Reply to Do you pay for/provide your AP with toiletries?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote]Because the concept is that they live in your home, as a member of the family, and in exchange they provide very low-cost childcare. When you go on vacation, you are supposed to take them, as this is part of their cultural exchange to see the U.S. So if you provide them with food, why not toothpaste, shampoo, etc? Aren't you going to provide that to your teenagers when they need it?

A family can certainly do this if they want to be extra-generous (and if the AP would not be embarrassed by requesting, e.g., the brand of tampons that she likes, etc.). But the logic doesn't really work. Do you think host families are also meant to provide, e.g., a wardrobe for the AP, since they would probably purchase clothes for their teenagers as well?

Nor does the analogy to vacations apply; a family is not "supposed" to take their AP on vacations. The family might DECIDE to take the AP on vacations either as part of the AP's job (so it's not really a vacation for the AP, since she'd be working), or for a non-working treat. Many families do not travel with their APs, often because it is cost-prohibitive to purchase an extra plane ticket, get an extra hotel room, perhaps get another rental car if there isn't room for the whole family + AP, if the "vacation" will be at a relative's home and there isn't enough space for the AP to have her own room, etc. Also - many APs do not prefer to spend their vacation time with the host families. If it is not a working vacation, the AP often would rather use that vacation time to travel on her own or with friend. (Kind of off-topic, but the poster brought it up.)

Anyway - there are certain things that the host family is required to provide for the AP: room and board. Beyond that, host families can certainly provide anything else, and many do. But most host families I know do not provide toiletries for the AP on an ongoing basis - and this does not seem to be expected by APs, or the norm.[/quote]

+1[/quote]

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