Host Family Requirements
Committing to Host a Student
As a host family, you agree to host an exchange student from one of over 30 countries we exchange with for a period of 3-4 months. Families usually host from August to November, December to March, or April to July. Each year, your local Rotary club is assigned one or more students on a random basis.
What is Required?
Host families need to:
- Provide a private bedroom (or a bedroom with no more than one of your own children of the same gender)
- Treat your exchange student like one of your own children (for example, arranging transportation to school activities, including students in your own family meals, helping students with homework, and making sure they are a part of all family activities)
- Help your student learn English and about American culture (Rotary clubs have scheduled activities for the students)
What is not Required?
Host Families do not need to:
- Have children living at home. (It is not uncommon for your own children to be away at college, for example.)
- Be married/partnered at the time of the exchange. (We have many single-parent families who host an exchange student. The State Department requires one additional level of review.)
- Be a particular race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. All families are welcome.
- Pay for all miscellaneous expenses for the student. Students receive at least $100/month from your local Rotary club and must cover all additional expenses themselves. As a general rule of thumb, however, if you are paying for something for one of your children (like a ticket to a movie or a family dinner out), it is customary to also pay for your exchange student. School activity fees are paid for by the Rotary Clubs.
What’s next?
If you have a question, you can email or talk to your local Rotary club representative to learn more about becoming a host family. If you are ready to host, complete the host family application below.
To apply you’ll need:
- Contacts and Information about you and your family
- Three personal references- you will need full name, email address, and phone number. The system will email the reference directly, no further information is needed.
- Photos of your home; Exterior, Student Bedroom, Bathroom, Living room or Family Room, Kitchen and a Family Photo
- Information about your local school; address, student body size, start date, distance and how your student will get to school.
- Information about your community
- If you have anyone living on your property that is over 18 years old, they will need to be added to your application.
Trainings
Trainings are sent to you from “ NAYEN training Administrator.” They are linked to each of your profiles, so make sure you follow the link that is in your own email box. You will receive a SEPARATE email for each training and each member of the family. Do not share a link, as the link is associated with your name and profile.
You will be sent two training modules (so three unique emails). They each take a half hour to an hour to complete- and you can take them multiple times if you don’t pass (no one sees the retries).
You will be sent two training modules (so three unique emails). They each take a half hour to an hour to complete- and you can take them multiple times if you don’t pass (no one sees the retries).
- Youth Protection Training- required
- Culture Shock Training- advised- this really helps you understand the emotional ups and downs our student’s experiences
Background Checks: There is a Waiver to sign and email to a representative from the district committee. We will communicate more details to you. If there is a charge for the background check, please save your receipt for re-imbursement from your local Rotary Club.
There will be a home visit that will be scheduled by a local Rotarian with you directly.
We will also do a Host Family Orientation- that will be in person- or we are now offering that as a Zoom
Session. Dates to be announced as they are needed.
There will be a home visit that will be scheduled by a local Rotarian with you directly.
We will also do a Host Family Orientation- that will be in person- or we are now offering that as a Zoom
Session. Dates to be announced as they are needed.
Other items to be aware of:
You will receive an email from Janice Ellis, she will be running your background checks,
please fill out the form she attaches and return to her- so that she can run the background
checks.
please fill out the form she attaches and return to her- so that she can run the background
checks.
If you could give a heads up to your References that an automatic email will be coming from
“NAYEN training administrator” with a link to fill out the reference. This should take less than
15 minutes. I mention this so they don’t think its spam, but also if you could ask them to do
the reference in a timely manner- as sometimes this can hang out, undone for a while, and
we cant complete your approval until its done.
“NAYEN training administrator” with a link to fill out the reference. This should take less than
15 minutes. I mention this so they don’t think its spam, but also if you could ask them to do
the reference in a timely manner- as sometimes this can hang out, undone for a while, and
we cant complete your approval until its done.
Once your family is fully vetted you will be able to receive the students application and their contact
information
information
Find your Local Club Contact to learn more about becoming a Host Family for a Youth Exchange Student