The main responsibilities of a host family are to provide a Japanese student with a supportive, safe, and loving home. The host family and student experience is most fruitful when hosts accept the student as a member of their family and encourages the student to participate in all aspects of family life.

It is preferred that host families provide their Japanese student with a private bedroom. If this is not possible, a student may share a room with a child of the same gender, within four years of the Japanese student’s age. The student must always have a private bed.

Every day, host families should have the Japanese student participate some light house work for about 30 minutes. This expectation was included as part of the students’ application to the program; the students are prepared to help!

Host families will also be asked to expose their student to local tourist experiences. All host families will be asked to take their student on a day-trip to Boston or Santa Fe. Other local tourist or cultural outings are highly encouraged, but these other activities are up to the discretion of the host family.

Host families are responsible for providing their Japanese student with transportation to and from the student’s non-profit volunteer site.

Host families will receive a stipend to help cover the expenses (food, gas, etc.) that they will incur by hosting a Japanese student. This stipend is calculated based on the number of weeks that a student is living with the host family.