AFS Reviews

I was raped during my AFS year and after they found out they tried to just send me back home without calling the police. One of the AFS volunteers did so, because I was forced to move away to her house for a week.
AFS turned thier backs and the government stepped in so I could finish my year at a friend's home.
Don't put your child through this, Rotary is a much better option.

My daughter, a high school senior, went on a 6 month study abroad in Costa Rica with AFS two years ago. AFS in our hometown in the US is a wonderfully run and very successful program and I mistakenly assumed it was like this everywhere. I was very wrong. To all parents, be VERY cautious about sending your children abroad with AFS. My view, from checking out the organization further, is that the organization is being run as a boondoggle for the national board and executives of the organization (check out their parties and travel) with little concern about the kids. My child was put in a very dangerous, drug invested area of town, no doors or windows on the house, with a physically abusive father and a mom that was called to a hotel at all hours of the night to perform some type of 'services.' AFS refused to find her another house and insinuated I was discriminating against lower class people. Finally, my daughter found her own new home with another girl she met at her school. I was ready to send in a SWAT team, and AFS was no help, would not return calls, etc. One of the teachers at the local high school helped her as he understood how bad her situation was. In summary, the local AFS people would put students with any type of family and often suggested the students parents send additional money, gifts to help students. Many students were in dangerous homes--one had a Dad that would get drunk and play with his gun collection around the family. Another girl was raped.
My daughter stayed for the full six months, in an area so dangerous she couldn't leave the house after dark. And she was determined to make the most of it and has strong friendships she developed (eg some of your closest friends come when you're under duress--but this isn't what I spent $10,000 for) She learned a lot and came home very mature. As a parent, do NOT send your child with AFS unless you have thoroughly researched the program in that country. Honestly, I would not use AFS in any case. Check out the boy in Turkey from a few years back. AFS outside the US is not safe for high school kids. I say this with sadness as the AFS program in Kansas City is fabulous.

I went to france for the year program and my experience with school and friends was greaat. But when the school day came to an end I dreaded going 'home'. They basically just take any family they want and let them host. My host mother would yell and me all the time, my host brother would always be on the computer and over all I felt very unconfortable. I would have to walk down a moutain in the rain some days very early in the morning to catch the bus while my host brother would get ride to school-we started school at the same time...
I asked to change host families and I regretted that so much. My next host family was just a young couple with a little toddler. The husband was never home and the wife was s stay at home mom so didnt do anything. I was forced to sleep on the floor and the forced to babysit the little girl all the time. the little gril distroyed everything I owned and I could never just relax. Then my family would tell AFS that I wouldnt spend time with them though I was ALWAYS WATCHING THIER KID. I finally decided to go just go home early after the 8 month mark. AFS never told my family or I until the day before I had to go to a temp family across town where I didnt know what day my flight was until the night before..
I had an AWFUL experience and eegret ever going and wasting $13000 on the trip but I did no other students who had the same expereince and others who had a wonderful experience and love their family very much. I think it was about 50/50 in my area of student who had an awful time and students who had a good time. There was so grey areas though..it was either a terrible situtation(I knew another student who had a worse expereince than me) or a great situation