Thank you for your interest in hosting one of our students. We have a long established network of fabulous host families who work with us year upon year, and we are very proud to work with such welcoming, caring and fun-loving people! Our families are proud to be associated with us and we would be delighted to welcome you to this special group of people who give and gain much from welcoming a student in to their home.
Here you will find useful information about Our Students Profile, Practical Advice for new host families, details of the Application Process and information on Placement and Payments.
Some students are city dwellers and others live in smaller towns. Their English ability varies person to person, some have only basic English while others are extremely accomplished. All have chosen Ireland as their destination though, and all have selected to participate in a host family experience.
We match our students with you as host families very carefully, which is why we ask you for so much information about your childrens’ ages, hobbies and interests, what type of family you are, your pets and so on. This allows up to make the best possible match in terms of these factors.
The hosting experience is designed to offer our students a unique and enriching opportunity to discover the Irish culture through being part of an Irish family but it is also designed to provide your own family with an enjoyable cultural experience and the opportunity to develop new friendships.
Making your student feel part of the family is the key to a successful stay. First impressions are vital, so we would ask you and your family to please give your student a warm “Irish Welcome”. Some students are very well-travelled while others are leaving home for the first time; either way they will probably feel a little lost for the first few days. Please ensure your student do not hide away in their bedroom, that they eat their meals with your family at all times and please encourage them to become involved with family activities.
We advise all students that they will be treated like a member of the family. As well as all the benefits this brings to your student, such as making them feel welcome and included, it also means that they abide by the rules of your family. Therefore there is no pressure on you to allow your student to do anything that you would not allow your own child to do e.g unsupervised activity, watching horror movies, going to town alone, excessive gaming or any rules that you apply to your own children.
Your student is here is to improve their English language ability. We ask you to persist in encouraging your student to talk with you. Choose simple words to express your ideas at first, speak slowly and as clearly as possible and correct their mistakes.
Remember, we are here to help. If you feel uncertain about anything, please call us. There is a team of us here in the office to answer your queries, and in an emergency you can always reach us on the 24/7 Emergency number. That’s why we are here!
Registration
you can register online by using this form, or give us a call and we can register you over the phone
Garda Vetting
We complete Garda Vetting for all our host families, a practice which is already mandatory across many sectors, including childcare and education. It’s a step towards best practice and we imagine you would hope for the same procedures if your own child was going to stay with a family internationally. Once you have registered, your Welcome Pack includes a Garda Vetting Application form for your completion and to be returned to us.
Home Visit
Following registration, we will be in touch with you to arrange to visit you at home. This gives us both the opportunity to meet in person, put faces to names, and learn a little more about the programme. We also get an idea of your location (rural/urban), in order to make the best match of students. We look at the room where your student would be staying and also have the opportunity to answer any questions you may have.
Placements
we give you all the details about the students profile, the dates of the stay. which programme they have booked, and the details of what is expected of your family for that particular programme
Payments
payments are made to host families by bank transfer and are transferred two to three days prior to the students’ departure