Two sisters playing jump rope with a child on the Projects Abroad Childcare Project in Fiji

Family Volunteering Abroad

Take a family-friendly volunteer vacation and work in local communities overseas to make a difference

Introduction

Family volunteer vacations can help give your children a greater appreciation for travel, helping others, or protecting the environment. We offer a range of family-friendly volunteer opportunities abroad. Families join us on our ‘Flexi’ Trips, where a range of age demographics allow both the adults and children to have contemporaries. With us, you can expect: 

  • A safe and guided experience with 24/7 support from our local staff 
  • An experiential learning experience where your family learns by doing
  • A family service vacation where you make a real impact through your work
  • To explore a different country and learn about the local culture first-hand 

Volunteering with your children is an exciting and different way to help shape their view of the world and broaden their horizons. We cater for families with young children too, so we can accommodate kids as young as six years old on our volunteering opportunities for children.

Wondering what it's really like to volunteer overseas as a family with Projects Abroad? Read our interview with a family of four who took a trip around the world with us!

What are some good volunteering opportunities for families?

For family volunteer trips, we strongly recommend the following programs:

Interested in a family volunteer vacation with animals? If your family wants to work with wild animals, you can volunteer with sea turtles in Mexico or giant tortoises in the Galapagos

Some projects will be more suitable for families than others, so we advise speaking directly to a Project Expert about which one would be the best family volunteer vacation for you. Below, we also offer a curated list of projects that are definitely family-friendly, so we encourage you to take a look.

What do I need to know about volunteering with my family?

With dedicated in-country staff around the world, we can provide your family with a hassle-free volunteering trip. We provide:  

  • Visa advice
  • Accommodation
  • Three meals a day
  • Project activities
  • In-country airport pick-ups and drop-offs 
  • Ground transportation to and from your project

We will also support families with children of various ages: 

  • We can accept volunteers aged four years and older with their families. Contact us if your child will be under the age of four at the time you want to travel and we can discuss the options available. 
  • Ages 4-14: Children between 4-14 years old can be accommodated and work with their parent(s) for a reduced fee. Generally, project fees for children are about 70% less than the listed adult price.
    Most age restrictions of 16+ on projects are for solo travelers. In many cases, if parents are traveling with them, this does not apply. 
  • Ages 15+: If your child is aged 15 or older, he/she may volunteer without the accompaniment of a parent at the standard per person price.
  • We can usually arrange family work abroad programs in all destinations except China and Costa Rica. 
  • In Jamaica, families are welcome. However, children cannot go to work with their parents here, so one parent needs to look after the children, or childcare can be arranged.

Read more about how we facilitate family-friendly, hassle-free volunteer trips in our blog. 

What’s an example of family volunteering?

Families with younger children typically join our childcare, teaching, sports coaching, and even our conservation projects! On childcare, teaching and sports coaching, parents can make a huge impact on the local youth community while children volunteers can help and bond with local kids. On some of our conservation projects, like Mexico Sea Turtle Conservation, parents and kids can directly contribute to ecological efforts and sometimes have a hands-on role with the animals!

Sample Pricing for a 2-week Ghana Childcare Family Trip:

1 adult: $2,905 CAD

1 child: $820 CAD

 

What are the benefits of volunteering for families?

Family humanitarian trips give you the time to connect with and develop a new sense of appreciation for each other. Your family will step closer to realizing their potential, and build meaningful connections with groups of diverse people around the world.

Here are several other benefits of family volunteer vacations abroad:

  • Share a love of travel. This is the perfect opportunity to travel, meet new people, and see new sights together. Volunteer abroad with family, and get a fresher perspective of the world while introducing your kids to the challenges people face everyday.    
  • Take part in experiential learning. The best lessons in life come from experience. This is a fantastic and safe way to teach your children about the world. They’ll learn from the people they meet, from their observations, and from you directly. Turn a volunteer vacation for families into a lesson that your children will never forget! 
  • Bond with your family. Use each moment on your family volunteer program to strengthen family ties and create new memories together. With so much to do on your trip, there’s guaranteed to be less time spent on digital devices, and more time spent being a family.
A mother and daughter volunteering overseas together help paint a classroom in Tanzania, Africa.

Can my family volunteer abroad for free?

We often get asked if families can volunteer abroad for free. The short answer is “no”. We can’t offer a gold standard for our volunteer abroad programs without charging fees. Read our blog which explains why we ask volunteers to pay a fee.

Can't find what you're looking for?

We’d be happy to talk about creating a custom project for you and your family. Most of our staff have been volunteers themselves, so they’re ready to answer your questions, big or small.

(+1) 917 810 4744

or email:

to start planning your project

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