Review the Officers option, the Area Hosting or Sending Coordinators will have the information that you require.

Who can host ?

All kinds of families can be hosts. AFS's criteria for hosting is a secure, flexible, interested household of people genuinely interested in sharing their lives with a teenager, providing that young person with love and support, and learning about the world and its people.

Does AFS pay host families ?

AFS does not pay families to host students. AFS host families choose to open their homes not for financial gains, but for the unforgettable rewards that accure from sharing with a young person from another culture. Families are entitled, however, to a modest $50 tax deduction for each month the student lives in their home.

What are host families expected to provide ?

You supply love, moral support, comfort and basic needs, just as you would for a child of your own. The cost depends upon a number of factors. A major cost factor is your family's lifestyle and level of expenditure. The student will bring his/her own spending money.

Do AFS students need their own room ?

AFS only requires that each student has his or her own bed. A large proportion of AFS students share a bedroom with their new siblings.

Who pays for medical expenses ?

AFS students have their own medical coverage. There is a 24 hour support line to deal with medical emergences. Because AFS is the student's offical sponsor, the student is in the USA on a J-1 high school visa. The student's natural family remains his or her legal guardians under this arrangement.

How long will the student live with the host family ?

You will wish it were longer when the time comes to say good-bye! Year Program students stay for approximately 11 months; semester students for 6 months. Recognizing that some families are not able to make such a long term commitment, it is possible to host for 3 months or a semester. Regardless how long you host, most AFS students and families become "family for life."

When would the student arrive ?

Most students arrive in August, although there is a small group of students from Southern Hemisphere countries who arrive in January, most for a semester. You receive an approximate arrival date with confirmation of your placement from AFS, and more specific information nearer the arrival time.

Where would the AFS student go to school ?

AFS students attend your local high school. Your local chapter volunteers will be happy to assist you in making these arrangements.

What type of support is available for the AFS student/family ?

AFS prides itself on being able to offer local support to both the student and the family. This help is provided by three different groups of volunteers. First, each student/family is assigned a liaison. This person will visit monthly with all of the family members and the student to offer them a chance to talk to someone outside of the family about a possible problem. Secondly, the student is assigned a Aunt/Uncle. This volunteer will help the family out by providing an opportunity for them to take a break for a couple of hours or over a weekend. This vol- unteer will pick up the student and take them to a movie, out to eat, or invite over for the weekend. The third support person is the Program Support Coordinator. This volunteer acts as a counselor. It is their job to settle difficulties that crop up between the student and their host family or other students.

What are the AFS rules?

• No hitchhiking;
• No driving;
• No drugs – using, buying or selling.

The purpose of these rules is to protect the participants – thus AFS will be very strict and any student found to have infringed these rules will be sent home immediately.

What about medical care?

The cost of medical insurance is included in the price of the program. AFS covers all medical care and repatriation if necessary, but not medical care after the return of the participant or dental care or eyeglasses. For more details ask your AFS contact.
In as much as possible AFS will request permission from the parents or legal representative before any surgical intervention is carried out if and when necessary for the health of the participant. Parents are requested to fill out a permission form ahead of time authorizing emergency care in case of accident and/or serious illness.

Can I travel during the year?

Yes, with prior permission from AFS and parents /legal representative. But the participant must be accompanied.

Am I allowed to go home during the year?

AFS is against the idea. Experience has shown that it is not a good idea. A year-long experience requires a certain frame of mind – you have to be able to be away from your family. If the student goes home in the middle, it would require a further adjustment upon return, for a second time.
For the same reasons AFS does not encourage visits of friends or relatives but it is the host country which decides whether or not to give permission.

What happens if I break a law in my host country?

AFS bears no responsibility for such a case but you will be carefully prepared so that you are informed of the specific laws of each host country.

What happens if for one reason or another I come home before the end of the official stay?

Any additional expense will be paid by the participant.

What happens if AFS doesn't find a host family in the country of my choice?

We reimburse all partial payments except the registration fee.
But if you refuse the family AFS finds you, we do not guarantee to find another one.