The purpose of The Family Link is to provide short-term accommodations in a safe, caring and supportive environment for out-of-town families and other loved ones who come to San Francisco to visit persons with life-threatening illnesses or injuries. Our corollary purpose is to provide information and other services to these guests. 

An important component of The Family Link's work is the ability of our guests to interact with each other in a home-like situation, gaining mutual support and sharing information - practical, spiritual, and emotional. 

To ensure the effectiveness of our program and the comfort of our guests, we have established basic requirements for clients, including these: 

All guests must meet certain basic criteria, for which we may require documentation. Key among these are: established, permanent residence outside San Francisco; and, confirmation of the illness or injury of the person being visited, by a social worker or other professional. 

• We cannot provide accommodations for homeless persons. 

• We cannot house persons who are being visited, or ill or injured persons who come to San Francisco for medical treatment or other reasons. Our facilities are for visiting families only. 

•  We cannot accommodate children under the age of 4. 

• The primary purpose of a guest's trip to San Francisco must be to visit and/or care for a person with a life-threatening illness or injury. We are not a B&B for tourists or new arrivals in San Francisco who happen to have a local friend who is ill or injured.

• Reservations must be made in advance, on a first-come, first-served, space-available basis. No "drop-in" visitors will be accommodated. 

• All guests must be able to care for themselves. We cannot provide physical care for guests. 

• The Family Link is not wheelchair-accessible. Guests must be able to negotiate steps. 

• The Family Link house is a drug-free (no non-prescriptive medications/drugs) and a smoke- free environment (smoking is permitted outdoors). 

• All guests are expected to live harmoniously, considerately and sympathetically with their fellow residents. All of the house facilities, except bedrooms, are shared. Guests must abide by House Rules, which include respect and consideration for other guests, including reasonable noise levels, and respect for the property of The Family Link. 

• We reserve the right to limit the length of any guest's stay at The Family Link, for any reason. Typical visits are a week or less, although we recognize that the seriousness of the loved one's condition, uncertainty about survival, distance traveled and other factors often determine how long family members need to stay. Confirmation of illness or injury of the person being visited will be reassessed each month.

• The Family Link asks for a basic donation, currently $30 per room per night, from all guests who can afford to pay. Guest donations comprise an important part of our budget, since we are largely supported by volunteers and do not receive any government funding or subsidies. However, no guest is ever refused accommodations for lack of funds.