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How to Become a Host Family to a Foreign Exchange Student

Posted by at 3:39 AM Read our previous post

1. Research the various foreign exchange programs available on-line.
2. Contact the local coordinator or manager of the exchange program to learn more about the program.
3. Talk to other host families in your community to learn more about their experiences hosting an exchange student.
4. Complete the application to become a Host Family for an exchange student. Most programs have on-line applications.
5. Complete the background search requirements, either through an on-line form or paper search by filling out the paperwork provided by the exchange agency.
6. Talk to your family, including your children, about hosting an exchange student. Make sure everyone is enthusiastic, or at least not opposed to the idea.
7. Decide which countries of origin are of interest to you. You might like to host an exchange student from a country your ancestors were from, for example, or a country that your family would like to learn more about or visit someday.
8. Decide if your home can accommodate an exchange student. Do you have a spare bedroom, or will the student be expected to share a room?
9. Make sure you are emotionally prepared for the addition of a new 'family' member. The exchange student will become part of your family for a few weeks or sometimes months. Are you emotionally prepared to take on the responsibility of having an exchange student in your home for an extended stay? If not, this might not be the time to host and exchange student.
10. Research the culture of your prospective exchange student's home country.
11. Relax and await the arrival of your exchange student.

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