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Involving Your Student In Family Activities
Involving Your Student In Family Activities

Are you required to take your student out to dinner and on family trips? Do you have to be home? What about vacations? Find answers here.

Updated over a week ago

Involving Your Student In Family Activities

While we encourage you to include your student in family activities as much as possible, you do not have to include them in everything. It is important that your student feels welcomed as part of the family, but we understand that you need time for the other relationships and friendships in your life.

We encourage you to involve your student in things like:

  • Family dinners and game nights

  • Hiking, trips to the lake, beach days, exploring the nature around your city, etc.

  • Going out to a family movie, going to an amusement park, etc.

  • Trips to the city, museums, shopping, etc

When it's certainly okay NOT to involve your student:

  • Your personal routines: your morning walk, working out, quiet time, etc.

  • Date nights with your significant other

  • Individual bonding time planned with your child

  • Work events, happy hours, clubs are you involved in, etc.

💡Tip: Students will also need their own privacy, especially at the beginning — they'll need some time to adjust to this massive shift in surroundings. A huge part of your student's experience abroad will involve you/your family, but school activities, sports and friendships are important too! Try to leave some margin in your student's life so that they have time to make friends.

Do I have to be home all the time?

Nope! You need to be at home to welcome your student when they arrive and help them set up in their new city, but you don’t have to stay home every time the student is home. You will need to make sure your students have a key to get in and out of the house if you're not around.

Vacation Policy:

Over 18 students may remain in at home (if host is comfortable with it); under 18 students require overnight supervision at all times.

You are welcome to invite your student to join you on vacation if you wish! Alternatively, if the student is over 18, and you are comfortable with it, they can remain in your home while you are away. You must let the student know in advance and ensure they are getting all the services and meals you’ve agreed to provide while you are away.

If your student is under 18, they will require overnight supervision at all times. A host family member or adult designated by the host may stay with the student (if SRS has vetted that person). If necessary, SRS can help to provide a temporary host for your student while you are on vacation.

Payments for Vacations, etc.

The host stipend will help cover many costs, but just talk with your student ahead of time about any extra entertainment or travel expenses. Typically, the student would pay for anything that is outside of the homestay hosting agreement. If you want to take your student on a family vacation, but they are unable to afford it, you cannot force them to go and have them be (or feel) indebted to you.

Can my student travel on their own/with friends?

Your student is welcome to go on trips! To ensure your safety, students over-18 must submit a student travel request form to the SRS team. For under-18 students, the third party travel confirmation form must be completed the host family and submitted to SRS.

These forms are due at least two weeks before your student's trip! If this form is not completed & submitted on time, permission to go on a trip may be denied.

→ Download the Student Travel Request Form (for students 18+)

→Download the Third Party Travel Confirmation Form (for hosts of students under-18)

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