Pennsylvania, USA
My name is Lisa, and I am a trained Special Needs and Inclusion Educator (B. A.) from Germany. Since August 2025, I have been living as a Care Professional with my Host Family in Pennsylvania, in a suburb outside of Philadelphia.
I began my application nearly a year in advance, allowing me to start the matching process early. Little did I know where this journey would lead me when I first “met” Deana, my host mom, one day before Christmas (2024), for our first interview. I still vividly remember the situation: me sitting on the couch in my living room in Germany, feeling a little nervous (but in a positive way), and her sitting in her parked car, surrounded by Christmas wrapping paper, managing the holiday preparations, work, and sick kids while still finding the time to talk to me.
I met the rest of the family – Jared (host dad), Wesley (4), Cameron (2), and dog Jackie – in the following interviews. A couple of weeks later, it was a match! I was so excited and grateful at the same time, especially because we matched six months before I was able to leave the country, and they still felt it was worth waiting for me! I am still beyond grateful for that!
Since they are a first-time family with Apex, it was a new situation for all of us. During the first weeks, we were all learning: new routines, new transitions, and how to work together. Gradually, we grew into a team – built on trust, lots of humor, and the constant effort to ensure that I feel comfortable in my new home and confident in my work with the boys.
I genuinely appreciate their efforts to incorporate me into American life and their interest in a mutual cultural exchange from the very beginning. It started with small sticky notes decorating the fridge with funny or hard-to-pronounce English and German words – Surprisingly, the word “animal” is on this list, because yes, it is possible to mispronounce. And you do not want to mispronounce – I promise… Therefore, thank you for helping me improve my pronunciation!
It continued by introducing me to their own holiday traditions. From teaching me to deal with emotions and an old Halloween pumpkin at the same time over Thanksgiving and Christmas to their Super Bowl traditions, creating moments that made it easier to feel at home, even while being far away from home. They did not just tell me what the idioms “play it by ear” and “roll with the punches” mean; they have helped me live them and relax in some situations rather than planning everything and stressing about it.
Besides being open and welcoming, even welcoming my sister when she was visiting, sharing meals, caring in times of sickness, and helping to discover activities in the community, they also give me room and trust to work professionally with Wesley and Cameron, and enhance my skills.
One of the most meaningful parts of my experience has been learning what it truly means to care for a child with special needs in a family setting. I had professional training and experience working with children with special needs, but living with a family and seeing the reality of caring for a special needs child 24/7 gave me a completely new perspective and understanding. I learned not only about therapies in the U. S., routines, and strategies, but also about the patience, creativity, dedication, strength, and love they bring to this role every single day.
Observing the therapies and participating in the IEP meeting allowed me to learn about the U.S. support system for children with special needs, and it has been incredibly valuable for my professional learning. When I wanted to participate in a class about an autism approach that is still uncommon in Germany, they did not hesitate to flexibly adjust the schedule so I could attend. This allowed me to gain new skills that benefit both my professional development and my work with Wesley. It clearly shows how strongly they value and support my personal and professional development.
Seeing milestones with Cameron and progress in how Wesley is able to connect much better with his environment and opening up to help him co-regulate during emotionally challenging times is just one example that fills me with joy and proves how powerful patience and consistency can be. And the first “I love you” from them, when you least expect it, brightens the day and shows how much every effort is worth.
Valuing my professional opinion and exchanging experiences and approaches with each other made it easy to build mutual respect and trust with the Smith Family and shaped our foundation for working together as a team. Watching them constantly look for opportunities to include Wesley in the community and advocate for him shows their remarkable commitment to inclusion, even when the days were long and the nights short.
Since I have been here, I have shared many good laughs with the Smith Family and have felt welcomed as a person and a professional in their home. Even the moments that might seem small to others have stayed with me. They not only opened their home to me – they allowed me to learn, grow, and experience what inclusive care truly means.
At some point, I must go back, but one thing is for sure: Because of them, I will not only return as a more experienced and insightful professional, but as someone who now truly understands the everyday reality of families raising a child with special needs – including all the challenging ups and downs, the resilience, and the small victories that make every effort worthwhile. That helps me even more to support and advocate for children with special needs and their families.
Being forever grateful for this life-shaping experience, I proudly nominate the Smith Family for the well-deserved Host Family of the Year Award.
With gratitude,
Lisa
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