A Visit is an overnight stay within the host community of one or more nights with a family or an individual outside of the current Host Family. The student plans to return to their current Host Family.
If the student will not be returning to their original host family, this is considered a Move.
If the student is spending the night away from the host community without the host parents, it is considered Travel.
These guidelines are designed to maintain the integrity of AFS Programs while complying fully with Department of State requirements regarding where participants can stay. AFS is responsible for participants’ safety and well-being, and AFS must know a participant's whereabouts at all times in the event of an emergency.
Visit Requirements
The length of time that the student is away from their current Host Family determines the requirements regulating where the student can stay and what screening is required. Please see the table below that outlines the requirements based on the length of stay.
Seven nights or less
A visit of seven nights or less can be with either an Event Family or a fully-screened Host Family. In specific cases, Prudent Parent may apply.
More than seven nights
A visit of over seven nights must always be with a fully-screened Host Family.
Regardless of the length of the visit, the local team must always notify their Regional Field Specialist of the visit ahead of time.
|
Situation |
Maximum Duration |
Host Family Application Needed |
Notes |
|
Spend the night with a friend of the student, or with a friend or relative of the host family, in the host community |
4 nights |
No |
If arranged by Host Family and student will be returning, Prudent Parent applies* |
|
Spend the night with a friend or relative of the host family in the host community |
More than 4 nights |
Yes** |
|
|
Host parents will be out of town and want AFS to find a place for the student to stay |
Any |
Yes** |
Prudent Parent does not apply since AFS is arranging the stay |
|
Host parents will be out of town and have a close friend or relative who can stay with the student in their home |
Any |
No |
Prudent Parent applies; background check is required for supervising adult(s) |
|
Spend the night with the liaison |
Any |
Yes* |
|
|
Spend the night with another AFS student |
Any |
No (already done) |
If more than 7 nights, Double Placement PPW is required. |
|
Team is having an Event in which students will stay with a family overnight |
7 nights |
Yes** |
|
|
Student is having support issues and will stay with a volunteer overnight |
Any |
Yes |
Any support-related stay for any length of time requires a full Host Family Application. |
|
Student will stay with an Event Family upon arrival because the Permanent Host Family will be out of town |
7 nights |
Yes** |
Only if student already has a fully-screened Welcome or Permanent placement |
In all cases, the current Host Family must tell their Liaison and/or Area Support Coordinator where the student will be and how to contact the student and Host Family or Prudent Parent family.
* Students cannot stay with their liaison under the Prudent Parent guidelines. If the student is to stay with their liaison, the liaison must have completed a Host Family application and an interim liaison must be assigned.
** An Event Host Family application can be used for stays of 7 nights or fewer. A full Host Family Application must be used for longer stays.
Exceptions for Events
The following conditions apply only in Events:
- More than two participants may stay with the same Event Family.
- Participants who are from the same country or who speak the same native language may stay with the same Event Family.
- Inflatable or convertible beds may be used.
- Supplemental Placement Paperwork (double placement, one member household, or same-sex couple) is not required.
Visit or Not a Visit?
- The Alaska Area Team is having a weekend orientation in Anchorage. Nine students will be coming into Anchorage for the weekend so they can take part in the orientation and the Team has found three families willing to host them. Each family will be hosting three students for the weekend, then the students will be returning to their original host families.
- Visit. This can be considered an Event. There is no limit to the number of students staying with an Event or fully-screened Host Family as long as those students are returning to their fully-screened Host Families within seven nights.
- Visit. This can be considered an Event. There is no limit to the number of students staying with an Event or fully-screened Host Family as long as those students are returning to their fully-screened Host Families within seven nights.
- A family in Cleveland is going to a friend’s wedding in Florida. They will be gone for 5 days, but they are unable to bring the student with them because the flight is too expensive. A neighbor has volunteered to host the student while the family is away.
- Visit. Since the student is moving back when the family returns and the stay is less than seven nights, an Event Family application would suffice.
- Visit. Since the student is moving back when the family returns and the stay is less than seven nights, an Event Family application would suffice.
- A family in Charlotte becomes unable to continue hosting their student, and they ask that he be moved as soon as possible. The Team decides to move him to a short-term family immediately while a new family can be found and screened.
- Not a Visit. This is a Move because the student is not returning to their original family.
- Not a Visit. This is a Move because the student is not returning to their original family.
- A student is arriving in Phoenix on August 8th, but her host family is away on vacation until August 11th. The family is already fully-screened and is committed to hosting the student as soon as they get back, but they need a different family to host her until their return.
- Visit. Even though this is the student’s arrival, the student may stay with an Event Family up to seven nights before moving in with their Permanent Host Family, as long as the Permanent Host Family is already fully-screened. If the stay is longer than seven nights, a fully-screened Host Family is required.
- Visit. Even though this is the student’s arrival, the student may stay with an Event Family up to seven nights before moving in with their Permanent Host Family, as long as the Permanent Host Family is already fully-screened. If the stay is longer than seven nights, a fully-screened Host Family is required.
- A student in Maine needs a new family due to her Host Family moving out of state. The Team has an Event Family who is interested in hosting her for the rest of the year but has not completed a full application yet. The Team decides to move her to that family as an Event stay for a week and will make sure the family completes the full application before the deadline of seven nights.
- Not a Visit. An Event family cannot be “converted” to a fully-screened family while the student is staying with them. This is a Move and would be non-compliant. It is strongly recommended that Teams have several Pre-Screened Families in place to help when unexpected moves take place.
- Not a Visit. An Event family cannot be “converted” to a fully-screened family while the student is staying with them. This is a Move and would be non-compliant. It is strongly recommended that Teams have several Pre-Screened Families in place to help when unexpected moves take place.
- A student needs a place to stay for the two-week Christmas holidays while their Host Family is gone. The Team has either an Event Family or a fully-screened Host Family available, or the Host Family has a family friend who can take the student.
- Visit. Prudent Parent does not apply since it is over four nights. A fully-screened Host Family is necessary due to the length of the stay (over seven nights). The Team can either have the student stay with the fully-screened Host Family, or have the family friend complete the full application.
- Visit. Prudent Parent does not apply since it is over four nights. A fully-screened Host Family is necessary due to the length of the stay (over seven nights). The Team can either have the student stay with the fully-screened Host Family, or have the family friend complete the full application.
- A student in Dallas is having trouble getting along with her host sister. The student tells her liaison that she is uncomfortable in the home and wants to move out. The Team decides to move her into a different home for a week so that she and the host sister can spend some time apart. She will most likely return to her family but volunteers will use the week to assess next steps.
- This is a support situation that requires a fully-screened Host Family. If the student did return to her original family then it would be a Visit. If not it would be considered a Move. However in either case, because of the evolving nature of support situations and the potential for the student not to return, the new Host Family would need to have a full application completed prior to the student’s arrival.