It is recognized that some youth and junior hockey players do leave home to play hockey in a location away from their parents. In those circumstances, the organization or team typically arranges for the player to live with a host or billet family. Having Minor Athletes live outside their homes increases risk for abuse and misconduct to occur. All organizations and teams that arrange for players to live with billet families shall have written policies and procedures in place to govern the arrangement. All billeting policies and procedures shall be provided to the player’s parents in advance of placing the player with the billet and shall meet the following requirements:
Billet families and the player and player’s parents shall all sign an agreement with the Member Program and/or team that they will comply with the terms and conditions of the Billet Policy, the SafeSport Code and the USA Hockey Safe Sport Handbook.
If required by the jurisdiction where the player is billeted, the player’s parents shall sign and provide a power of attorney and/or guardianship (as necessary by applicable state law) to the billet family adults to allow for them to make emergency medical and schooling decisions.
Each Member Program or team shall have a billet coordinator who shall be responsible for overseeing compliance with the Billeting Policy, the SafeSport Code and all USA Hockey Safe Sport Policies.
No more than two billeted players may be housed with any one billet family. At the Junior level, there may be exceptions to the number of billeted players permitted in one billet home if approved by the applicable Junior league, however approval should only be granted when necessary.
Absent an emergency, or unless a Dual Relationship exception applies and the team has obtained the necessary consent, owners, team/program management and staff (except the billet coordinator) are not allowed to host or billet players, and coaches may not host or billet players who play on the coach’s team. Emergency situations should be documented and kept with the Member Program.
Minors must be placed with a billet family and may not reside in an apartment or home solely with other players. This includes homes, apartments or hotels used as a “dormitory” unless the housing is offered in conjunction with and authorized by a school that is accredited or sanctioned by the state school system.
All adults living in the household of the billet family must be registered with USA Hockey, screened in accordance with the USA Hockey Screening Policy, and must complete the SafeSport Training in compliance with Section II. Proof that these requirements have been met must be received by the team’s billet coordinator prior to the player moving in with the family.
It is strongly recommended that all billet families be two-parent homes. However, single parent billet families may be acceptable, but the organization or team shall take additional reasonable steps to regularly monitor the billeting arrangement and its compliance with the USA Hockey Safe Sport Policies.
The Member Program or team shall have a mandatory curfew for all billeted players. The host family may have an earlier curfew.
Players must agree to comply with the house rules of the billet families, including curfews, chores/ cleaning, telephone usage, etc. Complaints about unusual rules shall be addressed with the Member Program/team billet coordinator.
Players shall not stay overnight at any other home except with the permission of the player’s parents and advance notification to the billet family and Member Program or team billet coordinator.
Players are not to drive billet family vehicles without automobile liability insurance as required by applicable state law, and documentation and approval of the billet family.
The Member Program’s/team’s billeting policy shall include requirements that the billet family maintain appropriate homeowner’s/renter’s insurance.
Players living with a billet family shall be permitted to make regular check-in phone calls to parents. Team personnel and billets shall allow for any unscheduled check-in phone calls between the player and parents.