Become a host family
Become a host family
Hosting is not complicated, but it does ask something of you: a spare room, three meals a day and genuine interest in a young person.
Is hosting right for you?
Good hosts provide a safe home, a warm welcome and an interest in a young person’s experience. What matters most is a happy, settled household where a student can feel part of family life.
Hosting can suit families, couples and individuals with a suitable spare room, the right checks and a genuine willingness to make an international student feel welcome.
Your first placement
We do not just send a student and disappear
New hosts get information and support before the first arrival, and always know how to reach our team.
After checks and training are complete, we talk through availability and the types of placements that suit your household, then contact you when we have a potentially suitable student.
Between placements
Host when it works for your household
Being part of the network does not mean being available all the time.
Tell us when you can host, when you cannot and what types of stay work best for your household. You remain in control of your availability between placements.
Start here
What hosting involves
The room, the meals, the routine and the reality.
Read moreChecks and training
DBS*, home visit, references and safeguarding training.
Read moreSupport for hosts
Someone to call, and someone who visits.
Read moreApply to host
Start your application online and we will call you to talk it through.
Apply online
* The enhanced UK Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks criminal records to help confirm a person’s suitability to host children in their home.
What others say
It wasn’t just about the money because it has become a way of life for me. I love it when they tell me about their families, home and country.
Common questions
What is expected of a host family?
A clean, comfortable home, a private bedroom, three meals a day, and a genuine welcome. Most of all: an interest in the student as a person.
Do I need experience?
No. We train and support every host family, and there is always someone to call. Many of our hosts started with no experience at all and have hosted for years.
What checks are involved?
A DBS* check for every household member over 16, an interview, a home visit, references and safeguarding training. We review placements regularly.
* The enhanced UK Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks criminal records to help confirm a person’s suitability to host children in their home.
Am I paid?
Yes. Payment depends on location and the type of stay. We will explain the rates when we talk.
Apply to host
Tell us about your home and your household. We aim to answer our enquiries within 1 working day, and we will call you to talk it through.