Statements of Good Character (Host Families)
Host Family Subscribers must include Statements of Good Character in their References File.
Statements of Good Character are compulsory. If the subscriber has not provided these documents, a warning appears on their offer to alert families. Warning! MISSING DOCUMENT! |
| Remember: The Host Family Subscriber References File also includes: - 2 Quality of Welcome Statements to provide evidence of the family's ability to welcome students as part of a language study holiday – recommended by Lingoo. - 1 Criminal Records File Extract for the first adult and if appropriate their partner – recommended by Lingoo. |
• How many?
Two Statements of Good Character must be included in the Host Family References File.
• Who establishes these Statements of Good Character?
They are provided by people well established in the community and who have a good knowledge of the family. These Referees must accept to be contacted by interested families for confirmation of their reference; they can choose the mode of contact they prefer (e-mail, telephone, fax, etc).
Referees can be:
- an employer;
- a religious minister (Priest, Bishop, Pasteur, Imam, Rabbi, according to the religious practice);
- a family doctor;
- a teacher or an administrator of the school attended by the children;
- a lawyer;
- a member of the police force ;
- upstanding citizens who hold an office of responsibility ( Local or national government official, Banker, Head Teacher, etc) and are close to the family (members of the family, neighbours, friends).
• What should a Statement of Good Character include?
The Statement of Good Character must be dated and show the person's name and address (preferably their business address).
Here are some examples of the kind of phrases you would expect to find in a statement of this kind:
- 'is someone of honesty and integrity';
- 'is well known in their community and leads a respectable life';
- 'has a clear sense of morality';
- 'is trustworthy'.
If the person writing the statement is a close friend, neighbour or relative, it's a good idea to make the reference more personal by stating how long the writer has known the family, the qualities they see in them and what aspects of their lives lead them to believe that the family has the ability and the necessary skills to host a child from another country.
| Useful tip! Make it easier for your character referees to write your Statements of Good Character: once you've registered, go to your account page and click on Model Letters. |
• At what point should a young person's family check the statements of Good Character from people who have provided them?
You should do this once you have selected a family and talked to them, but before you start organising the trip together.
• How can you check a Statement of Good Character with the person who has provided it?
To check a reference, first ensure that the business contact details shown are correct, for example by checking the Yellow Pages for the country concerned on the Internet.
Then contact the person to ask for confirmation.
| Note: if the Host Family evaluations show that the family has already been working with Lingoo for some time and has a good reputation, these checks are not essential. But if you have any concerns at all, don't hesitate to check references. |
