Childcare Volunteer Abroad Programmes

Most days involve supported play, simple learning or art activities, help with meals and hygiene routines, and general assistance to the local staff who run the centre. Exact tasks depend on the centre and the age group, but the local team always sets the day's plan. You are there to add attention and extra hands, not to take charge of a class or a child's care on your own.

You need to be at least 16 (18+ on some programmes), with no formal childcare qualification required. What matters most is patience, energy and a genuine interest in working with children. A handful of placements, such as those in Latin America, ask for basic Spanish. Everyone joining a childcare project completes a background check, since the work involves direct contact with children.

Fees start from £454, with a £179 deposit due at booking and the balance due later. The fee covers accommodation, meals and in-country support from arrival to departure, plus orientation at the start of your placement. Flights, visas and travel insurance are booked separately. See how programme costs break down for a full breakdown by country.

Childcare placements run from 1 week up to 24 weeks, so you can fit one around a short break or a longer gap year. Start dates are fixed rather than open — most centres take new volunteers weekly or twice a month, with the next opening on 21 Oct 2026. Check the start dates explorer for the exact schedule at each location.

Childcare placements are currently concentrated in India, Kenya, Nepal and Peru, alongside other locations across India, Kenya, Nepal, Peru, South Africa, Vietnam and 10 more countries. Each centre is different — some are kindergartens, others are day care or family support centres — so the age group and daily routine vary by location. Country pages list the specific cities and age requirements before you book.

No formal experience or qualification is required for most childcare placements — patience and a willingness to follow the local team's lead matter more. Every volunteer must submit a clean background check before joining, since the role involves direct contact with children. A few placements, mainly in Spanish-speaking countries, also ask for some language ability.

Our childcare placements are set in community day care centres, kindergartens and family support programmes, not residential orphanages. Centres request volunteers because they need extra hands, and local staff remain in charge of every child's care. Volunteers support daily routines under that guidance and follow our safeguarding policy at all times.

Every childcare placement includes airport pickup, orientation on arrival, and 24/7 in-country support from a local team who knows the centre and the community. Housing and meals are arranged before you arrive, and the same team is your point of contact if plans change during your placement. Since 2007 this local-team structure has been the core of how Volunteering Solutions runs every project.

Yes. Volunteering Solutions offers free changes to your programme, dates or destination up to 45 days before departure under the flexible booking policy. This is useful for childcare placements booked well ahead, since fixed weekly or twice-monthly start dates mean plans sometimes shift. Contact the team directly if you need to adjust after that window.

Yes, several childcare placements are family-friendly and welcome participants younger than the standard minimum age when joining with a parent or guardian. Group and family bookings work the same way as individual placements, with a background check required for every participant. Check the family volunteering page for age rules on specific centres.

Childcare focuses on younger children in day care or kindergarten settings, with an emphasis on play, routine and basic learning rather than structured lessons. If you want to lead classroom teaching instead, the teaching hub is a better fit; placements built around disability or additional needs sit under the special needs care hub.