Home Stay Students Application Form:

AU PAIR SOLUTION invites you and your family to enjoy an enriching and rewarding experience of becoming a host family. Every year, AU PAIR SOLUTION welcomes many foreign students to Ireland. Staying with a family is a very important part of learning English and becoming familiar with Irish culture and way of life. For both our culture and our economy, it's a mutually rewarding experience.

For the host family, it's a fascinating and rewarding experience, and an opportunity to see Ireland through fresh eyes and to get a window into another culture. For your generosity of spirit, you'll be financially rewarded for each student who stays with you. AU PAIR SOLUTION have dedicated Student Welfare Officer in all Irish counties, who ensures that our Host family standards are maintained.

Update:
Over the last month Home Stay Host Families have asked me a few important questions which I will answer below. Please read them as it might help your query.

1. Do I pay the €50 Home Stay Application fee on a yearly basis?
Yes, unless you do not receive a student during your year, the fee will be brought forward to the next year. i.e. if you apply in September 2009 your fee will cover until September 2010.

2. Will I have to accept any student you offer me?
Not at all. When we find a suitable student for your family, we will offer their details to you. If you are happy with the details, you can accept the student into your home. If the student, time of year, duration or any other detail does not suit you, we will offer you the next available student. Rejecting an student application does not affect your application. Both parties have to be happy with the match and that's the main goal we strive for.

Who can host a student?

Our Host Families come in all shapes and sizes, and can include:

The Role of the Host Family:

First and foremost, the student should feel welcome and be well looked after and treated as a member of the family during his/her stay. The family must be friendly and interested in the students they host. The Host Family accommodation should be clean and well-maintained throughout. Host families may be visited and inspected by AU PAIR SOLUTION to assess their suitability and monitored on a regular basis.

Please keep in mind…

Please keep in mind that your student will probably find it difficult to understand spoken English for the first few days as he/she may have been trained through American or British English and will be a little confused with Irish accents. You just need to speak slowly and encourage the student to use their dictionary to find the key words he/she needs. It is also important to consider that your student may be a little shy and overwhelmed with the cultural differences at first. We find that students usually settle in after about four days. Activities such as watching television, reading newspapers and interacting with native speakers are the most natural ways to learn a language. Please ensure that your student carries your name, address and telephone number at first, as Irish names will be difficult for them.

Please also make sure that the student knows some basic directions, for example, the way to town, local shops etc. We would like you to think of your student, first and foremost, as one of the family. Our primary requirement is that the student should be well looked after during their stay.

The following facilities should be available to the student:

What is expected of the student?

Meals

We ask you to provide breakfast and an evening meal. There is no need to provide a special menu and the student should be prepared to share the same meals as the family and respect your family mealtimes. However, everybody appreciates a balanced and varied menu and most foreign students find potatoes served most days very strange!

We advise that you also include your student in taking part in the cooking. This might give your family a great insight to different foreign menus. Most of the junior groups require full-board accommodation- this includes breakfast, a packed lunch and evening meal. If your student is coming home late for meals, please ask them to come in time. If you have a problem making your student understand your house rules, please contact AU PAIR SOLUTION.

Laundry

We ask you to include the student's clothes in your usual family laundry routine, or provide reasonable access to the washing machine. If the student has any special preferences, such as dry cleaning, special care hand-washing etc., he/she must take care of this.

Telephone

Your student's family may want to telephone the student at your home number on the first day. Most students purchase a telephone card when they arrive. If students are staying long term they usually purchase a mobile telephone. Many students supply their own laptop and use Skype for their international calls. Please discuss with your students the best times she could make use of the home computer or Internet. The student is aware that he/she must ask your permission to use the phone, even for calls made at no charge to you.

We recommend that all calls be made under your supervision. If you are worried about your student using the telephone in your absence, either lock away the telephone or use a locking device for your own peace of mind. We cannot accept responsibility for any calls made in your home by your student. If the student wishes to make local calls to their friends staying in local host families, we recommend you charge 50 cent for a short call, although there is no obligation
on your part to allow use of your phone.

We have found that the Talkxtra prepaid and topup card is far the best for international calls and can be requested at your post office. Of course, skype is always the best way to call for the students as it is free skype to skype.

Social Life

Your student will probably meet up with friends in the evenings and at weekends. Your student (if over 18 years of age) is legally allowed to consume alcohol, but will be made aware that he/she must respect the house rules of the host family and not disturb you while coming in at night. In the unlikely event that you encounter a problem, please report it to us immediately. You are not asked to provide a special social program for your student, but you or your children may like to include them when going out. It is up to you if you want to provide the student with a key of the house; however, you are not obliged to do so. It is understandable that this may not be suitable for houses which use burglar alarms. Many families have both partners working, and if you do not wish your student to have friends back to the house in the afternoon in your absence, please make the student aware of this house rule.

Airport Collection

Inward and outward airport transfers are provided by the host family. We advise the Host Family to advise the student on transport to their home and be at home on their arrival day to welcome the student into their home. Better yet, if possible, it would be good for both parties if the Host Family could collect the student from the Airport. Arrangements should be made before departure of the student from her home country. Some students wish to stay on with families after their agreed duration. If you are interested in accommodating students long-term, please let us know so that we can update your file.

Payment

Payments are made at the beginning of each week by your student. We advise that you arrange with your student the exact day of the week the fee will be paid.

Problems

As the students are from a different culture and away from home for the first time, sometimes difficulties can occur. Usually, it is just a communication problem. In the rare event that there is an irreconcilable problem with your student, we will do our best to resolve the situation. If it is necessary, we will move the student into alternative accommodation for the rest of their stay.