Before a family can be matched with a student, they need to be marked as Active. This requires completing a few mandatory checks first. New families start with a status of Pending Compliance as a reminder that these steps still need to be done.
Who can do this: Homestay Coordinators and Institutional Admins.
Before you start: The family must already have a profile in the system. If they don't, see Adding a Homestay Provider
What needs to be in place before you can activate
All the following are required:
What | Details |
Safety Checks | A background check for every adult(18+) living in the home. Each check stays valid for 3 years. |
Written Agreement | A signed copy of the homestay agreement. |
Note: If the family is acting as a Designated Caregiver (nominated directly by the student's parent), a parent agreement must also be confirmed before activation.
Step-by-step
1. Record the safety check for adult household members
Open the family's profile and click the Compliance tab.
Under Safety Check, click Add Safety Check.
Work through the five steps and enter the date each step was completed.
Save. The expiry date is calculated and displayed automatically.
2. Record checks for adult household members
Still on the Compliance tab, find the Household Member Checks section.
For each adult listed, click Add Check and enter the date their check was completed.
Repeat until every adult has a valid check recorded.
If someone is missing from the list, go to the Household Members tab first to add them, then come back to Compliance.
3. Upload the signed written agreement
Under Written Agreement, click to upload the signed document.
Enter the date it was signed.
4. Activate the family
Once all checks are recorded and the agreement is uploaded, any warning messages on the Compliance tab should clear.
Scroll back to the top of the profile.
Click Activate. The family's status will change to Active and they can start receiving placements.
Changing a family's status later
Button | What it does | When to use |
Deactivate | Marks the family as temporarily unavailable | If a family needs a break or is between students |
Reactivate | Makes the family active again | When they're ready to host again |
Suspend | Removes the family from placement matching | For serious concerns — a reason is required |
Things to know
Even if a family is Active, they'll be automatically blocked from new placements if their checks have expired. Keep an eye on expiry dates and renew checks before they lapse.
Background checks are valid for 3 years.
Yellow warning notices (e.g. a check due to expire soon, or an overdue home visit) will show on the Compliance tab but won't stop you from activating the family.