French Exchange Student funds

Ilovecubbage

I am sorry, but i can`t see how PTA would be able to contribute. I understood that an exchange was to be paid by the hosting family and when your child goes over there they will pay for yours. That seems to be the general idea.
Perhaps that`s why in most cases it is for free. Don`t forget the school or government will pay for your child to go to different country + insurance and the rest of it.
Surely anybody who agreed to this would be prepared to pay or take the poor kid out to show him how we live over here and not letting the country down.

I am sorry if it was me I would borrow the money from someone , because the benefits for my child would be huge in the exchange.

Brighton_belle

Iluvcubbage - the OP has very recently been diagnosed with a debiltating illness and has faced this with courage and positivity from her posts I have seen - life sometimes does the unexpected like this, and when she agreed to the exchange, she didn't realise, becasue of this, she would be in such difficult financial circs.
Even so, she has not whined, or begged, she mearly asked if anyone as aware of any help she could get as she continues to support and encourage her son but is struggling with this extra bit.
She is in no way 'letting our country down'. I am proud to be associated with anyone who faces disabilty and stills gets out there in any way he/she can. She has already said she has saved hard to fund trips out for their visitor.
And children with parents facing difficult illnesses/disbilities deserve an extra bit of care and support from society, as it is not unusual for them to save our country £1000's in extra care costs.

southoftheriver

Letting the country down would be the OP not encouraging her son to broaden his horizons and then blaming everyone else for her situation. What a horrible thing to say when they have given no indication that they are scrounging or expecting the world on a plate.

kazmeister

Mupette wrote: »

I think it will be a bit late (and i think cheeky) to ask the exchange student's school for money, Ds breaks up from school today, i feel it would also be cheeky to ask his parents too.

I think i will have to wait until i pick student up at the airport, we have to book in with the company organising it all (not school exchange) and see what they can do.

Hi

We host French students organised by a company too rather than a school but we are paid a small allowance for each night the student stays. I would contact the company and explain the situation to them to see if they can help.

bestpud

Brighton_belle wrote: »

Iluvcubbage - the OP has very recently been diagnosed with a debiltating illness and has faced this with courage and positivity from her posts I have seen - life sometimes does the unexpected like this, and when she agreed to the exchange, she didn't realise, becasue of this, she would be in such difficult financial circs.
Even so, she has not whined, or begged, she mearly asked if anyone as aware of any help she could get as she continues to support and encourage her son but is struggling with this extra bit.
She is in no way 'letting our country down'. I am proud to be associated with anyone who faces disabilty and stills gets out there in any way he/she can. She has already said she has saved hard to fund trips out for their visitor.
And children with parents facing difficult illnesses/disbilities deserve an extra bit of care and support from society, as it is not unusual for them to save our country £1000's in extra care costs.

I agree.

Being on benefits should not mean her child can't take part and it's not something I'd have thought of in advance either!

I'm surprised there isn't something in place for circumstances like this tbh.

As a last resort, Mupette, you could ask the school if you can pay them in installments for the meals...?

Mupette

saving-mad wrote: »

I had the same inquiry with our Spanish student a few weeks ago.
mine was more that the teacher this end said she would OK it with the school bus companies for students to travel with their exchange partners, and as we used the service bus (there are no school buses to where we live) this costs me £2.50 return a day i asked if there was funding for the student and was told it came from his Spanish school and it did, he came with £10 for the 4 days.

I wouldn't normally ask but i was cross that anyone with free school meals did the exchange for £10 and because we both work we had to pay £300,
our wages are probably less than the benefits others receive.....STOP ME BEFORE I GO OFF ON ONE!!!

I did pay full price for the exchange, honest, no discounts.

Mupette

I am overwhelmed with what i have read here today.

Lots of kind support, thank you for that.

Just got all benefits today (Easter, so all paid early) so this is to last me for 2 weeks, 1 of them with our guest. Just spoke to DS and explained i really need to be frugal this week prior to a week Saturday.

I've had some interesting input. not sure how this will work, because i have BB, and DLA, there are going to be concessions to some places, ie carer goes free, well my carer is DS, so at least there are some good points there.

Our exchange student might not like school dinners.. so I will give him the option of packed lunch too.

When we go to pick him up at the airport, we need to book in with the organisers of the trip, so will have a discreet word with them.. as it is not being run by the school.

One thing that i have not done, the organisation, who organized it, doesn't know i am ill, i didn't want my son to be turned down for this..(does that sound silly?)

bestpud

Mupette wrote: »

I am overwhelmed with what i have read here today.

Lots of kind support, thank you for that.

Just got all benefits today (Easter, so all paid early) so this is to last me for 2 weeks, 1 of them with our guest. Just spoke to DS and explained i really need to be frugal this week prior to a week Saturday.

I've had some interesting input. not sure how this will work, because i have BB, and DLA, there are going to be concessions to some places, ie carer goes free, well my carer is DS, so at least there are some good points there.

Our exchange student might not like school dinners.. so I will give him the option of packed lunch too.

When we go to pick him up at the airport, we need to book in with the organisers of the trip, so will have a discreet word with them.. as it is not being run by the school.

One thing that i have not done, the organisation, who organized it, doesn't know i am ill, i didn't want my son to be turned down for this..(does that sound silly?)

Ah right! I assumed it was through the school and thought they'd automatically build in provision for meals etc.

Sounds like you're getting a plan together.

I would hope they wouldn't turn him down because you are ill! I suppose they might if you had a serious mental illness and potentially posed a threat, but not a physical one, surely...?

Saying that, back in the 80s, my friend wasn't able to have a student at her house because she lived alone with her dad and a woman he wasn't married to! Her mum had died years earlier and her dad had a new partner but they'd not married. She could go to a family but they had to match her with someone who didn't want to come back here.

I sincerely hope that wouldn't be the case today!

I don't think it's a silly thought but I also think all will be fine if you do tell them.

Brighton_belle

No it doesn't sound silly to have had that fear at all mupette. One would like to think it wouldn't have mattered and it would have been very discriminatory if it had. Presumably they didn't ask either. I think they would only have had legititmate cause for concern if you had a condition that put the safety and welfare of the visiting child at risk. This is clearly not the case.

These sorts of fears and worries are the hidden side of illness/disabilty and having to be on benefits that not everyone have is able to appreciate.

You clearly are able to look after your son and are providing a safe warm and welcoming home.

Mupette

Thank you, with the help of DS and OH who does not live with me, we have managed to de-clutter my home and clean it. (see Delutter fhread)

So we are almost ready for the visitor