Criteria for long term stays
By means of the defined classification, each member of the Agency undertakes to observe the criteria set out below:
PREAMBLE: Long-term stays differ from short-term language stays both in relation to the objectives (motivations of the participants and host families, human relations) and organisation (preparation and monitoring). The duration of the stay has direct consequences on its content and progress. Every participant is encouraged to adapt to his family, social and school environment. To integrate in the long term, a real in-depth exchange must be created with his new situation and this requires a real capacity for adaptation. This experience, which is strong and fundamental, in the majority of cases has repercussions on the future life of the participants. The French organisation carries out the stay abroad in collaboration with its partners. This type of stay implies, on the part of the organisation and its representatives:
- verification of the aptitudes of the candidates and families
- preparation of the participants
- carrying out rigorous and regular monitoring of the stay.
4-1 THE PROGRAMME
The organisation undertakes:
- to look for and select a family who want to act as host and who accept to do this for the chosen academic period.
- to register the participant in a school establishment of the host country. The host family and the organisation take responsibility for the school registration. This schooling does not replace French schooling but enriches it and completes it. It is the head of the school establishment of the host country who decides on the class and section of the participant, taking account of the latter's school file and the school organisation of the host country.
- to supply a local infrastructure adapted to supervise the participant during his stay. The structure varies according to the size of the of the host country and according to the number of participants hosted by the country or by the responsible officer in the host country (example: a network in the United States may consist, in addition to permanent staff in the organisation headquarters, a thousand local representatives, whereas in a "smaller" country, the network may be limited to a few representatives). This structure must consist of at least one officer in the host country. This latter shall have responsibility for the general organisation of reception. The participant must be supervised by a representative of the host country (see section "supervision during the stay"). The officer in charge and the representative of the host country may, in certain cases, be the same person.
4-2 TRAVEL AND SUPERVISION
Each participant shall have a specific final destination (place of residence of the host family). This therefore essentially concerns individual travel. However, a part of the trip may be made within a group (from France to the entry airport of the host country.) The participants may have to make their own flight connections. The organisation undertakes:
- that long trips are carried out on regular flights that are as direct as possible.
- that where the participant is not accompanied, that there is assistance with departure up to the check-in and until arrival at the exit of the control zone.
4-3 APTITUDES AND PREPARATION OF CANDIDATES
The organisation undertakes:
- that the aptitudes of the candidates upon departure have been checked to avoid as far as possible the risks of failure and early return. A prior interview must have taken place before any acceptance of a student file. This has the purpose of determining the exact motivations of the candidate as well as his understanding of the project. Acceptance of candidates is decided after studying the school file and the interview report.
- that the candidates are prepared. This preparation may take various forms:
- training placements or week-ends of preparation before departure (from 1 to 4 divided throughout the year);
- preparation training before departure (from 2 to 3 days), training upon arrival in the host country (2 to 5 days before joining the families);
- regular information letters during the year preceding departure, in order to inform the candidate of the various aspects of his stay. The content of this preparation depends on the country of destination.
- to reimburse all of the costs of the school file and any payment on account made upon registration of a candidate who is not accepted to participate in a stay.
The organisation undertakes that the registration file contains at least the following:
- a description of the registration process
- a registration form in French
- a sale agreement in duplicate.
- a résumé of the insurance policy proposed by the organisation. This résumé shall be drawn up in French. This insurance must cover at least medical and surgical risks, include repatriation assistance and cover the civil liability of the participant. The insurance clauses and the particularities linked to each country must be set out in detail.
The organisation offers optional, special cancellation insurance for "failure of matriculation or examination". The organisation undertakes that the candidate's file shall contain at least the following:
- a general presentation of the participant
- the participant's interview form
- a medical section in duplicate, (a copy shall be held at the headquarters of the organisation in France and the other at the headquarters of the foreign host organisation)
- the school file of the participant
- the sale agreement signed by the parents or legal guardians
- a letter of interest from the participant.
4-4 SELECTION OF HOST FAMILIES
The host families are generally unpaid. The organisation undertakes:
- that there is only one French speaking person per family
- that there is a maximum of two foreigners per family (including the French speaking person).
The organisation undertakes:
- that the local representative has visited and selected all the host families at home
- that the host families shall fill out a presentation file and receive a preparatory booklet
- that the local representative shall complete a confidential report after the visit
- to transmit the details, the composition of the reception family and the presence of any animals, in principle one week before departure and at the latest 2 days before departure, in the event of unforeseen circumstances
- to transmit to the parents the details of the local officer at least 10 days before departure.
The organisation makes an undertaking on the following points:
- the family shall include the participant within the family unit as one of its own children (with the same rights and duties)
- the participant shall take part in the daily life of the family. He shall be included in every day and special events
- clothes shall be washed
- each accommodation shall have a telephone
- the living conditions must include the following:
- access to a shower room (or a bathroom) and toilets in the accommodation
- an individual bed (2 young people of the same sex and age group can share a bed)
- a cupboard
- the composition of the family unit may vary:
- couple (a man and a woman), with or without children
- a retired couple, on condition that they are active and available, and have all the conditions to host young foreigners (mobility, open mindedness, availability...)
- any other family situation with the agreement of the participant and his parents or legal guardians
The organisation undertakes that under the authority of the host families, going out at night shall be in accordance with the wishes expressed by the parents of the participant, and in accordance with the customs of the host country.
The organisation undertakes to make any change necessary. In the event of a serious problem, the participant must be immediately withdrawn from the host country. He shall then be temporarily accommodated by another family or by the representative in the host country.
4-5 SUPERVISION DURING STAY
The French organisation shall ensure that the foreign partner and/or its local representative shall take responsibility for the success of the stay in all its aspects, in the school and in the host family, and shall provide individual assistance to the participant where necessary.
The foreign partner is empowered to take measures required in the interest of the participant, according to needs and necessities (change of host family or school or otherwise) and in the interests of the programme (warning, early return).
The partner or his local representative shall reside in a geographical zone close to the participant (maximum of 2 hours journey).
Before departure, each participant shall have the details of the local representative of the organisation in the host country.
In the event of emergency, the partner is empowered to take such a decision, alone, as the situation requires; the decision of the partner is over-riding and the family of the participant shall be informed of it immediately.
The organisation undertakes that the representative of the host country:
- shall supervise each participant
- shall organise at least two meetings during the stay
- shall have regular contact with the participant.
The organisation undertakes:
- to provide a system of emergency contact or intervention
- that a representative of the organisation can be contacted 24 hours per day.
The French organisation is the intermediary of the family of the participant.
4-6 GENERAL ORGANISATION
The organisation undertakes to have the following
- a permanent office in France with an officer appointed for this type of stay
- a local officer in the host country.
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