How to Become A Host Family

I just want to say Richard [our host student] is the most polite person and just perfect to host. One really couldn’t ask for a better student. He already speaks English so well and, over the weekend, we accomplished some tasks he needed help with. We took him to G Mart so he could get the food he likes and he seems to like my dad’s cooking. He really isn’t picky. His parents sent these wonderful Chinese teas and a gift so we’re figuring out how to send them our appreciation.

I got him to the [APEX] dorm for the bus with plenty of time this morning. I think my Dad sent a picture of him here to you with our cat. He never had a cat before and now the cat and Richard are pals. We’ll try to take more pictures. Anyways, thanks for the wonderful student! To be honest we were slightly nervous but once we met him we were very, very happy.

“My experience as a “Host Mom” for Linus was absolutely wonderful!  He is a good and talented boy and together we mastered many things that will be a total asset to him as he enters a new phase of his life at Fordham University in the Fall.  Kudos to Linus!

APEX has been a gracious and informative guide throughout the “unknown” process of being a Host Mom.  From the beginning, Crystal and Kathleen have been encouraging and unceasing in their willingness to make our lives productive and fulfilling.”

“We hosted two students this year, a freshman and a sophomore who attended Fairfield Prep.  Our experience with Steven and Daniel was exceptional.  They integrated seamlessly with our family and participated in many family functions.  Daniel even tried his hand a cooking a couple of times and gave us a taste of “traditional” Chinese fare.  Because Steven and Daniel were with us through the 2016 elections, coupled with the fact that my wife is Korean, we had many interesting discussions at the dinner table concerning the different ways each country’s political systems run.  Overall it was a great year for us and I hope that Steven and Daniel enjoyed it as much as we did.

This is our second year hosting with APEX and we have enjoyed a friendly and professional relationship with many of the staff.  APEX cares for the needs of the students while quickly addressing any concerns that may arise.  We had no real issues that happened this year, but did have a few concerns with our students last year that were handled quickly and professionally with great results. APEX is clear from the start that we are here for the students, and we hope that we provided an environment for our students to maximize their learning and provide a positive remembrance of their experience.”

“Being a host parent for an international student has been an extremely enriching experience ! I recommend it highly if you have a warm and loving home and time to commit – Thanks so much”

“Hello, I decided to become a host family because I’m a young widow who lives alone since my daughter went off to college. I thought it would be a great time to bring someone into the house since there are two close schools to my home where APEX has international students.

“Our first hosting experience was great.  We had a good kid that gave us no problems at all.

Hosting with APEX was great.  The company truly cares about the host families.  The staff at APEX was extremely helpful anytime we had questions or concerns.”

“Our experience hosting a student was awesome. We learned a lot about China and what their culture is like. We got to meet our student’s family and made a instant connection with them. We plan on visiting China sometime next year. This would have never happen without this program. Lisa and I were not empty nesters anymore and it was fun being busy again.

Our connection with APEX has been great. We got to be good friends with a lot of the team and they all were very accessible and there to help us through the process. I met David the co-founder and became friends. He is very caring person and very interested in all his kids.  I also recommended two other families to the organization.  Thank you all!”

“We really enjoyed our hosting experience. Having any teenager in your home has its ups and downs but we worked together to resolve any problems that came up and had a lot of fun overall.

We have hosted 8 students from different countries and agencies. What we appreciate about APEX is that they have everyone’s well-being in mind, such as how they provide one support person for the student (who speaks their language and understands their culture) and another for the host family.”

“I would love to share how we became host parents. Dan and I were just becoming empty- nesters when we decided to host a student from China. It was a special experience learning about their culture, opening up our home, and making them feel like a part of our family! The students leave China to come to America. Our goal was to make them feel comfortable and at home in their new environment. It is fun, you learn about their culture and they experience ours. It has been an amazing experience!”

“We have been hosting with APEX for 3 years now and it has definitely been a rewarding experience. We have gotten an opportunity to host three different students. This year we are hosting Daud, a senior attending Sacred Heart High School.

We are so grateful for all the experiences we shared together, such as birthday celebrations, family outings, learning about the Chinese culture, and cooking Chinese meals. These unforgettable memories will always be with us.

This is Daud’s last year with us and we are very saddened that he has to travel back home. We will continue to keep in touch just like we have with our previous students. We love creating that special bond and checking on our students and their families. We would like to know how they are doing and still regard them as part of our family.

Our experience with APEX has been great, whatever questions we had we were able to email, text, or call and we received replies quickly. It is great that there are a lot of available resources to host parents and that the line of communication is always open between APEX and host parents.”

“Becoming a host family with APEX is one of the most meaningful adventures we have taken in as a family. We have had many joyful times of cultural exchange and we have met wonderful international families along the way.

APEX has always supported us with any advice or information that we needed. They were always there with help, support, and guidance. It was never intrusive. This allowed us to develop natural bonds with our host children and enabled them to develop and individuate appropriately so that they could focus on their goals for coming to a new country. From the get-togethers to the long nights of studying both we and our host children have grown and learned deeply as we have come to love a new culture.

We hope to be a member of the APEX family forever and we will always be there for our host children to support them through the challenges and joys of becoming successful.”

“Ryan and I decided to give being a host family a try after speaking to one of my co-workers. This is our first time hosting and it has been a great experience so far!

We are hosting 2 teenage girls from China. One is a Sophomore and one is a freshman at Holy Cross High School. They have taught us about Moon Festival and moon cake. We take trips on the weekends to fairs, farms, and family parties.

Ryan and I provide transportation to and from school. They work on their homework when we get home and even help out with cooking. We have been learning from each other and having fun!”