Become a Host Family

Interested in inviting an international student into your home for a short 3 months, a full school year, or even for a few years through to graduation?

qathet School District in Powell River has an amazing opportunity for Powell River families to experience getting to know students from around the world. If you are interested in welcoming a student into your home, showing them the best of Powell River, and providing an authentic Canadian family experience, please apply to be a host family.

Criteria for becoming a host family:

As we know families come in many different shapes and sizes. Canada is also multicultural with families from many backgrounds speaking many languages.

Here are the criteria that is used to select host families:

A “family” can consist of:

A single host mother or father with or without children
A retired couple
Couples without children
A traditional family with children

2. English must be the language spoken in the home when students are present.

Process for applying to become a host family:

Once you have decided that you would like to become a host family in our homestay program, the following process is followed.

Fill in the SD 47 application to become a host family package.
The homestay coordinator will review your application.
The homestay coordinator will contact you to arrange an interview and a visit to your home.
You will have an interview and home visit before final approval.
If accepted into the program, you will be put on the list of families and await the placement of a student.
A criminal record check for every adult member of the family must be completed before students will be placed in the home.
The homestay coordinator works hard to match students with families.

Physically, the prospective home should provide the student with:

Bedroom

Each student have their own bedroom with the appropriate privacy and free from objects belonging to the family.
A room which has adequate light, a comfortable bed, chest of drawers, closet and a desk (if a desk is not provided in the room, a study area must be available).
Pillows, bed linen, curtains
Another guest or family member cannot share the student’s bedroom.

Bathroom

Access to a bathroom with towels, toilet paper, bathmats and shower curtains

Expectations of the homestay family:

Once the above conditions have been met, what do we expect from our host families?

Ideally, we would like our host parents to treat the student as though they were a member of the family. Once we place a student in a homestay, the following is expected from the host families.

*Ensure that house insurance is sufficient to cover potential liability, property or accident claims. Many insurance companies have special clauses or riders for boarders.

Food

Three nutritious meals a day
Reasonable snacks and beverages
Breakfast is either prepared for the student (if that is the custom of the family) or breakfast foods must be available for the student to prepare their own
A bag lunch (either made by the student or the host parent)
Dinner at a scheduled or communicated time
If the family chooses to eat dinner out, the student should either join (and the homestay pay for the meal) or food/dinner left for the student.
The family can ask that a student help with the dinner, either setting the table, helping with the preparation, or clearing the table after, but only if other members of the family contribute also.

A Safe Environment

Criminal record checks must be completed for every adult member of the family living in the home.
Doors that lock appropriately, smoke detectors, etc.
Home that is sufficiently warm.
Tidy, clean home to meet reasonable standards.
Supply a house key and explain appropriate security procedures.
Students should be treated in kind, comfortable and appropriate manner.
The home should be free of harassment and unhealthy guests.
Ensure adult supervision of the host student at all times.
Students attending high school programs cannot be left alone overnight. Arrangements must be made by the host family to have an adult over the age of 25 living in the home if they are planning to go away or other alternative arrangement in place so that adult supervision of the student is maintained. Contact the homestay coordinator if assistance is required.

Parenting

Students may be elementary or secondary student age and must be cared in the appropriate manner for a child, youth or teenager.
Reasonable house rules be visible and explained.
Treat the student as you would your own child in terms of expectations, chores, rules, consequences, etc. and inform program staff when problems arise.
Help the student to meet their needs upon arrival including helping orientate to public transportation, establishing phone plan, etc.
Understanding of cultural differences, culture shock, and patience and support for the student in adapting to Canadian family norms.
Helping the student access healthcare when needed.
Support the student in attending school, homework help, etc. when needed.
Ongoing communication with international program staff as needed.
Ensuring the student’s general health and well-being.
Providing rides as the parent deems reasonable and for good reason.
Communication with school when needed, reading memos from the school and responding to communication from teachers.
Notification to the school when the student will be absent due to illness.
Parents should not ask the homestay students to provide babysitting services or undertake major housecleaning chores.

Cultural & Family Experience

Treat the student as a member of the family.
Attempt to engage the student in some local recreational and cultural experiences (walks or hikes, movie theater, etc.)
Help to orientate the student to the community of Powell River (visit to the recreation center, park, etc.)
Students are to be included in family-related activities (holiday celebrations, family dinners, family outings to a park, skating, McDonalds).
The international homestay program provides guidelines that may be used as they fit with each individual families’ routines and family life.
Be sensitive to cultural differences both personal and family and help support the student in adapting.

Money

The homestay fee is set by the Powell River School District.
No advance rent, damage, and/or telephone deposits may be charged. If there are specific charges related to internet connection, please notify the homestay coordinator.
Students should have their own access to money, homestay families may need to help at their discretion if the student has a banking issue, etc.
When the student joins the family for a meal out, it should be paid for by the family.
Students are responsible for their own entertainment costs. For example, if the student accepts an invitation to join the family on a ski trip, the host family is not responsible for paying ski lift costs.
Costs should be explained to the student before they accept invitations for planned trips and entertainment.
Students will pay the full fee during winter and spring break even if they are not in the home.
Fees should not be charged to store the student’s belongings over summer months if the student is returning to the same home.
Family should not assume any legal or financial responsibility for a student (such as signing for phone services, internet services, or loans, etc.).

Number of Students

No more than two international students will reside in a home. Occasionally, 3 students may be in the same home under special arrangement.
If there are two students, they must be of different nationalities (for example Mexican and Japanese) This forces the use of English between the students. The occasional exception to this may be for short-term students or emergency homestay placements, but only when approved by the program.
Families are not permitted to accommodate anyone of the same nationality or language as the Powell River School District student residing in your home unless approved by the international office.

Conflict Resolution

Sometimes the relationship between the student and the family breaks down, significant issues arise, the student has complaints about the family, or the family has complaints about the student. There is a process followed in attempts to resolve conflicts in a manner that is respectful of the student and the family.

Communicate the issues early on to the homestay coordinator.
Homestay coordinator will meet with both parties to understand the issue and provide mediation, recommendations, etc. All efforts are made to resolve the conflict.
Family visits may take place to investigate complaints from either party.

If the conflict is not resolved:

Host families are given the right to sufficient notice if a student chooses to leave the homestay. This will be coordinator with the homestay coordinator.
Similarly, the host family must give the student sufficient notice if they wish to have a student leave their home.
Generally, two weeks notice is given before a move, and/or the beginning of a new month.
All moves are organized by the homestay coordinator.
The homestay program has the right to remove a student from a family if there are violations of the homestay rules and expectations.
If a family is not living up to the required expectations or if the homestay environment is deemed, in any way, to be unsafe, we have the right to move the student immediately without the usual notice.
A student will be removed from the homestay if they are abusing the family’s rules; a student may be dismissed from the International Student Program if he/she violates homestay rules.
The homestay family must notify the homestay coordinator immediately if there are any problems or concerns.

Support for Families

The Powell River School District international program has a homestay coordinator and program administrator who provide ongoing support and guidance for homestay families.
Parents must attend the yearly homestay family information meeting that provides information and guidelines to families.
Homestay coordinator and/or program administrator are available outside of school hours for emergencies and general support when needed.
The homestay family must notify the homestay coordinator immediately if there are any problems or concerns.
Homestay families are invited to events such as an annual family banquet, farewell barbecue, etc.
There are both new and long-term experienced families that provide support for one another.