Child Hosting Programs: Getting Prepared to be a Host Family

Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption & Foster Care

Have you ever thought of hosting a child for the summer or over the winter holidays? Check out this show where we interview Kathy Holiday who worked in adoption for 25 years and she supervised the child hosting program for Children’s House International.
In this episode, we cover:

• What are child hosting programs?
• What is the purpose of a child hosting program?
• What are some of the ways different agencies design their hosting programs?
  • Whether they are open to families that do not want to adopt, but are willing to advocate for the child.
  • When they have host sessions. What times of year?
  • Length of time the children are here.
• How much does it usually cost for a host family?
• Are there many differences in cost to the host family?
• What type of training?
• What is the age range of children commonly available for hosting?
• What type of special needs do you commonly see?
• What are the children told before they come? Are they aware that they are "on trial" to be adopted? (Be on your best behavior if you want to get adopted?) Do hosting programs put too much burden on kids and set them up for feeling like a failure?
• What type of trauma have the children experienced in the past?
• Influence of trauma. Typical behaviors you might see in the short term.
• Language issues?
• How much information are you given on the child before you decide whether to accept?
• What type of home study is usually required?
• How to prepare children already in the home?
• How much do you share with the children in the home about your interest in hosting? Should you share that you might adopt the child?
• Disciplining a host child?
• What type of support should you expect from your hosting agency?
• Advocating for your host child or for other children in the orphanage. What do you mean by advocating and how do you do it?
• If you decide to adopt this child, what is the typical process and how long does it take?
• What are the benefits to being a host family?

This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

• Weekly podcasts
• Weekly articles/blog posts
• Resource pages on all aspects of family building

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