The document discusses host family selection and training for Rotary Youth Exchange programs. It addresses several topics: - Screening of host families and ensuring safe home environments is important, but current methods may not be effective and better ways should be explored. - Traditionally, Rotarians hosted students directly, but now parents of outbound students must also help with hosting to maintain balanced exchanges. Parents need to provide hosting details upfront. - Training for host families and clubs is varied - guidelines exist but clubs may not implement them consistently. Training should include harassment prevention and opportunities for families to connect. - Support structures like counselors are crucial but their roles in supporting students and liaising with families needs evaluation to

1. Rohan Gleeson
Vice Chairman
Rotary Youth Exchange
Australia

2. G’ Day

3. Host Family Selection
and Training

4. We are going to look at:
• Screening
• Training
• Support Structures
• Do they impact on early returns?

5. Let’s start here:
Do you agree:
The mistakes, misunderstandings & lack
of communication by adults are the
main source of difficulties with
exchanges.
Simply: It is an adult who usually gets
something wrong!

6. Focus First:
Gone are the days when Rotarians
traditionally hosted students…
There are many and varied reasons for
the decline, but the reality is those
days will not return…
So what happens now?

7. The Hosting Pool:
The hosting obligation must be shifted in part, to
the parents of Outbound students.
Parents must be reminded of the reciprocal
nature of the program and that, a district can only
sponsor the same number of students that it can
host.
Parents therefore must provide hosting details
with their student’s preliminary application.

8. Screening:
• Who has mandatory:
• Volunteer Adult Screening
• Do your Clubs / Districts check
• Homes & living conditions?
• Does it work?
• Is there a better way?

9. Training:
• Who has guidelines for Clubs
• Do the Clubs do it?
• What about harassment training
• Host family BBQ’s or get togethers
• Where and how is it delivered?
• Training weekends
• DYPO

10. Support Structures:
• How good are the Counsellors
• They should hold it all together
• Do they work with Host parents
• Are they effective
• How Do your Clubs / Districts check
• Do they?

11. Support Structures:
• When the wheels fall off
• Does the District / Club have:
• Documented procedures to follow
• Do your Protection Officers:
• Know their responsibilities
• Know how to handle a complaint
• The 72 hour requirement

12. What’s with the rock?