Both your family and the international student whom you host gain lasting benefits. Your family shares the firsthand experience of learning about a different culture through the relationship forged with your student. You participate in a unique way to serve together as a family, strengthening family bonds, and your hosted student benefits from the stability of a loving family environment. A strong and stable host family provides the firm foundation from which they can succeed.
Our host families come from a variety of life stages:
Current CHCA families with children in all grades (PK-12)
Families with CHCA graduates
CHCA faculty and staff
Families who live in the area with children attending other schools
Families who are ‘empty nesters’
The common denominator among all host families is a willingness to provide a loving and nurturing family environment in which an international student can flourish and grow.
Long term hosting involves having an international student for the school year (mid-August through early June). Most students return home during winter break. We only ask our families to commit to one year of hosting although many form strong bonds and invite their international student to return for subsequent years.
Short term hosting involves hosting an international student for a weekend or a fall, winter or spring break.
Host families extend the same academic, emotional and spiritual support and guidance to their international student that they provide to their own children. Your international student becomes part of your family.
Host families provide room, board, and transportation for their students and as a member of the family, international students are expected to share in typical family responsibilities including chores. Host families respond to a monthly survey which communicates to the International Student Program (ISP) staff and the student’s natural family how they are doing outside of school.
The International Student Program (ISP) Director and staff understand that hosting an international student is a big commitment and work closely with host families to ensure their needs are met.
Host families receive a monthly stipend to cover the expenses inherent in having a teenage family member. International students pay for their own school supplies, spending money, and regional travel. Each student has a comprehensive health insurance policy that covers medical expenses at 100%.
Host family support also includes monthly ISP newsletters that highlight activities for international students, access to licensed clinical counselors, and ongoing communication with ILC Director and staff.
Begin by emailing Elizabeth.Rogers@chca-oh.org. We can discuss the different hosting options and answer questions. Next, discuss the idea with your family and pray to discern if this is God’s plan for your family.
If you are ready to proceed:
Submit an application
Complete a family interview
Schedule a home visit
Our 3 step process promotes a positive experience for your family and placements are made based on common interests, personality, and home life. Placements take place on a rolling basis as students enroll.
If you have questions, we would love to talk with you! Please contact Elizabeth Rogers:
"Deciding to host an international student during my junior year of high school was a big step for me and my family. Growing up as an only child, I wasn’t sure what it would be like having a student from a different culture living with us. My host sister was from Hungary and hosting her taught me a lot about myself and the Hungarian way of life. On our car rides to school, she shared all about her life at home and how different it was from her experiences in America. Beyond her stories, she shared her culture with our family through preparing traditional Hungarian meals of chicken with special spices and noodles as well as other Hungarian seasonal and holiday foods. Hosting her provided a unique opportunity to experience life with a sister and cultivate a friendship with someone from a different country. As a host sister, providing a home for an international student has changed my life and impacted my family in positive ways. Hosting an international student opened our eyes to an entirely different culture while fostering a friendship with my new sister and her family that will last well beyond the time she lived with us! I highly recommend the expereince!"Megan Harris '23 and
Current Host Sibling
CHCA has welcomed students from all these countries!