About us

West Country Host Families is a family business that has been operating since 1962, when the founders, Isabel Ward in England and her sister Julie Franks in Spain, started with a group of five Spanish children. 

Julie’s son, William Garcia Franks in Spain, and Isabel’s son and daughter, Mark Fowler and Harriet Haines in England, are now running the business and continue to benefit from the knowledge and experience of the founders.

Most of the children are from the Basque region of northern Spain, but quite a few now join us from other parts of Spain. The children’s ages range from 7 or 8 to 14, though we may also have some older teenagers in the group, too.

We have families who have hosted children for us over long years (and even generations) and they very often have the same child again and again. Spanish children and youngsters are sociable and gregarious, and host families have found the experience very rewarding, with lasting ties of friendship being formed in many cases.