Homestay is the most important component contributing to the success of an international student’s study program. At times, international students may encounter problems academically, socially or culturally; but with the understanding, patience, kindness and care provided by a supportive homestay family, our international students can achieve academic success and take home some wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.
The homestay program at our school is governed by Education Queensland International (EQI). To ensure welfare responsibilities are met and maintained, EQI has developed policy and procedures by which the school, student and homestay provider must abide.
Hosting
Homestay providers receive a fortnightly allowance to provide homestay accommodation and access to home facilities as listed below:
Provide a clean and tidy home close to school and to public transport service.
Provide a safe and secure private bedroom with suitable storage space.
Provide suitable facilities for study, including a desk, chair and adequate lighting.
Allow access to kitchen, bathroom and laundry facilities.
Allow access to household items, such as towels, sheets, blankets and eating/cooking utensils.
Provide the student/s with a house key or access to alarm codes .
Provide three healthy and sustaining meals a day including access to snacks.
Provide access to television, telephone and internet facilities (negotiated).
Maintain suitable supervision of the student/s in their care.
Blue Card
Homestay providers are considered to be “engaged in regulated employment”, as a volunteer, for the purposes of the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000 (“the WWC Act”).
Each adult residing in a homestay home is taken to be a volunteer engaged in regulated employment, and must either hold a current Blue Card or positive Exemption Card (Queensland teachers and police officers only) before a student can be placed in the homestay home.
If a homestay applicant does not hold a current Blue Card, our staff will submit an application to Blue Card Services using the Blue Card Application Form. The homestay provider application can only be approved if a positive notice (Blue Card) is issued.
If a homestay provider applicant already holds a current Blue Card through an organisation other than our school, our staff will submit the Link an applicant/cardholder to this organisation form to Blue Card services. Once this notification has been made, the WWC Act requirements have been met unless Blue Card Services informs the school otherwise.
Blue Card
Privacy statement
The Department of Education through Springfield Central State High School is collecting personal information in accordance with Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 for your expression of interest in homestay. The information will only be accessed by Department of Education. The information will not be given to any other person or agency unless consent is provided.