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.
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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.
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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 - we aren't interested in misdemeanors from your
youth!
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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 and they must have medical clearance to travel to the UK.
Although many children may appear to be perfectly healthy,
the long term effects of living in a contaminated environment apply to all
of them.
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 request the latter for children to the
Totnes and Ivybridge link.
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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 Totnes and Ivybridge link will probably be
aged between 9 and 10. It is usually possible to request the age and gender
of the children to suit the circumstances of the host family.
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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 we
make sure they will go back with pictures and souvenirs to share.
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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 have very
strong guidelines 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.
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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 (often an English teacher) and he or she will be available by
phone 24/7 for the duration of the visit. We are fortunate enough
to have 2 Russian speakers available locally to help out (and deliver
Russian lessons in the lead-up to a visit. 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. In our experience language
is not a barrier - miming and signing get the message over, often with
much hilarity, and there are some handy websites that translate basic phrases.
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Do the children need entertaining all day, every day, during
their visit?
A wide range of fun activities are pre-arranged
for the children during their visit. This not only offers host
families a break from caring for the children (although families are
very welcome to attend the activities should they wish), but also affords
the children the opportunity to meet and talk with the other visiting
children. You should be aware that the children will need dropping
off and picking up from one or two central locations for their days out,
but often you can buddy up with another family to take it in turns to do
the run.
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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.
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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:
- £3
will buy a postcard home to anxious families
- £4
will buy a toothbrush and toothpaste
- £5
will buy some pens and colouring books or a comforting cuddly toy
- £10
will buy a pair of jeans or 2 sets of underwear and socks
- £15
will buy 2 warm winter woolies
- £20
will buy a thick waterproof jacket
- £30
will buy a months supply of vitamins
- £50
will give us enough diesel for a weeks outings
As you can see, any donation
will make a difference.
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