Foreign exchange students in need of host families

Rebecca Herrera may be a mother of four, but this summer, she’ll be looking after more than 100 teens hoping to spend a couple of weeks in Bakersfield.

Herrera is a local program leader for the EF Educational Homestay Program, which connects foreign exchange students as they learn about the English language and American culture with host families.

We don’t teach them “American history because let me guarantee you, they will school us on American history, ” said Herrera, who is among a group of local EF program leaders. “Many of these students speak English well. You have students who have been studying for 5 to 7 years.”

Herrera got involved five years ago as a host family.
These days, however, she’s been busy looking for local families willing to open their doors to students who are from Austria and Spain.
In July, two groups of about 30 Spaniard teens will be looking to stay with host families in Bakersfield for four weeks.

One group will attend classes during the weekdays while the other will be immersion group, requiring a family or couple that has more time to spend with the student.
The third group will involve about 50 Austrian teens. They’ll also be attending classes.
So far, Herrera said she’s been able to locate a number of host participants but she needs more.

"We've definitely been working very hard to place everyone but, of course, the economy hasn't been the greatest,” said Herrera. She and her husband, a project manager for a construction company, have two daughters, 10 and 20 and two sons, 16 and soon-to-be 18.

There is no cost to host a foreign exchange student, but the host is responsible for providing three meals a day and a room for sleeping and privacy. The student can even share a room with a son or daughter of the host family as long as there's no more than a three-year age difference, she said.

Bakersfield resident Martha Garcia said she, her husband, Johnny, and their three sons served as a host family to three Spaniard and three Italian teens last summer. They still keep in touch through Facebook, and their oldest son, 17-year-old Nick, will be traveling to Italy this summer to visit one of his new found friends.

"I didn't think I was going to fall in love with these kids but I did. We cried when they left." said Garcia, noting that one of her host students sent her a Mother's Day card this year.

He wrote, "Happy Mother's Day. I consider you my second mom."

Garcia said they will be a host family again — this time, for one Spaniard and two Austrian teens.

Host families must complete an application, be interviewed and screened by the organization’s Boston office. Those interested can contact Herrera at 661-477-9882 or email: rsherrera@aol.com

"To have an American family, it’s such a big deal for them,” said Herrera.