Host Families
Living with an Irish Family
The majority of Rockbrook students live with host families. The host families are kind and welcoming and live in comfortable, clean and safe environments. They treat the student like any other member of the family and are attentive to their needs. We offer a continual support to our host families and students in order to make their living experience an enjoyable one. If there are any issues that need to be resolved we will do so promptly and delicately. We always encourage an honest and open dialogue as this is generally the most effective way to resolve minor issues that may arise.
Our students must abide by the same rules as the children of the house and must always behave in a mature and respectful manner. As part of their education we encourage the families to give their students small duties or chores to do around the house, for example, setting the table, tidying their room, walking the dog etc. This allows them to contribute to the household in a positive way and helps them to become more aware of the needs of those around them.
The host families are carefully chosen and regularly inspected by Rockbrook staff. They are selected based on various criteria: friendliness, trustworthiness, reliability and on their moral and ethical values. They will also have a child or children attending local schools. We consider younger families to be the most suitable for hosting our students. While the majority of our host families are Catholic, not all are actively practicing. Our families respect the values of students of all creeds and races. All our host families are police checked (called Garda Vetting in Ireland).
The placement of students in host families is one of the most important aspects of the programme and we strive to make the best matchups possible, taking into consideration many relevant factors.