Information For Parents With Children Abroad

Below is information for parents with children visiting abroad.

Many parents worry about their children who are studying, living, or visiting foreign countries.

What can you do as a parent to help ensure their safety?

1) Learn about the countries they are visiting. What’s the political climate? What is the crime situation? Where is the country located on a map? Not sure where to find this information? Simply Google the name of the country and see what pops up. I personally like The World Factbook or Wikitravel, they both provide up-to-date and reliable information.

2) Establish methods of contact. Make sure you phone numbers or email addresses where you can contact them. Many parents becoming terrified after not hearing from the children after a couple of days and immediately contact their embassy. I would urge parents not to do this unless they are absolutely sure they exhausted all other options. When parents contact their embassies, many processes and people get a spun up. Valuable resources and time many be wasted looking for someone, who is actually in no danger, because an impatient parent overreacted.

3) Investigate schools, universities, and organizations that are sending your children abroad. Make sure that these are reliable organizations. Ensure that the schools and universities are acting responsibly and sending students to safe locations. Talk with administrators and see if there were reported problems in the past. Interview students who have previously participated in the programs or visited the same countries. Did they have any issues?

4) Contact your embassy for information about the country. When you call ask to speak with someone in the security office. These are professionals who live and work in the country. They are your best resources for crime and safety information.

5) Visit the country yourself. This will give you the opportunity to see for yourself the place that your children will be living or visiting. What are your personal opinions? Do you feel safe? Listen to your instincts.

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