HOST FAQS

English should be spoken as frequently as possible in the presence of your student.You do not need to be a native English speaker. However, one of the main objectives of homestay is for students to improve their English speaking skills by conversing with the family. On arrival,student’s English ability may vary but all students will speak some English.

When completing the Host Application you can list any preferences. You are never obligated to host any students.

If you are going to be away from the homestay overnight for any reason, you must ALWAYS advise Auzzie Families prior to any absence and discuss any temporary care arrangements. Failure to do so is considered a serious breach and could result in the removal of students. All planned holidays must be advised to our office at least two weeks in advance. For students over 18 years old, there are three options:

1. You are welcome to invite your student to join you on a holiday. If you invite them to come along and don’t plan to pay their way (you are never obligated to pay their way), just let them know in advance what the costs will be so they can decide whether it fits with their budget.
2. If the student wishes to stay at home and you are happy to leave them at home (over 18 students only) you are still responsible for upholding your hosting duties while you are away. You must let your student/s know in advance. You must arrange an alternative adult to prepare the meals for your student/s in your absence.
3. If you want the student to be transferred to a temporary homestay while you are away, a minimum of 2 weeks notice is required. You may be requested to drop your students to the temporary homestay and collect them on your return. A placement fee for temporary homestay arrangements may be applicable.
   

If your student is Under 18 they are NOT allowed to stay at home alone. Please contact Auzzie Families immediately and we will arrange a temporary homestay for the student whilst you are away. There may be an option to have an approved adult stay in your home with the student for the entire duration of the holiday/absence at the discretion of Auzzie Families and the relevant Education Provider.

Please try to include your student with your family activities as much as possible. You are not obligated to include them in everything. The Homestay Fees will help to cover certain costs.

If you don’t want to cover the expense of a meal out or an outing, please talk with your student before going out. Advise the approximate cost involved and allow them to decide whether or not they would like to go with the family. Showing a student around and giving them new experiences can be beneficial for everyone.

So don’t miss an opportunity to be a great host and give your student something to remember!

Should the student decide to stay at home, a regular meal must be provided for the student while you are eating out.

Auzzie Families provides professional support 24/7. Our emergency number 0419 628 168 and is strictly for emergency events and/or critical incidents only.Some examples of emergencies are:

• A natural disaster in your area such as bushfires, floods or storms
• An arrest or detention
• Student is under the influence of drugs or severe alcohol abuse
• A student has a serious illness
• Missing student or under 18 student breaks curfew and/or cannot be located
• Student is involved in a car accident and is injured
• Medical emergency where the student attends or is admitted to hospital
• A student shows signs of mental illness and/or self harm

Students must go on holiday for a minimum of 1 week before the holiday retainer fee applies (Please refer to our website for the latest holiday retainer fee).

Students who wish to return home for holidays must complete the Auzzie Families’ Temporary Leave Form and ask for your signature on the form as well as providing a copy of their return flight ticket and/or flight itinerary to verify the dates and destination. Auzzie Families must then be notified by you or the student of any holiday plans.

Students who go away for an extended period may ask to have their room kept on or their belongings stored for them. Holiday retainer is applicable for their room for the period they will be away (calculated on a weekly base only). No internet fee applies during holiday periods.

Storage arrangements and rates MUST be discussed with Auzzie Families.

If a student does not return by their curfew, attempt to contact the student via mobile and/or other forms of social media such as WeChat, Facebook or WhatsApp.

If there is a simple explanation and the student returns home within 30 minutes after the curfew, please contact Auzzie Families during business hours only to advise.

However, should you be unable to make contact with your student and they do not return home up to 30 minutes after the curfew, please contact Auzzie Families immediately on 0419 628 168 and we will assist you in trying to locate the student and notify all necessary parties.

For a minor illness such as the flu, please assist the student to visit your local doctor(GP), if possible. Please note: a consultation fee will charged by the doctor and the student can claim a partial refund from their Health Insurance.

Student’s are responsible for all medical costs.

In case of serious illness, please take the student to the nearest Hospital Emergency Department for care and contact Auzzie Families immediately!

Should the student need any time off from school, they must obtain a medical certificate from either the doctor or hospital. If the student is admitted to hospital, please quote the student Health Insurance Number and ask the hospital to contact the student’s Health Insurer for the costs related to the hospital visit.

All under 18 students are not permitted to travel interstate unless on an approved school excursion. Any interstate travel other than an approved school excursion must be approved by their Education Provider.

Please advise Auzzie Families immediately if you believe your student is planning any travel.

Food issues are common with overseas students when they first arrive. Students are from diverse backgrounds and often eat very differently in their home countries. Most Asian students are used to a cooked breakfast and lunch everyday and rice or noodles with dinner.

However, you are not required to provide a hot breakfast or lunch for your student. Please try to be mindful of your student’s background and provide a variety of well balanced meals. We encourage you to discuss with your student their food preference and try to introduce them gradually to your style of family meals.

Students should eat dinner with your family regularly to help them practice their English and assimilate with Australian meals. Students should be encouraged to purchase their own snacks and to store them appropriately, preferably not in their bedroom.

Remind your student not to leave food scraps in their room as this can attract cockroaches and mice.

Rules for a sleepover vary between Education Providers.

For an under 18 student attending public high school, a sleepover is permitted with another homestay family registered with Auzzie Families and/or another registered homestay provider approved by the Department of Education.

Approval must be sought from Auzzie Families prior to the student’s sleepover. For all other under 18 student’s, the student must seek approval for a sleepover from their Education Provider and we will notify you once the arrangement is approved.

Keeping their room tidy is part of the student’s responsibilities. Many students from overseas are not used to doing household chores such as tidying up and cleaning their bedrooms.

It is strongly recommended that you include this topic in your orientation with the student, on their arrival. Please discuss with your student your expectations on a regular basis. Show them how to do tasks, if necessary supervise.

Remind your students to clean up as many teenagers struggle with this task!

It is wise to form good habits from the moment the students arrive in your home. Do not leave the situation until it develops into a major problem. Always address issues as they arise.

Homestay is for students only! Your student’s parents should organise their own accommodation prior to their arrival. Hosts are not encouraged to allow student’s parents to stay in the homestay.

Should you allow them to stay with your family, they should stay in a seperate room to the student. Auzzie Families will not be involved with accommodation fees associated with your student’s parents. It is outside our MOU with you and any liabilities/disputes that arise are born by the host.

You must notify Auzzie Families and your student’s Education Provider prior to any visitors staying in your home whilst a student is staying.

If any of your visitors are over 18, a valid volunteer Working with Children Check is required, if they stay with you for more than 7 days.

Once your student turns 18, he/she can decide if homestay is still required. It is highly recommended that high school students stay until they complete their HSC.

If your student decides to move out after he/she turns 18, a signed variation form is requested to be completed by both you and the student and submitted to your consultant at Auzzie Families. If your student wishes to extend their stay beyond their 18th birthday, please advise Auzzie Families as the weekly homestay fee may change.

Please note: Auzzie Families will manage the student’s homestay fee throughout the duration of their stay with you. Once a student turns 18, the new homestay fee will be advised accordingly.

In general, cooking is not encouraged in homestay for safety reasons. It is the host’s responsiblity to provide cooked evening meals everyday for the student.

However, on occasion, if you are comfortable with allowing your student to use the stove to boil dumplings/noodles or to make fried rice, adult supervision is essential at all times!

No cooking is permitted in bedrooms.