Reviewing your Homestay Guidelines for 2022 & Beyond

At Cornerstone, our members have the unique opportunity to bring relevant challenges to the table and work together (alongside peer organizations) to engineer solutions.

As we adapt to the next evolution of the pandemic and its impact on member organizations, one such topic was brought to the table early in 2022: reintroducing  homestay experiences. 

The Big Questions

Homestays are often the highlight of a student travel experience. They allow students to further immerse themselves in the culture and language of their host community.

To facilitate the most effective homestay experiences, outfitters and organizations are responsible for vetting and selecting homestay families who are aligned with safety policies and able to provide a comfortable and transformational experience for participants responsibly. This alignment with company policies is critical in allowing participants to immerse themselves in the experience without significant concern for their wellbeing. 

But how do we ensure organizational expectations and homestay family vetting is up-to-par for an evolving environment? How should organizations manage disparities with access to COVID-19 vaccinations, boosters, and testing? 

Bringing it to the Table

To bring this topic to light, Cornerstone hosted a series of Homestay Sessions for member and networking group participants to come together and discuss these challenges in hopes of creating a consistent set of guidelines to meet industry needs. 

Today, we’d like to share with you some of the outcomes  and offer an actionable checklist to compare against your current homestay expectations. We hope that as you begin this process, this guide will help give your organization the best chance of continuing to offer these powerful experiences for student travelers in 2022 and beyond!

Key Findings of the 2022 Homestay Sessions

• Throughout 2021, most member organizations paused the homestay portion of their program (or their programs entirely if they were heavily homestay-focused). Many organizations are returning to the inclusion of homestays for 2022 programs.

• While all participating organizations approach homestays differently - some through an outfitter or NGO and others with direct connections to their host families - each provides written expectations and guidelines to the host families to align safety policies. To further strengthen relationships with host families, onsite visits and verbal conversations to reinforce safety procedures are performed as best practice whenever possible.  

• Most organizations are requiring all homestay families to be fully vaccinated - the exception is for homestay experiences that take place in rural/remote environments without consistent access to vaccines. 

• All participating organizations are requiring students to be fully vaccinated before they stay with homestay families. No exceptions are accepted.

• Participating organizations are designing procedures for the following potential situations:  

  • Updating procedures for an illness developed by a homestay family 

  • Updating procedures for an illness developed by homestay student 

  • Updating procedures for vetting homestay families for traditional and essential requirements, as well as health conditions (working to eliminate at-risk families as able) 

  • Creation of assessment for walk-through/home review by leaders on staff or by outfitter using updated guidelines for health and safety

  • Deeper investigation into the host family’s typical activities to understand:

    • Where interaction with outsiders takes place

    • COVID-19 testing or vaccination requirements by the head of household’s employer

    • Family health history, particularly around pre-existing conditions relating to high-risk concerns

    • Actionable procedures for isolation and/or quarantine should an exposure or COVID+ test occur

The Checklist: Adjustments to your 2022 Homestay Expectations

How does your current homestay process align with the current travel environment? Use this checklist to ensure your homestay program is up-to-date.

• Update Homestay Family Expectations 

  • Vaccination policy for homestay families 

  • Vaccination policy for participants/students 

  • Procedure and next steps if a host family member contracts COVID-19 

  • Procedure and next steps if a student staying with a host family contracts COVID-19 

  • Curfews and independent travel guidelines updated for students 

  • Norms for communication between host families and students in and out of the home 

  • Emergency contact information provided both to participants and families 

  • Policy regarding whether visitors to the host family are required to be vaccinated, what the participants’ interactions with visitors will be 

  • Other general example guidelines that should always be included in expectations include: 

    • Curfews and house rules

    • Reminder of Code of Conduct roles including drinking and intimacy guidelines

    • Use of emergency contact cards at all times including how to reach leaders if needed 

    • Local culture and cultural norms relating to being a visitor to a home and local community

    • The importance of cultural understanding

    • The benefits of being flexible

    • Ideas for how to communicate non-verbally when language issues exist

    • Participant medical issues that could cause urgent medical situations during homestays

    • Escalating incidents and/or emergencies

    • Use of masks, proper hygiene, and other Covid-19 precautions

A big thank you from Cornerstone to the participating organizations in the Homestay Sessions! 

Need more guidance or are curious about how Cornerstone Safety Group membership could help you with compliance and connection every step of the way? Contact us at info@cornerstonesafetygroup.org.