Since the program was founded nearly 30 years ago, over 4000 American families have opened their homes to Project Children's Irish visitors, and it is these host families who constitute the heart of the program. There are no special requirements for participation--just a willingness to provide room, board, adult supervision and lots of love to a six-week summertime guest. The children from Northern Ireland simply are folded into the family routines and summer vacation schedules of their American households.

To help insure that the "fit" is a good one between host family and guest, host parents can specify the age, sex, and religion of their visitor. Some families choose to take more than one child and, in that circumstance, often request the pairing of a Protestant and a Catholic child. Neighborhood and area events, hosted by Project Children and designed to encourage interaction among the children, are scheduled throughout the summer. Host parents, together with their Irish and American children, are encouraged to attend these events. While host families provide room and board, Project Children covers the cost of transportation and insurance for its Irish participants. The money is raised through private donations, foundation grants, and corporate contributions. Blessed with a large cadre of volunteer workers and responsible for no paid staff, Project Children is able to put virtually all of the money it raises into the program.

Project Children works closely with teachers, clergy and social workers in Northern Ireland to identify youngsters who would benefit most from a summer in America. The children usually arrive in late June and stay until the middle of August. They range in age from 11 to 16 and come from neighborhoods in which the Protestant-Catholic conflict has taken an especially heavy toll. Project Children has always endeavored to help both communities by building bridges between them. It is imperative that this work continues, as the situation in Northern Ireland is far from resolved. Project Children has a vital role to play in helping to bring the two communities together and in creating situations where differences can be recognized and accepted.

The children come from both Protestant and Catholic families in Northern Ireland. Some are from middle-class working neighborhoods, while others are from what we might consider deprived environments. Many of our visitors live in the roughest neighborhoods in Belfast, Armagh, Derry and Strabane. They are children who, until recently, have not known the freedom of playing outside without fear of violence. Many of their parents are unemployed. Some of the children have relatives who have participated in acts of sectarian violence or other activities related to their membership in extremist political groups, both Protestant and Catholic. Others have friends or relatives who have been injured or killed as a result of "the Troubles." We have never hosted a child who has not had to deal in some way with the impact of the Irish conflict.

Should you decide to become a host family, you will be making an important contribution not only to the life of an individual child, but to the ongoing struggle for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. Your experience will be unique—a result of the "chemistry" between your own family and the child or children you're hosting. As one host mom describes, "People outside the program would tell us what a great thing we did by having these kids for the summer. My husband and I would look at each other and think, they have no idea what these kids have taught us."