The Process

Find out more about the process of getting on the ALLEF six month exchange programme to France and Germany

Many parents and children find out about ALLEF’s six month exchange programme by accident. They read something in their local paper about a family who have done the same thing. A child at their local school goes on the exchange and tells their friends, who tell their parents. Sometimes the original idea and enthusiasm comes from the child. Sometimes from the parents. In all cases, the important thing to remember before applying to take an ALLEF exchange is to ensure that everyone wants to do it.

The process begins by making contact with the organisation to express an interest in finding out more. A local ALLEF representative, someone who is a parent of a child who has already completed an exchange, will then get in touch. That person will come and see you at home, explain a little more about ALLEF and answer any questions from parents, the child exchanging and their siblings about what to expect.

The next stage is to fill in a more detailed application form to ALLEF, which can be completed with help or advice from your local representative. The family will then be invited to a meeting at which the UK, French and German Exchange Co-ordinators, as well as British families who have already made an exchange, will be present. There will be presentations and an opportunity to ask more questions, followed by an interview. The exchange co-ordinators will talk to the family as a whole, the parents separately and the child exchanging separately. This is so that they can build up the most detailed picture of the family and find the best match with similar families in France or Germany (where this UK process is replicated).

Once a suitable family in either France or Germany has been found, the basic details, such as where they live, type of family, etc., are communicated to you and if you wish to proceed, a more detailed information package including photographs is sent. It is recommended for each family to visit each other before the exchange takes place as a final check to ensure that everyone is happy to go ahead with the exchange.

If the preliminary visit is satisfactory, the exchange is ready to take begin.