Private check-ins are a crucial tool in many different support situations. You never know what a student or host family member might not be comfortable sharing with the other there or within earshot. In any situation where privately checking in with a student or host family outside of the home is not possible, private check-ins in the home are always an option. Below are important things to consider:
- Does the student have access to their own device (phone, tablet computer, etc)?
- Is there a space or room in the home where the student or a host family member can go to have a private conversation with their liaison, outside of earshot from the rest of the family?
- Is there a time of day, or day of the week, during which it is easier to reach the student or the host family without the other in the home?
We recommend working with your student and host family in advance to identify these spaces and times, as a way of normalizing the fact that you will want to check in privately with them from time to time, as well as all together, and that they might want to talk privately with you.
In the event a student reports possible unsafe conditions in the home or inappropriate host family behavior, we advise you check in with the student in-person and away from the home right away.