Host Family Expectations
While the English Opens Open Doors Volunteer Program will try its best to find a host family for every volunteer, there are circumstances under which a volunteer is not guaranteed a host family
Rural Placement : In rural communities, it is sometimes difficult to find families that meet the basic requirements for hosting volunteers (i.e. a separate bedroom and reasonable distance from the schools). Many rural schools in Chile are boarding schools (Internade), meaning that there are a percentage of student populations that live on the school campus during the week (usually because they live too far from the school to commute every day). If we are unable to find a host family, then the volunteer will be placed in an on-campus residence hall with students and teachers
Married Couples : For married couples volunteering together, it is difficult to find host families willing to take in a couple. In this case, the married couple can choose either to live in separate home stays or to live in an independent living situation (apartment). If the couple decides to live independently, the regional coordinator will help them to find an apartment to rent and provide them with monthly stipends reserved for the host family ($200) to offset the cost of rent and expenses such as utilities and food. In most cases, the monthly stipends will not be enough money to cover all living expenses and the married couple is responsible for contributing their own money to cover the costs beyond the amount of stipends. |
