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Host Homes play a vital role in the KwaYa Leadership Fellowship by offering a safe, welcoming place for young people to live while they study.
Hosting is about sharing everyday life, meals, conversation, routines, and walking alongside an exceptional young adult for a season of growth and learning.
What is a Host Home
A Host Home provides accommodation and daily support for a Fellow during their period of study in Australia.
Host Homes are not sponsors or employers.
They are households willing to offer stability, care, and belonging.
Who can become a Host Home
Host Homes may include families, couples, or individuals who can provide a supportive and respectful living environment.
Host Homes must be able to provide:
• A private bedroom for the Fellow
• Access to bathroom and shared living spaces
• Daily meals or access to food
• A safe, stable, and welcoming household
• Reasonable access to transport, public or private
What hosting involves
Host Homes are asked to:
• Include the Fellow in everyday household life
• Offer care, guidance, and encouragement
• Respect cultural background, beliefs, and boundaries
• Communicate openly with KwaYa if support is needed
Hosting is relational, not supervisory.
What hosting does not involve
Host Homes do not:
• Provide financial sponsorship
• Arrange employment
• Manage visas or immigration matters
These responsibilities sit elsewhere within the Fellowship.
Support from KwaYa
KwaYa supports both Fellows and Host Homes throughout the placement.
This includes:
• Clear points of contact
• Ongoing communication and check-ins
• Guidance if questions or challenges arise
You are never expected to host alone.
Opening your space to a young person can be a deeply rewarding experience, built on shared meals, shared stories, and mutual respect.
How Host Homes are selected
Becoming a Host Home is a considered process. We take care to ensure placements are safe, respectful, and a good fit for everyone involved.
Our selection process focuses on creating environments where Fellows feel supported, valued, and able to thrive.
Our selection process includes:
• An expression of interest and initial conversation
• A review of the household environment and suitability
• A discussion about expectations, boundaries, and support
• Consideration of location, transport access, and lifestyle fit
• Final confirmation in consultation with the FellowWe value openness, communication, and mutual respect throughout this process.
Our approach to matching
Matching a Fellow with a Host Home is about more than availability.
We consider:
• Personality and household dynamics
• Cultural awareness and openness
• Study location and daily routines
• The Fellow’s needs and wellbeing
Placements are made carefully, with the aim of creating a positive and respectful shared living experience.
Ongoing support and review
Host Home arrangements are supported by ongoing communication and regular check-ins.
If circumstances change or additional support is needed, KwaYa works closely with both the Host Home and the Fellow to ensure wellbeing and safety remain the priority.
KwaYa and our Fellows are profoundly grateful to Host Homes for the care they provide.
Hosting often becomes a life-changing experience for both the Fellow and the household, shaped through everyday moments, mutual respect, and relationships that continue well beyond the Fellowship.