Last month, I hosted a teenager, Justin from Melbourne. He said he does not have a kangaroo as a pet and laughed -- he was so happy and innocent and excited to be with my family. Sadly, I agreed to host him because I was afraid for him and the thousands of precious children who are on their way to my beloved USA. Justin's experience will not be what many students will find. They will be shoved into hotels, told to babysit 4 little children 5 years and under, sleep in garages and worst of all, sexually abused. I cannot host them all but there are sexual predators just waiting for some of these children because the U.S. State Department says that criminal checks are not necessary. Being American and all, that is unacceptable. I have a file 2 inches thick with letters begging to change the law. How about some help from you? Write to Condoleezza Rice at the U.S. State Dept. and ask her to implement child protection measures for your children not just our American children. Anyone -- anyone -- anyone that claims they support foreign exchange students programs but refuse to support these better protections does not have your children's best interests at heart. How do I know about these students? They looked into my eyes and begged for help. My 3 children looked at me and I knew I could not tell them it was someone else's problem and turn away.

Having been an exchange student myself, I know how vulnerable exchange students can be. But since the mandatory police checks of host families is unlikely to happen in the near future (not in the US nor as far as I know anywhere, including Australia), I suggest parents instead choose exchange organisations carefully. There are excellent non-profit organisations out there which not only try the best they can to get to know prospective host families, but also provide continuous support for the exchange student throughout the year. Going on exchange is fantastic and I appeal to parents not to deny such a great opportunity to interested teenagers - the appropriate organisation will look after your child appropriately.

Hmmm... 'interesting' article mainly for the subtext.

Namely,

1. the world is a scarey place full of child sex predators... all of whom are men.
2. the world needs more surveillance and better computer databases... as if that ever stopped crime and committed criminals. "When man builds a better mouse trap, nature produces bigger mice."
3. that old chestnut of 'the childs best interests'.. as if sending a child to a strange family, capable of who knows what, in a foriegn land is 'best' for them, and
4. it didn't take long to paint men as child raping dirty peadophiles... which seems to be the thinly veiled focus of the article.

Its never ceases to amaze me what people can get away with espousing and doing in the name of 'protecting' some group in society. Little more than preying on the vulnerabilities of those people in order to push one's ideological and socio-political agenda.

Well done.

After reading the appalling nature of this article, I am a little lost for words ! I had no idea the wretchedness and sickenness these teens have to endure at the hands of these sociopaths who ply their trade under the guise of helping out exchange students. We were very tempted to accept a Foreign student in our home one time, but because of the complications e.g cultural shock, language, freedom and other imagined phobias, we declined. What I cant understand, the Authorities abrogating their responsibilities - then the parents, then the Schools, then FBI, then NYLPD, then the groups charged with monitoring the pederast, the list goes on..yet we consciously send our beloved kids overseas for a better Education, at what price ? The expense in trauma is just too much to bear.

I personally was an exchange student on the border of Canada and the US. While I can only commend my host family and the host families I knew. Out of fifty exchange students hosted during the 99-00 year, not one child in our program reported any sexual abuse. However I did know of a student, from a different program, who returned home and did report sexual abuse. Programs need to have strict and thorough screening processes not only of the outbound students, but also of the host families. These programs are big business, and do have the resources to background check families.
Student Exchanges, ran by reputable programs are in the best interests of children. It is now 5 years since I returned to Australia and I grew more in the 11 months of my exchange as a person than any other 11 month period of my life. I look back on my exchange with fond memories and nostalgia. I am still in contact with my host family and the friends I met while on exchange. I would also recommend any child interested to participate in a program.

No access process is left unexplored by paedophiles in the United States of America or anywhere else.

I live in the USA, and hosted exchange students the past two years through AFS. We provided them a document that allows them to perform a criminal background check on us. I do not know if this was actually done. They also had another adult volunteer that was supposed to check-in with both the student and the family once each month - this does not always happen, but the student has their phone number and is encouraged to call if any problems arise.

Your article concerns the safety of students with the host families... how about with others? The support the organization provided was poor. Last year's student had a great first 5 months. She became a part of our family. However, mid-year she found a boyfriend, and after only 2 weeks of dating she had sex for the first time. The boy was a drug user. This resulted in medical complications that required a doctor. Our student also was lying often. We insisted the behavior stop. We felt that our rules (which had been communicated to her on arrival) should be respected. We have a child and the same rules should apply to all. The student wanted to continue with the new boyfriend, and had the organization find her a new family that was okay with all this. The organiztion was not supportive of our efforts to care for this student, and enabled behavior that put her at serious risk of drugs, disease, and pregnancy. I am disappointed in the organization (which is supposed to take care of the kids) more than the student (who was only 16 years old, with active hormones).

Some kids will say that "hey, lots of teens have sex...", and they are right. But exchange students are vulnerable - not a time for life-risking decisions. And they are supposed to adapt to the rules of their host family for the months they are here (per AFS handbook). Some programs (ie: Rotary) send students home immediately for sex or drug-use.

We will host students in the future, but not through AFS.

This is written to Dan!

Hello! My name is Martin Salzer and I'm settled in Germany (at the moment :D). I'm trying desperately to find a host family for one student for one year. The thing is: the family must be a family running an "Amway" Business as the student comes from an Amway family here in Germany. He wants to come over to the States and work for Amway as its headquarters is in Ada, Mi. I'm thankful for any hint where to start looking for such a family...

to get more details and/or give me a hint: mail me please @

info@theleet.de

Hi. My name is Katarina and I am a year 12 student at Centenary State High School in Brisbane, Australia. I am currently studying Film and Television and am designing a documentary about foreign student exchange. If anyone would be interested in giving me comments or advice on this I would be very grateful. I am also looking for people who have had a negative experience with foreign exchange, whether personally, or if they know someone who has. I need to interview people who have advantages and/or disadvantages about foreign exchange. I need to show as many sides to the argument as possible. If you can help me or know someone who can, please e-mail me at geckah4@hotmail.com or post a comment here. Thank you very much for your help!
Katarina Prosser

Well, I am an exchange student, or, I will be an exchange student. My departure is in the 21th July of 2007, my plane brings me right to the USA. And after two weeks of preparation in a "Language & Culture Camp" run by my exchange organization, the adventure starts.
Then I will meet my host family. That will be the most important moment of my exchange year. Of course I'm looking toward it.
But I'm also scared. I don't have a host family yet. Will I get one? When? And will this be the host family I ever wanted to have?
That is, in my view, the problem. I'm dreaming of a wonderful host family, very nice host parents, perhaps two or three children, will I have a big host brother? Does my host family have a pet, perhaps a sweet dog? A wonderful house and will my room be perfect?
Most exchange students will answer all these questions with "yes". Every exchange student is dreaming of whatever the organization promise him. "It will be the best year of your life..."
Well, I'm scared. I hope to become a host family which is as I dreamed. Is anyone interested? ;-)
As some said here, familys aren't controlled very good by the organization. The orga. wants host familys so that the students can be placed. They want there money.
So I will try to find a host family by myself. I hope I can do this. Then I will tell my orga. the name and adress of the host family and everything will be fine. But I doubt that this will work.
Well, this was just what I wanted to say. That exchange students must be protected, but not "only" for sexual abuse, they must be protected that they aren't dreaming to much.

PS: Sorry for my bad english... I'm just learning it as a foreign language in school... But it will be better after my exchange year in the United States of America ;-)