Update on Placements Requiring Supplemental Paperwork

Update on Placements Requiring Supplemental Paperwork

In our commitment to IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility), AFS-USA has changed some of the terms and policies we previously used as it relates to Non-Traditional Paperwork.

Changes in Terminology:

  • From “Non-Traditional Paperwork/Placement” to “Placement Requiring Supplemental Paperwork”:
  • AFS is moving away from the term “Non-Traditional” since we know AFS families come in all shapes and sizes, and we want the terms we use to match the diversity of our families and promote inclusion of all family types.
  • Instead of using the term “Non-Traditional Paperwork/Placements” we will now use the term “Placements Requiring Supplemental Paperwork”.
  • From “Single Parent Placement” to “One Member Household Placement”:
  • “Single Parent” does not reflect the diversity of AFS families with one adult in the home, thus the term is being replaced with “One Member Household”

Policy Change:

All CORE AFS-USA hosted participants (non-Sponsored Programs aka YES, FLEX, CBYX students) are required, during the application process, to provide their openness to the three types of Placements Requiring Supplemental Paperwork (formerly known as “Non-Traditional” placements):

  • (1) Double Participant Placements
  • (2) One Member Household (formerly known as Single Parent) Placements
  • (3) Same Sex Host Parent Placements

In years past, participants would provide their openness to these placement types in their application, and if we identified a host family who fits the categories above, we would seek the participant’s and their parents’/guardians’ acceptance or denial of the placement.

Starting with the NH22 placement cycle, AFS-USA has enacted a new policy whereby if a CORE participant states that they are open to a Double, One Member Household, or Same Sex Host Parent Placement in the application, we will no longer seek the secondary approval, meaning that the participant will no longer be allowed to reject placement types to which they previously expressed an openness in the application process. AFS-USA will still request a participant’s and their parents’/guardians’ signatures for these placement types when the placement is made, yet they will no longer be allowed to reject placement types to which they expressed an openness (when such a family has been identified for them).

For example, if a participant and their parents/guardians expressed openness to all three placement types requiring supplemental paperwork during the application process and a Double Placement is identified for them, the participant/parents/guardians will not be at liberty to reject the double placement.

AFS Sending Partners were informed of this policy change in March 2021 and have been asked to inform all their participants during the application process so that they can enter their preferences regarding openness to the three placement types requiring supplemental paperwork with a clear understanding of the policy.

AFS-USA hopes this new policy will support our Volunteers and Staff to (1) more efficiently identify placement matches and (2) help ensure a positive experience for all our host families.

Please note that we will still seek acceptance or denial for Placements Requiring Supplemental Paperwork for any Sponsored Programs student (YES, FLEX and CBYX).