Guardianship Structure

 Homestay Australia  PL provides a Guardianship Service for International Students under 18 years via the following guidelines.

Our service provides Parents with a single contact point for their child outside of school hours.

Parents can be assured that their child is well cared for while they study in Australia and that their child complies with their Student Visa requirements as specified by the Department of Immigration, Multicultural & Indigenous  Affairs (DIMIA).

With all homestay accommodation provided to the Under 18 years student, a representative of Homestay Australia PL has visited the premises, a "Work With Children Card"  or Blue Card or Police Clearance has been issued for every member of the family over 18 years and the Host has the required Insurance cover for the student in their home.

Each month, a student is requested to complete the Feedback form.

Homestay Australia PL

Relationship between Homestay Australia PL and Schools 

• All homestay Hosts to deal with Homestay Australia PL directly with reference to any issue – no direct contact with schools is acceptable unless the school has made contact with the Host family first.
• Homestay Australia PL will invoice the student on a monthly basis for the Guardianship fee of a student.
• All students attending a Secondary School must remain in Homestay accommodation. Students who become eighteen years must remain in Homestay accommodation to continue their studies until the end of the academic year.
• Schools and Homestay Australia PL must arrange Information nights for Hosts to meet with staff on a biannual basis and discuss issues pertaining to homestay and to the responsibilities of each party involved.

The Secondary Student’s Responsibilities in homestay 

• Ensure the Host is aware of their health and well being
• Ensure that they are contactable  24/7 by either their school, their Guardian or their Host
• To be responsible for their personal hygiene
• To be responsible for their own study pattern
• To respect the personal space of other members of their home
• To respect the privacy of other members of their home
• To ensure that they become a part of family life and participate in the day to day activities of the family

 Example :

• By not mainly staying in their bedroom when they are home and including themselves in daily family chores.
• Empty the dishwasher
• Clearing up after meals
• By leaving the bathroom as they have found it 
• By minimizing time in the bathroom as a consideration for other family members
• By leaving the kitchen as they have found it
• By being home at the designated meal time

Host Responsibilities for housing a Secondary School Student.

 In the homestay, the host is expected to provide the following service :

 Three meals per day, breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days per week; a single room; furnished and laundry facilities in the homestay. The homestay fee also covers charges for electricity & gas and water.

Day to day care of the students by : 

• Providing healthy meals
• Doing their student's washing and ironing
• Ensuring that a student has acceptable hygiene habits
• Ensuring that a student is coping with living in a foreign country and that their mental well-being is being monitored.
• Ensuring that their student is completing their homework on time.
• Ensuring that their student is attending school on a required basis and has a clear understanding of the local transport systems.

Providing guidelines to their student regarding : 

• Acceptable times to be at home after school and at weekends
• Amount of time on the internet for leisure purposes
• Manners
• Liaising with the student's Guardian on a weekly basis
• Reporting to Homestay Australia PL  behaviour by students which is unsatisfactory
• Reporting to Homestay Australia PL  behaviour by students which is unusual
• Reporting to Homestay Australia PL  behaviour by students which is deemed as inappropriate contact

Example. 

• Smoking in the Home
• Consumption of alcohol
• Unacceptable times home after school and at weekends
• Unacceptable amount of time on the internet for leisure purposes
• Inappropriate display of manners or respect to other members of the home
• Drug use
• Invitation of friends to the home without permission of the homestay

Student Under 18 years requesting to stay overnight away from their Homestay or wishing to travel out of their metropolitan area.

An under 18 student is requested to provide the following details or documents to their school or Guardian if they intend to stay overnight away from their Homestay or to travel anywhere outside of their metropolitan region :

1) The name, contact details and address of the Over-21 adult who will be supervising then during their overnight stay or their travels. Please also include their relationship to the student (e.g. brother, sister, family friend)

2) The travel details / flight information / itinerary of the student as well as the people they are travelling with.

3) A letter/email of consent from the student’s parents stating that they are aware that the child will be staying away from their Homestay home or travelling out of their metropolitan area, also stating the dates of their travel, with whom they will be travelling with, and where they will be staying.

If a student cannot provide the required documents the Host is required to advise the student that they are not allowed to stay overnight away from their Homestay or to travel anywhere outside of their metropolitan region as they will be in breach of their Student visa. Any further issues can be directed to our office. 0400 468 658.

Guardian's Responsibilities 

• Monitor the student's studies by monthly visits to the homestay that the student resides in and to provide a contact point for the school at all times.
• To arrange for the student's leisure and travel activities during the holiday period.
• To arrange their Banking requirements upon arrival
• To arrange purchases of large or costly items (computers, mobile phones)
• To arrange purchase of School Books and School Uniforms
• If required by the students parents, to control the student's finances, i.e..: weekly pocket money
• To sign medical forms as required by the school.
• To transfer their student in the event of illness, to a Medical Centre in order to receive treatment after being advised by the Host Parent.
• To correspond with the parents of the student on a monthly basis as to the welfare of their son or daughter by email.
• To ensure the student complies with any visa requirements as required by the Australian Government. i.e.: attendance, non changing of accommodation without the expressed permission of the school the student attends
• To notify Homestay Australia PL  of any grievance between the student and the homestay host in order for Homestay Australia P/L to initiate Critical Incident Procedures.
• To attend parent teacher meetings as required per term.
• To change their student's homestay accommodation upon request (depending on the reasons provided and in conjunction with Homestay Australia PL )
• To Liaise with the Host Family on a weekly basis.
• Assisting the student with the arrangement of their telephone/mobile/internet connection.

Role of the School for the International Student.

The School is responsible for the overall welfare of the student. They are required to : 

• give the department a signed statement confirming that appropriate arrangements have been made for the student’s accommodation, support and general welfare during their stay in Australia 

• notify the department in writing of any changes to the care arrangements. Additionally, students are required to obtain their education provider's approval to change these arrangements if they wish to do so after their arrival in Australia.

Homestay Australia PL