Under 18 Students

Care-Giver (guardian):  your student has a nominated Care-Giver (guardian) who is responsible for the student’s welfare and granting permission for extra-curricular activities.  The Care-Giver should make an appointment to meet you and give you contact details in case you need to discuss or clarify any issues.  The Care-Giver will also have regular follow-up meetings with your student and these meetings will generally be held away from the family home.

Visa:  One of the visa conditions for students under 18 years old requires them to maintain their accommodation, support and welfare arrangements as provided at the time their visa was granted.
If your student wants to move, they must first inform their Care-Giver and their institution to get their approval. All relevant documents need to be completed before a student is allowed to move.

Curfew time:  it is not appropriate for your student to stay out late on a regular basis.  If your student is going out please ask them where they are going and approximately what time they will be home.  If your student is returning home late in the evening, offer them a lift back from the station or if it’s not practicable, remind them to take a taxi, rather than walk.

Staying out:  If your student wants to stay out overnight, they must get their Care-Giver’s approval.  You should speak to their Care-Giver to confirm that approval has been given.  If they are allowed to stay out, your student must tell you where they will be staying and leave a contact phone number for you.  Please do not allow your student to invite their girlfriend or boyfriend to spend the night with them in your homestay. If your student is persistent, please refer the matter to their Care-Giver.

OSHC Health Insurance: under the terms of their student visa, your student is responsible for ensuring that they have valid Overseas Student Health Care cover at all times.  They will be able to attend any public hospital and show their OSHC card.  You should notify their Care-Giver immediately if your student has to be or has been taken to hospital.

Conflict: We encourage Homestay students to work through issues with their directly. This is one of the important challenges presented by the Homestay experience. If you have any difficulties with communication, contact Homestay staff who will endeavour to resolve the issue through mediation with both parties.  You should also contact your student’s Care-Giver to inform them of any issues you may have.

Food: All families are required to supply students with three substantial meals per day. This can be a self served breakfast, packed lunch and a cooked meal for the evening. Student’s lunches can be made up of sandwiches and fruit or possibly dinner left overs from the previous evening. Items like instant noodles and cup-a-soups can be included with the student’s lunch as a snack; however they are not sufficient for a meal.

Please refer to the Monash University Under 18 website for more information.