… don’t host a student if you are short on money. Hosting a student costs at least a few hundred extra dollars per month. If you can’t spare that, then don’t host. Don’t put a student in a situation where you are always pinching pennies. You will also tend to resent that unknowing student, and that’s just not fair to them. Most of these exchange programs cost many THOUSANDS of dollars for the student and his family. Many scrimp and save for years or have to ask a rich uncle to help them out. This is a big thing for them. Don’t blow it for them, and be prepared to be somewhat generous. I think many host parents don’t realize the costs involved going into this (both in time and money), so I just wanted to get that out there so you can mull it over! (Life of a Military Wife)
Tag Archives: #HostFamilyMisinformed
2009 Feb 04: Foreign exchange program controversy
Eyewitness News(New York – WABC, November 20, 2007) (WABC) — The U.S. State Department is investigating whether a major non-profit foreign exchange agency violated regulations by not having proper homes in place for visiting students. Local families who thought they’d have kids for a few weeks say they got stuck with students who had nowhere to go.
The Investigators Sarah Wallace has more on this exclusive story.
State Department regulations are clear — before a foreign exchange student comes to in the United States the sponsoring agency is supposed to have secured a home placement and a school placement for the year.
Well now there are allegations that an agency called ASSE International has blatantly violated those regulations. ASSE denies it.
“I just think it’s wrong. It’s wrong all around ” said Michele Renaud.
Michele Renaud thought it would be a great experience for her son TJ to have foreign visitors. So this summer, she welcomed Hee-Sung from Korea, to stay while he attended an English language camp in Putnam County. She also took in Lenny from France — both students would then go to a different, permanent home for the school year.
Sarah Wallace: “Your understanding was you’d have them for how long?” Michele: “Four weeks.”
The sponsoring agency — ASSE International — is headquartered in California, with area representatives in several states, including New York.
“They did not have placement for either one of my boys … And could I keep them for a few more days. … And it was going on the third month,” Michele said.
Ira Drescher and his family, who also live in Putnam County, took in three exchange students — two from Japan, and one from France.
“We found out none of them had placement. I mean we were told they all had placement and they’d be here for a month,” Ira said.
The Dreschers say they scrambled to get the students enrolled in the local school because ASSE had done nothing. Federal regulations require that a school placement is secured before students arrive.
Michele Renaud echoes the Dreschers. “We went to the school. They were not even registered. The school didn’t even have their names,” she said.
“Those students, before they departed their home country, were supposed to be promised a properly screened and secured host family, as well as a high school,” Danelle Grijalva said.
Danelle Grijalva says her Internet based watchdog group has received complaints about ASSE from families in nine different states.
Independently, we received several e-mails and phone calls. One area representative writes: “This has been a bait and switch program from the beginning.”
“To get them here and have them fend for themselves and just hope that the temporary families fall in love with them is a recipe for disaster,” Danelle said.
In Buffalo, New York we heard a disturbing case of a young girl from Thailand happily living in a temporary house, then placed by ASSE with a family living in a mobile home on the side of the road in the Adirondacks.
“She was distraught. She was crying,” Barbara said.
Barbara Costuros says she drove four hours each way to bring 18-year-old Sufrete back to Buffalo. “It was dirty … I see mice … yes I was scared” Sufrete said.
Sufrete says she was told by ASSE she’d be sent back to Thailand if she didn’t stay in the Adirondacks. But her parents, who paid more than $10,000 to the agency, had had enough. She flew home.
ASSE declined to be interviewed but released this statement: “ASSE is has always been committed to full compliance with all U.S. Department of State regulatory requirements governing its programs.”
When we visited the Dreschers several weeks ago, they decided to keep their French student for the year. But with two children of their own, the family just could not keep the other students.
“They start school, they get upset. It’s very disturbing to them. … All of them is too much,” Ira said.
Michele Renaud still had one of her foreign students waiting for a permanent placement,as well.
“It just feels that we were lied to … blatantly lied to,” Michele said.
The students from Putnam County have all now been placed in permanent homes, although a couple of them say they found families on their own without ASSE’s help.
The Agency claims as of a few weeks ago, all its students had been placed.
(Copyright ©2014 WABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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ASSE: Three students without permanent host-families
Dear Danielle,
I confirmed that the following two Thai students do not have a permanent family as of yet. I am unsure if the third student has a permanent family or not. I’ve been out of touch with her for a week. I’m including their ASSE IDs in case they are helpful.
You may also want to talk to Ms. Syracuse and Ms. Costuros. I have heard that these women have felt pressured into keeping their students beyond the 30 days they agreed to. In fact, the Donelson’s asked all the host families to sign the attached document without providing them a copy to keep. It was received as attachment by some host families, however, some of the host families were elderly persons and unlikely online or computer literate. I have heard that the Donelson’s then told these women that by signing this paper they agreed to keep the students for as long as it takes to find a host family. If you read the agreement, it says nothing like that.
Jim Hale
ASSE: Host-family and exchange student needs ignored
I am a host parent for a Thai student who has been with us since 8/25/07. My family and I are new to the exchange program, and this is our first exchange hosting experience. I can tell you that I have not been pleased with the experience thus far, primarily due to the inadequacy of the agency we hosted through – ASSE.
First, our student arrived on 8/25 and was met at the airport by my family—there was no ASSE rep to be found. Not only that, we have yet to receive a call, visit, or other communication from a local rep for ASSE. I have complained to Ms. Helga Brandt (Western Regional person at ASSE), only to be quoted about minimum State Department requirements and that ASSE was not in violation of any of them. From day one, our student has shown a bare minimum of English speaking and communicating capability. We were told by her high school that unless she raised her ability to a minimum level, she would be removed from school per the school district’s policy. I voiced our concerns to Ms. Brandt and was told that our student had passed a ESL test (46 scored with 45 being a passing grade) and she sent me a PDF of a scanned test score sheet which had nothing more than multiple choice bubbles filled in. I explained to her that a multiple choice test answer sheet does not constitute a minimum capability, and she replied that ASSE was not in violation of anything.
I am not happy with the way ASSE has handled our situation thus far. ASSE tells me that our student has a local rep, though none of us has yet to meet him/her. Last night our student tells me that there are 5 exchange students in New Mexico that she went to English camp with that do not have host families or a school to attend. She has been receiving frantic phone calls from them since Saturday to ask for help in locating host families.
I find it appalling that a local rep was not present at the airport when our student arrived, and has yet to call us or our student. I have spoken to other host families that have hosted through Rotary International, and they tell me a whole different story of what a wonderful experience their hosting is. One gentleman and his family have hosted 27 kids over the years. In the span of 4 short weeks, have been soured by our experience and will not host again
Dr. Peter C. Riley
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Foreign student exchange 