What happens during the summer?

Placing students in Utah is different than most of the other states.  We begin our placement season in Feb or March and only have until June 15 to complete them per the state law.

In the summer time we search all over the Western US for more host families. We want to make sure every last student who applied gets a home.

It can become discouraging when people are hesitant to open their homes and hearts to these amazing kids, but every year every student gets placed.

We usually have a 2 weeks break or so before kids start to arrive. Then it begins all over again!!!

I LOVE my job!

Saying goodbye......

This is the hardest time of the year.  Everyone has grown to love and appreciate each other only to be parted.

It is bittersweet. The students are so excited to go home and tell of their adventure and see their families and friends again but sad to leave all they gained behind. Some are also nervous of the changes that have occurred to them and back home - will things be like they were, will my friends and family think I am different now, will school be harder, will I wish I was still in the US?

The families are excited for the students to go and continue on their life path and have new adventures but heartbroken to let them go. Young children sometimes don't understand and wonder when they will came back home.

It is my job to prepare everyone for this. Its not easy...