Tips for volunteering with children

You should choose volunteer placements that prioritise the protection of children, and that contribute positively to children’s mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.

  • Attend any relevant GLP Colloquia or Think Tanks that might help you make a more informed decision in choosing a volunteer placement.
  • Choose an organisation, like PACE International, that prioritises the rights of children and works in line with a Child Protection Policy.
  • Ask yourself the following questions:
    • Am I the best person to do the job here?
    • Are you being asked to care for or teach children?
    • Would it be better if this role was taken by a qualified local person who spoke the children’s language and understood their culture?
  • Read these 7 tips for being a ChildSafe traveller.

Volunteering in orphanages

Volunteering in orphanages is not eligible for Experiential Credit, or towards your Cross-Cultural Practicum for the following reasons:

  • Orphanages, children’s homes or residential care facilities don’t provide the stability or consistency children need to thrive.
  • Some orphanages unnecessarily institutionalise children to get money from volunteers and tourists.
  • Volunteering in an orphanage, as a teacher or a caregiver can disrupt children’s ability to form healthy attachments and receive an education that values their local knowledge and culture.

How volunteering abroad in orphanages is harmful to children

Watch this short video from Kindea Labs on Vimeo to learn more:

Watch video

Alternatives to volunteering in orphanages

Volunteering with families

Volunteer with an organisation that keeps families together, reunites children with their families or provides family-based care. If you are teaching, providing care or working directly with children, make sure you are the best person to do the job.

Ask yourself: If I’m not qualified to do the role in Australia should I really be doing it overseas?

Short-term volunteering

If you only have a short time, be an ethical traveller by:

  • learning about the country
  • learning about the culture
  • spending your money with local providers
  • supporting initiatives that preserve the culture and environment.

Commit to a longer volunteer placement at home or look for online opportunities with international organisations.

A rotation of short-term volunteers can mean local people don’t develop the skills or experience to drive development in their own communities.

Things to avoid

Consult with your volunteer placement to make sure what you’re bringing is really needed. If it is, buy it in the country you are volunteering in to support local business.

Handouts can create dependency, encourage begging and while something might be useful in Australia, it might not be needed overseas. How useful is a school book if it isn’t in your language?