Protecting foreign exchange students

Regarding the heartfelt public thank you by Lilian Rohde of Frankfurt, Germany, I would like to inform your community of the importance of thoroughly researching the foreign exchange program before sending your child abroad so that the experience is positive, such as Lilian’s.

Safety tips for prospective exchange students are posted on the Web site of the Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students (CSFES). The US Department of State enacted child protection measures in the federal regulations as of May 4, 2006, necessitated by the abuse including rape, extortion and neglect of these foreign teenagers. Fingerprint-based criminal background checks of adults in host families are not mandated anywhere in the world, including the USA, which is a major concern to CSFES.

CSFES was instrumental in strengthening the federal regulations to help prevent abuse of foreign exchange students. Please view http://www.csfes.org.

Danielle Grijalva

Director, CSFES

Oceanside