

Problems with Host family Stays

While it is unlikely that you have any problems during a home stay, here are some recommendations in the event of a problem:
First of all talk and discuss any problem and try to find a solution between student and host family
If the problem continues or you feel you cannot deal with the situation email info@192.168.1.4 with a full report (we need all reports in writing as to report back to our international partners) and we will call back to offer advice.
It is important to look at any problem from both perspectives to find a solution. In the event that either the Host family or the Student is unhappy with the arrangement, Partnership International will where possible & appropriate place the student in alternative accommodation.
Please note: We have policies in place to ensure that host families are of a proper standard and we receive feedback from students on each host family stay, this feedback along with an inspection by our host family coordinator allows us recommend families to students. Partnership International accepts no responsibility for any instances occurring during the home stay for damage or loss incurred etc.

Departure: Families are expected to bring their students back to the airport, Bus or Train station in good time for their flight, bus or train departure.