barry VanNostrand

Review of Afs-usa, inc.

In full disclosure - I have hosted 11 students, fr...

In full disclosure - I have hosted 11 students, from 11 different countries, and have been an AFS volunteer for the past 9 years matching families with students and supporting students during their year.
No matter what program a family decides to host thru (and there and a number of them) at the end of the day a kid is a kid regardless what program they come through. No program has all "good kids" nor does any program have just "bad" ones.
Of my 11 kids, Our first was truly not good but we stuck it out with her because we felt very supported by the volunteers. We sent #8 away because of significant maturity issues but again felt very supported. With the exception of these two, we still maintain a close contact with all of the 9 other kids.
What helps separates AFS from the majority of intercultural organizations is that in most other organizations the person who makes the placement gets paid "per head" for each student they put with a family. In other words there is a profit motive in it for them and whenever you introduce a profit motive into the picture, the placement becomes "ripe" for taking place for the wrong reason. As an AFS volunteer I get paid -0- and volunteer only because I find it rewarding.
AFS is the largest intercultural organization which means they have more students to chose from when trying to make the best match between the family and the student. Ultimately, YOU pick the student you wish to host - AFS does not tell you who you will host. AFS also has a lot of volunteers so your support person is likely to live much closer to you than the US DOS required 125 miles. This is a very important thing when you need the assistance of your liaison/counselor/coordinator.
Hosting experiences will not always be perfect. Having a child come into your home that you did not raise, from a culture different from yours, and who speaks a different language, can be a challenge. It will never be perfect - just like raising your own kids is never perfect. What these experiences will be is rewarding in that they give you a whole new view of the world and you truly expand you "family" in the process. While AFS is not "perfect" and can not guarantee you a "perfect" experience, I honestly believe it is the best program I know of.