The meeting was held in parallel with the student REO seminar and was exclusively designed for parents. In a relaxed and informal atmosphere, there was space for open sharing of experiences with the host family programme – what families experienced during the year, what hosting brought them, but also what they found challenging.

A key part of the meeting was also reflection on the topic of returns. Together, we discussed not only the departure of inbound students back home, but also the return of our own children from exchange programmes and how to best manage and support this transition for everyone involved.

There was also light refreshments, to which everyone contributed with homemade snacks, while coffee and tea were provided by the organisers. This created an inspiring and supportive atmosphere where both practical experiences and personal stories could be shared.

We would like to thank Katka Rubišarová for opening her garden and for her long-term support of the hosting programme, as well as all parents for their participation and willingness to share. The meeting confirmed how valuable mutual support and space for sharing within the host community truly are.

In the future, we plan to continue organising these meetings regularly, and you can look forward to the next one in August. Their great value lies in the potential for exchange between families in different stages of hosting – from those who are just starting or considering joining the programme, to long-term host families.