YFU Handbooks 2015 Family Handbook (Study Abroad) | Page 33

APPENDIX IV: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Youth For Understanding must maintain policies to ensure fairness to the students, consistency of standards, and the
maintenance of our program integrity. The following policies provide a framework for the YFU participant support system.
This support system includes the host family and host community, the exchanging YFU organizations, and the natural family.
These guidelines are standardized for all YFU students, and we ask host families to help ensure the maintenance of them as
best they can.
Students have been informed of YFU policies, which are also found in the Passport to the USA Handbook, before arrival in
the US. When your student arrives, you should review the contents of the Passport handbook with him or her. This process
will help you come to a mutual understanding of the intent and practice of program requirements and help establish good
communication between you and your student.
In the past, some well-meaning host parents have allowed their exchange students to disregard some of these policies.
Please do not allow your family to become one of the few host families to have their students returned to their home
countries prematurely for violation of a policy. This cautionary note is particularly important with regard to the driving
policy.
This chapter contains the international student policies of YFU, as well as specific procedures that relate to YFU programs in
the US. If you need additional clarification of any item, please contact your Area Representative.

ALCOHOL
Policy: Students are required to observe all laws of their
host country with regard to the minimum drinking age.
Students are also expected to follow host family guidelines
on the use of alcohol. YFU students should not use alcohol
in a manner that is excessive, unsuitable or embarrassing to
the host family or Youth For Understanding. A student will
be considered for Early Return if he/she demonstrates an
inability to control his/her use of alcohol.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Policy: Due to the realities of a program such as YFU,
confidential information must often be shared to resolve
difficulties or facilitate understanding. All YFU staff and
volunteers, including professional counselors, should refrain
from promises of confidentiality, advising participants of
the limitations of confidentiality within our organization.
However, all YFU participants have the right to expect that
YFU will share confidential information conservatively.
Counseling Sessions: Information shared with a YFU
counselor or in a comparable situation is shared only on a
need-to-know basis. Resulting reports are written to assist
YFU staff in problem identification and problem solving.
These reports are not to be given to non-staff or anyone

outside of the organization (without the consent of the
writer of the report). Counseling reports are sent to the
partner National Office, but are not given to natural parents.
Caution: laws in the sending or in the receiving country may
require YFU to release such reports.
Student/Host Family’s Personal Belongings: The student’s
right to privacy must be respected. YFU considers it
unethical to examine and/or confiscate a student’s personal
belongings (e.g. mail, diary, etc.). No representative of
YFU has the legal right to withhold from the student any
legal personal possession such as a passport, visa form,
or driver’s license. However, in some situations, YFU does
have the right to demand, as a condition for remaining on
program, that a student agree to destroy or mail the item
home.
Student/Host Family Address, Telephone Number,
Status on Program: YFU prohibits any release of such
information to non-YFU persons regarding a student or host
family without the latter’s permission (or that of the natural
parent in the case of a student).
CONTACT WITH NATURAL FAMILY
AND HOME COUNTRY FRIENDS
Policy: It is very important that your child maintain contact
with you during his or her stay abroad. You will understand
much better what the experience as an exchange student

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