I am interested in the idea of hosting a child, but I couldn't commit to a full month - could I still be involved?
Yes, it's feasible for children to spend a fortnight with one family and move on to another, and we are also very happy to welcome support families - families that can take the children for a weekend or a few days (as arranged with the primary host family) to give them a break, cover for illness, allow for family events etc.

Do I need children of my own and a big mansion in order to be a host or support family?
Absolutely not!  The only 'families' we are unable to welcome at the moment are single men.  Single women and couples of any age are welcome, regardless of how many children they have or have not.  As for space, we only need to be sure that you and your visitors can be comfortable for a month - this doesn't mean that you need lots of rooms and a big garden, just that you have given some thought to the arrangements.  If you are interested in being a host or support family, someone from the link can visit you at home to help you make the decision.

There must be some sort of police check on the families that host, is that very complicated?
The CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check must be completed for every individual over the age of 16 in the home and will be supplied and paid for by CCLL.  All that you need do is fill in a simple form and provide some ID.  CCLL is only interested in any previous convictions that would raise concern about leaving a child in someones care.

How sick are the children that come to the UK?
The children who come to the UK are nearly all weak in comparison to our own, but many of them are otherwise reasonably healthy.  A link can make a particular request to host children with long term illness (eg cancer), or to host children without any particular special medical needs.  We have requested the latter for the first group of children to the South Hams.

How old are the children that come to the UK?
The age of the children that visit each link depends on the invitation that the link issues.  The first group of children coming to the South Hams will be aged between 9 and 10.

Do the children have a family at home?
Yes, most of the children who visit have a full family unit at home and we are very aware of how tough it must be for these families to wave their children off into the hands of foreign strangers (and strange foreigners!) for a whole month. About a month before the children visit we receive their personal details and can send letters and photos so that the children and their families can see who will be looking after them on their visit.  If the family has a telephone then the children can make a brief call or two home while they are here, and of course they will go back with pictures and souvenirs to share.

Is it fair to bring the children here for a month when they have to go home and settle back in to the conditions there at the end of it?
Of course it will be tough for some children to adjust to life back home after a visit.  However, we are very careful not to spoil them with material goods whilst they are in our care and just to provide the 'holiday of a lifetime', with lots of happy memories, photos and practical gifts (such as good quality used clothes for child and siblings) to take home to families.  We feel strongly that the health benefits to the children are worth any temporary upheaval - it is estimated that a month in the UK, eating uncontaminated food and breathing uncontaminated air, boosts their immune system to such an extent that it takes up to 2 years for children to return to their pre-visit state of health.

Do the children speak any English?
This varies, but it's safest to bank on very little, if at all!   There will always be an interpreter with the group and he or she will be available by phone 24/7 for the duration of the visit.  The South Hams link is also fortunate enough to have 2 Russian speakers available locally to help out - one of whom is currently giving lessons in basic conversational Russian to the rest of us.  Much can be done with sign language and smiles, and our Host Family Pack has quite a comprehensive vocabulary printed both in phonetic English and Russian script, so if you can't speak it you can point it.  Language shouldn't be a barrier.

Do the children need entertaining all day, every day, during their visit?
A wide range of activities are pre-arranged for the children during their visit.  This not only offers host families a break from caring for the children, but also affords the children the opportunity to meet and talk with the other visiting children.

If I donate some money, how much of it will go into admin costs?
Not a penny!  Everything that the link raises goes directly towards the cost of bringing the children over and providing for them while they are here.  No-one takes any sort of salary and there is nothing taken out for central admin costs - you can be sure that all your money is going direct to where it counts.

If I donate some money, how will it be used?
We have to raise £300 per child just for their air fare.  Beyond that, here are some of the ways we might spend your money:
Information from www.CCLL.org.uk/SouthHams