Possible problems

Nothing is problem free and far be it from us to hide problems from you.

We are not selling television sets or washing machines. We deal with human beings, children and adults, who may have quite different life styles.

From the time that we give the go-ahead for an exchange, we are virtually certain that the result will be outstanding. However, an unexpected problem may arise : a conflict between the exchange student and his host parents; an unhappy situation at school. It is always our goal, however, to make every exchange a success for everyone concerned. With just a few very rare exceptions, this has been the case throughout our history.

Before the exchange

When an exchange has been decided on, when you have agreed to go ahead with a foreign family we will send you either a DEPARTURE pack or an ARRIVAL pack depending on whether your child is leaving or welcoming first.
These fat packs contain all our experience, (including the difficulties encountered during the previous 1500 plus exchanges). You will find a mine of information.

During the exchange

We are always there to help you.
If everything goes well (which it usually does) we are unobtrusive but always ready to listen.
If there is a problem we are there and ready to act. We phone, we talk and we explain things to children and parents alike.
Very often, thanks to our presence, our knowledge and experience we can solve problems which, no matter how insignificant, could easily make things worse and lead to failure if not dealt with straight away.

Often, we make it possible for two families and two children to build a friendship for life during the time of their exchange.

Sending a child abroad solely so that they can learn a new language is not what our exchanges are about. We aim to give children (and parents) a human, social, cultural and linguistic experience. Do not send your child unless you share our vision.
The linguistic success is only a happy consequence of doing an exchange.

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