Congratulations on Becoming a Youth Exchange Host Family!
You are about to become a new parent, probably not for the first time, but this time your new child will already be a teenager upon arrival, may not speak English fluently, and will certainly have cultural traits that are different from yours. When your new child arrives, please use the First Night Questions to help them feel more at ease.
 
By agreeing to be a host family for a Rotary Youth Exchange student, you have agreed to assume parental responsibility for this young ambassador from another country, to provide shelter and sustenance, guidance and counsel, and love and support to the child of strangers who may live thousands of miles from you. But we do not ask you to do this all on your own; Rotarians in your local community as well as those of us who serve on the Rotary District Youth Exchange Committee will do all we can to make this exchange a success. We provide you with the information you need, through our Host Family Orientation meeting and contact with your Rotary Club. We meet with and provide orientation training to the exchange students upon their arrival. And we will, throughout the exchange period, be in contact with both you and the Exchange student to answer questions, address concerns, and resolve problems.
 
All too soon, it will be time for your student to move on to the next host family or return home at the end of the exchange year. Many of the host parents who preceded you do not say “goodbye” when that time comes, but instead say “farewell, until we meet again”, with the full intention that this new member of the family will indeed be met again. We hope you experience those feelings, and will do all we can to have that happen.
 
Host families should refer often to the District Youth Exchange Calendar of Events. There are many MANDATORY events for your student.
 
The US Department of State has implemented rules and regulations that we must abide by when hosting a student. They are to ensure the safety and well-being of the student while they are in the US. Click here to view the DOS Regulations regarding exchange students.
 
Rotary International is committed to creating and maintaining the safest possible environment for all participants in Rotary activities. It is the duty of all Rotarians, Rotarians’ spouses, partners, and other volunteers to safeguard to the best of their ability the welfare of and to prevent the physical, sexual, or emotional abuse of children and young people with whom they come into contact. Click here to view the complete Student Protection Policy. Click here to view the Student Protection Policy Allegation Reporting Guidelines
 
If you would like to apply to be a host family, please click here: Host Family Application
If you do not have all the information available to complete the application, you can "save" it and return to the application at a later time. You will need to upload pictures of your home and enter names, email addresses and phone numbers of personal references. Click here for a complete list of vetting requirements.