To wonder what level of checks you'd expect for your exchange students being put up in other people's houses

[Excchangeissue]

We had fliers yesterday asking for people to house French exchange students, for cash, in our homes.

They were sent to everyone in our 3,000 plus house village.

All they need is a spare bed and a DBS check.

We live in a Midlands town with sod all going on so it's not exactly the place of people's dreams.

AIBU to think I wouldn't want my teenage child being sent to some random persons house where, at best, the parents have been DBS checked but who knows about any other occupants / visitors to the house.

EFL language courses come at all price points, and home stays are cheaper for students than residential courses hosted in boarding schools etc. When I was young I did home stays in Italy and the U.K., and our DSs have done them in Canada, Spain and Australia. I don’t think I will send my DD on one. She has done lots of residentials and even those aren’t always great. You live and learn and I would rather pay
for a top end residential than take a risk.

In my French exchange when I was a girl you stayed with parents of the child you'd hosted.

We're all un-raped.

Peadofear runs deep but it's sad when people will restrict their child's lives because of their misconceived fears.

We aren’t worrying about exchanges of children the same age, we are worrying about what are essentially paying guests.

They say bed & DBS check is all that's needed, but that's just application stage. They'll interview you check your accommodation, look in bathroom for signs of mould (mould = no students will be sent to you).

It's ages since I've done it now so I can't remember all the other checks but, there are many., including further background checks. .

There have to be - not least for Insurance purposes. & you need an Enhanced DBS. Although that's not a perfect system really but, what is?

But - do you think every individual and organisation looking after children and youth are checked to the absolute hilt? As if you are in the UK and think that's the case, you are somewhat naive. I don't know about anywhere else.

There really seems to be a will to find fear around every corner nowadays.

There's always a risk unless you do it all yourself in terms of child and youth care

I can understand people hosting where their children are in a club or it's through the school.

I can also understand people who do it as a kind of business, like Air BnB.

I just don't understand how it's allowed to literally ask every person in the town / village and offer them cash for doing so.

It’s just an advert. If people respond to it then they’ll have the checks done. And of course they’re going to offer you cash to do it, people don’t generally let complete strangers stay in their house for a month for free.

I don’t think it is always beneficial for foreign students to stay in “any old” home that is hosting just for the cash. Many language schools are of fairly mediocre quality, despite checks and regulations. The U.K. is very much in the business of encouraging incoming students in order to boost the economy in any way possible.

User - I agree. I currently have the daughter of a family friend staying while she’s doing an English course. Some of the other students on her course have quite hair-raising accommodation (and terrible food). In fact the recurring theme from students is the really shit food they get here. I think some families think they’ll make money by hosting and the only way to achieve this is by feeding your students cardboard.

Indeed, Sunny. I also host friends/relatives sometimes when they do short courses, mostly because the alternatives seems so unsavoury for the children concerned!

I did a home stay (not an exchange) when I was 17 and it was horrible. It wasn’t dangerous but I didn’t really get any food and the family were really awkward. I’m not 100% sure that the people there were who I was expecting either. I remember crying a lot because I was hungry and a bit confused and lonely.

I’m not sure I’d want a child of mine doing it. I’d prefer a residential language course or to stump up for a hotel.