Homestay Host Guidelines
Prepared by Oya No Kai on behalf of theJapanese Dual Language Immersion Program

The following guidelines are intended to help Japanese Dual Language Immersion Program hostfamilies establish and maintain a comfortable homestay experience. The focus here is on
homestays for teaching interns -- these are adults who typically stay for several months or morewith a host family. During stays of this dura on, interns necessarily become integrated to somedegree with the host family’s domes c pa erns. Paying a li le extra a en on early on to howthings should work will pay oﬀ later in terms of a more comfortable and relaxing experience.

The Basics
As a host family you are expected to provide a comfortable, safe and suppor ve environment
for your intern, including:
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A private room with adequate heat, light, ven la on and access
Access to a bathroom, which can be shared with other household members
Dinner each day
Food for breakfast, and lunch. Interns pack their lunch for school each day.
A cell phone
Wiﬁ access & access to a computer
Access to laundry facili esHouse keyYou can certainly exceed these guidelines if you wish, such as by providing a private bath,separate telephone, monthly cell phone fee, etc.

The First Contact
Soon a er the intern arrives, you should do a brief walk around in order to point out some basic
housekeeping and other items.
● Loca on of the sleeping room; where to store clothing, personal items, etc.
● Loca on of the bathroom(s); where to put their shampoo, razor, etc.
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Page 1● How to use basic appliances – how to ﬂush the toilet, turn the shower on and oﬀ,etc. (be speciﬁc here – Japanese appliances don’t necessarily work like ours do)● Where you store food (where they can store their own food items in the kitchen& in the refrigerator), do dishes, put the trash and recycle (and what you recycle)● Where to hang coats, hats, umbrellas● How to connect to Wiﬁ● How to turn on TV or play DVDs
● How to lock and unlock the house● How to do laundry; they will do their own if you wish, or you can include it withyour own loads (many Japanese put laundry in mesh bags to keep it separate –you can just include with other loads)
Some interns arrive very red and sleepy from jet lag and extended travel. In this case you
might do the walk around in phases – when they ﬁrst arrive, just show them the bedroom andbath and let them rest. On the arrival day, if they arrived early in the morning, try to keep themawake ll the evening to help ease recovery from their jet lag.

Other Helpful AssistanceWithin several days there are other op onal things you can do to help your intern adjust more
quickly and have a be er experience, including:● Assist with se ng up a bank account, credit card, etc., if they wish (you should
not give them money or extend them credit, however – they should have theirown). Note that to set up a bank account, the intern will need a piece of mailaddressed to him or her at your address.
● Loca on of nearest library, grocery store, bus stop
● Websites for TriMet, Portland Public Schools, other informa on sources they may
ﬁnd useful● Telephone numbers for doctor, den st, hospital, as seems appropriate● How to use 911

Shoes and Slippers
Most Japanese avoid wearing shoes inside a house, typically switching to slippers. Some mes
there are separate slippers for use in the bathroom. Explain your household pa erns if they are
not readily apparent. Some Japanese are completely comfortable wearing shoes inside a house
if that is your habit, but in any event you should provide space for house slippers and shoes
inside the entry door.
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The Bathroom
Sharing bathrooms can be one of the trickiest points of fric on and it helps to be a bit explicit
about how it would work best for your family. If you have established pa erns that work for thefamily and which are consistent with your household work and school pa erns, explain them tothe intern. The bathroom may be pre y well booked up in the mornings, for example. ManyJapanese take showers or baths in the evening, a er dinner and/or just before bed, and thismay be a compa ble me with respect to other users. If the intern needs to be worked into
exis ng busy mes, try to establish a schedule. It may be necessary to start things earlier, forexample, in order to ﬁt everyone in. Also, make sure to explain to leave the door open whenvacant (Japanese will close the door even if it is vacant).

Family Activities and Outings
To the extent possible, and desired by your intern, you should include your intern into yourfamily recrea on ac vi es, such as movies, ea ng out, physical exercise and sports. Early in thevisit the intern may be more interested in certain ac vi es than later on – kids soccer games
can get old a er a while.
You may also organize some special sightseeing trips for your intern, either brief trips
downtown, to museums, gardens, etc., or longer trips to Mt. Hood, the coast, etc. Some mes it
is nice to do this with other families hos ng interns. Or just bring along other interns if yourintern has made a par cular friend. You are not obliged to do this, however.
In general, in the case that the intern accompanies the host family on a day or overnight car trip
the host family is expected to pay for travel expenses (don’t ask them to share the cost of gas)and food you bring on the trip. The intern pays for personal items and out-of-pocket expenses
such as admissions and snacks. The host family can choose to cover these costs as well, if itwishes. Be aware, however, that many interns have been instructed to cover these costs
themselves and may be somewhat insistent. Interns are expected to cover other transporta on
costs themselves, such as for train or air ckets, but please ask them if it is within their budget.
It is important to let them know upfront about the trip related cost to join the trip.
Please make sure those trips and ou ngs will be planned with your intern within weekends,
holidays, and school breaks, not regular school days.

Phone and Internet
The host family is expected to provide a basic cellphone available for the intern, but this does
not include the cost of long distance calls or regular cell phone charges or fee of prepaid talkUpdated April 2021
Page 3minutes. If you wish you can allow the intern to use the phone for these purposes and total up
the bill at the end of the month on the basis of the telephone company statement. Be aware,
however, that this should be arranged beforehand and can be prone to misunderstandings. It
might be a good idea to check with your cell phone provider to add an extra phone line orprovide an inexpensive prepaid phone that has basic func ons for calling and tex ng.
Many interns are very conversant with email and the internet and travel with their own laptop.
Wiﬁ needs to be provided by the host family.

Transportation
Interns are responsible for arranging their own transporta on to work and for personalac vi es. Oya No Kai provides each intern with a TriMet bus pass for this reason. Show themwhere the nearest bus or MAX stop is and, if you are able to, explain some basics about how to
get around on public transporta on. Certainly if you wish to, you can oﬀer periodic or dailytransporta on to your intern.

Medical emergencies
Your intern is responsible for health insurance coverage but may need guidance or help in thecase of any medical emergency. Know which emergency service loca on you would use, andpoint out to them the loca on of a hospital or emergency room that they could use on theirown. Explain how 911 works and how to call a cab if they need transporta on when you are
not there to help. Also contact the school mentor teacher, Oya no Kai intern coordinator assoon as possible.
● For non-emergency situa ons urgent care facili es are the most aﬀordable op on forinterns, weekends + evenings, such as Zoom Care.
● Make a copy of the intern’s insurance policy for emergency use.

Intern Responsibilities
Interns have typically been briefed regarding their responsibili es as an intern, butcommunica on regarding your family’s expecta ons and house rules are cri cal. Host families
are strongly encouraged to sit down with the intern in the ﬁrst week to clarify expecta ons andcheck in with their intern regularly to see if there are any concerns or ques ons. Here aresome requests you can make of the intern, as necessary, so that each of you understand thebasic rules of the household:

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● No fy you if he or she will not be home for a meal, such as dinner● No fy you if he or she will stay somewhere else overnight● Be home by a certain me in the evening, say 11:00 pm, and no fy you if he or
she will be coming in later● No overnight roman c visitors● Ask you beforehand if the intern wishes to have a day me guest over for a visit;
you have the right to ask that such socializing take place outside your home
You can expect your intern to help around the house to some degree, including:● Preparing their own breakfast and lunch (to bring to school), if these are not set
meals in your household (show them where the food is located, which
prepara on area to use, etc.)● Cleaning up their own dishes, food prep, etc.; if all members of your householdshare du es such as dishwashing the intern can be requested to join in as well
● Maintaining their own room; show them where the vacuum is, other cleaningmaterials● Turning oﬀ lights, appliances, etc. when they are ﬁnished
Some things you should avoid asking your intern to do include:●●●●●Babysi ng
Japanese Tutoring service/session
Yard care such as lawn mowing
House projects such as pain ng
Washing the car or other large maintenance chores

You may ﬁnd that your intern volunteers for certain ac vi es such as this and, if you aresa sﬁed that the oﬀer is voluntary and in good spirit, then you certainly can accept it.

COVID-Related Guidelines
As news related to coronavirus con nues to develop, we are commi ed to guiding ourcommunity with the most up-to-date recommenda ons to ensure the well-being of our hosts
and students. Below we have compiled a list of general guidelines to help your family adjust tohos ng interns during COVID-19.
General Safety Guidelines

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Page 5We recommend that all of our hosts and interns follow the latest CDC guidelines to keep
yourself and others safe.
Cleaning and Washing Hands● Wash your hands o en with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especiallya er being in a public place, or a er blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
● If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sani zer that contains atleast 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together un lthey feel dry.
● Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
● Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regularhousehold cleaning spray or wipe.
Avoid close contact● Stay at least 6 feet (about two arms’ length) from other people.
● Keeping distance from others is especially crucial for people who are at higher
risk of ge ng very sick.
Face Coverings● The cloth face cover is meant to protect other people in case you are sick.
● Everyone should wear cloth face-covering public se ngs and when aroundpeople who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing
measures are hard to maintain.
Talking about COVID-19 and Other Diﬃcult Topics with Students
Your intern may have concerns about how speciﬁc incidences are perceived in the UnitedStates. Host families should be aware of how your student’s emo onal outlook may be aﬀectedby these events. Students may feel overwhelmed and anxious, especially interns, who may behaving diﬃculty processing how this informa on aﬀects them. Host families should prac ce
cultural sensi vity and have an open discussion with your intern to help them understand, cope,and even make a posi ve contribu on to others.
Preparing for Student Arrival
Here are a few recommenda ons for when your intern arrives:

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Page 6● Student Health Insurance: make sure they have their insurance info and card
handy, it might be wise to have a photocopy or cellphone photo of this important
informa on, just in case.
● Health Care Provider: interns may need help in loca ng an in-network healthcare provider near your home or their school. We suggest si ng down and doing
this together!
● Other Precau ons: As a precau on, it may be helpful to have the hours ofavailability and loca ons of nearby COVID-19 tes ng sites on hand which canreassure your student that procedures are in place in case of emergency.
Daily Rou nes
As school districts ﬁnalize their opera onal plans for the start of school in the fall, many schools
may choose a temporary period of online learning or a hybrid learning model with bothin-person and virtual instruc on. In either case, it is beneﬁcial for the interns and hosts to set adaily rou ne. Whether it’s study me, dinner, or household chores, it gives everyone a sense ofclarity and something to look forward to each day.
Encouraging Healthy Habits
Maintaining healthy habits is now more cri cal than ever. Daily self-care beneﬁts our physicalas well as our mental well-being. Whether the student is distance learning from home or goingto school, interns should keep healthy habits such as regular personal hygiene, ea ng, andsleeping through the school year. A great way to bond with your new intern is to exercise
together, and ge ng outside to walk, run, and play sports are just a few ideas.
Travel Policy
Oya No Kai is closely monitoring developments in global travel advisories and local and statemandates around travel. We con nue to advise all our interns, hosts, and employees to stay
vigilant and adhere to all policies and guidelines provided by their authori es. These
recommenda ons include:● Interns must observe their state, local, and school policies on self-quaran ning
upon entry into The United States.
● A er entry, all unnecessary domes c and intern travel should be avoided un lfurther no ce.
● Interns should limit exposure to crowded public areas.

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As the situa on evolves, we will con nue to work hard to ensure regular communica on withour community and to keep you informed of any new recommenda ons. The safety of ourcommunity remains our top priority.

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