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Childcare Volunteer Program in Brazil - Rio de Janeiro

Childcare Volunteer Program in Brazil - Rio de Janeiro

Full of life and want to be a Childcare volunteer in Brazil? International Volunteer HQ’s Childcare project enables volunteers to help out in community centres and get experience looking after children. Schools in Rio de Janeiro run in either the morning or afternoon which often means children are left alone for long stretches of time while their parents work. This project aims to give children a safe and supervised environment where they can spend their time constructively, continue learning and have fun.

Highlights:
  • Programs start every first and third Monday of the month
  • Affordable fees from AU$914 for 2 weeks
  • Includes accommodation, daily breakfast, airport pick up, orientation and 24/7 support
  • Give children support, care and attention outside of school hours

  • Treat your senses to Brazil’s vibrant culture

  • Stay in a hostel in the pretty bayside area of Gloria, Rio de Janeiro

Key information

Improves access to quality education
Based in childcare centres in Rio de Janeiro
Dormitory-style hostel accommodation
Volunteers aged 18+
Fully hosted experience from AU$914 for 2 weeks
Durations from 2 - 24 weeks
Portugese language lessons available
Up to 6 hours volunteering a day

This program is ideal for:

Volunteers who like interacting with children and have plenty of energy and enthusiasm for playing with and looking after them.
Who is this program suited to?

What to expect and how you'll make an impact

In the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, thousands of children grow up with little money and few opportunities. This project aims to give babies and small children a safe place where they can spend their time in a socially positive way and with adult supervision, care and attention.

As a childcare volunteer you’ll be assisting local staff at community centres where there are often many children per staff member. Your help will allow children to get more time with adults and lighten the load for local staff.

Tasks will vary but are likely to include:

  • Giving children care and affection
  • Setting up and playing educational games
  • Arranging sports and physical activities
  • Helping teachers with lessons
  • Teaching basic English
Contributes to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #4: Quality Education

Contributes to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #4: Quality Education

More than half of all children and teens do not meet minimum proficiency standards in reading and mathematics. Quality education provides an opportunity to learn and grow in a safe environment and is key to preventing poverty, securing long-term employment and improving quality of life.

Why do Childcare volunteering in Rio De Janeiro with IVHQ?

When you volunteer with children in Rio you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:

  • Improving access to quality education
  • Helping students grow and learn in a safe space
  • Practicing your Portuguese
  • Developing your communication skills
  • Gaining childcare experience
  • Immersing yourself fully in the Brazilian culture
  • Exploring the marvelous city of Rio de Janeiro

Volunteer requirements

  • Volunteers need to be 18 years or over to participate in this program. If you are under the age of 18, IVHQ offers alternative volunteer opportunities for teens. Visit our High School Volunteer Abroad page to learn more.
  • All volunteers are required to speak fluent English, have adequate volunteer travel insurance and provide a criminal background check to IVHQ before departure.
Are you eligible to volunteer?

Submit a free application so we can confirm your eligibility and check availability for your preferred dates.

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What recent volunteers said about their IVHQ experience

NG
Natasha Guarin
08 Aug 2023

One of the best experiences of my life! You meet people that will remain your friends for life, so many special connections, it’s amazing.

...
IA
Imogen Austin
01 Jun 2023

The resources IVHQ provided were useful and fairly comprehensive, and the local team was lovely.

...
RE
Ramona Enache
29 May 2023

Every time that I opened the center door, the kids and coordinators welcomed me with a huge smile, hugs, curiosity, and enthusiasm. It motivated me to want to continue learning about their world and share knowledge with them on a daily basis.

Receiving my thank you note at the end of the program, huge hugs that I will carry in my heart forever, and sharing daily happiness with the kids in the center was the biggest impact on me as a person. Appreciating daily life and also, from a professional point of view, completely communicating in a language that I only had some basics in. It was amazing to see what you can achieve on a daily basis.

Don't doubt this experience, it will make you challenge yourself, enjoy every moment, and see the world from a completely different perspective. There should be no hesitation. There is nothing more rewarding than sharing your world , your view with other volunteers, and helping a community in need, it is priceless.

...
PO
Presley O'Brien-Rodriguez
26 Jan 2023

If you are still hesitant about volunteering abroad, you just have to do it. Go in with an open mind and heart and just go for it. It’s a beautiful human experience. Understanding and being immersed in a different culture had a big impact on me with my favorite moments being working with the children and exploring the streets of Rio.

...
MM
Monica Modena
29 Nov 2022

My favorite moment from the volunteer experience was being 100% myself. I was impacted by seeing how positive energy can impact children, be kind, be open and enjoy it. Don’t worry because there are so many other people in the same position as you, everyone is on their own and is waiting to meet you!

...
SB
Sofia Betancourt
25 Jul 2022

Traveling to Brazil to volunteer meant so much more than just that. It meant growing up, dancing, singing, walking and helping others in the most genuine way possible. I met people and remembered people, and I took with me infinite lessons that were tattooed on my skin, for example, being authentic and putting aside the opinion of others a little more and living in a more transparent way. Volunteering showed me realities that are difficult to digest, but for the same reason, they make me feel more useful in the things I do because all the lessons I have had in my life experiences and in my professional career began to materialize and it becomes a joint with other generations that perhaps can learn with the same thing that I learned.
I am infinitely grateful and I return to my country revitalized, full of energy, optimism, and I see the world with different eyes. It was really a life-changing trip, thanks to everyone who allowed me, but above all, thanks to myself because it was years of savings, and many moons, tears and steps, but I made it.

To someone who is still hesitating about volunteering abroad, I would say don't hesitate. I believe that there is no more enriching experience than being able to get to know oneself by helping others. I am a faithful believer that there is no better way to travel than being able to contribute something to the country or community to which we travel. It is not only easier, cheaper and more accessible, but it is an experience that can change many lives, including of oneself. You not only meet many people, but you sow new seeds all over the world so that the next time you go to other countries, you already have a house to stay in and more people to help. We are living beings because we are surrounded by them, and it is a privilege to be able to help others because we grow by lifting others. Infinite thanks, IVHQ.

...

To read all reviews, visit our reviews page.

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Volunteer Abroad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with IVHQ

Location

IVHQ’s volunteer projects are based in the glittering city of Rio de Janeiro. It’s the second largest city in Brazil and home to glorious beaches, breathtaking scenery and a huge selection of cultural activities including the world’s biggest street parade, Carnival.

The volunteer accommodation is based in Glória, a bayside neighborhood in central Rio which is close to Copacabana Beach and many restaurants, bars, art galleries, museums and tourist attractions.

Arrival and orientation

The program orientation begins on the first and third Monday of each month and volunteers need to arrive into Rio de Janeiro on the Sunday before orientation.

After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Galeão-Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (GIG) or Santos Dumont Airport (SDU) in Rio de Janeiro. Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee. When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and taken to the volunteer accommodation in Rio. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation. If you are travelling in Brazil prior to your volunteer program, you will need to arrange your own transport to the hostel accommodation.

Orientation is hosted by our Brazil team at their office in Rio de Janeiro. Orientation begins on the morning of your chosen start date and covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Brazil - an introduction to Brazil, culture and customs, rules and expectations, safety, travel opportunities, and an introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socialising.

Volunteer schedule example

First Day

On your first day of volunteering, you will be escorted to your placement by a local team member and introduced to the placement staff you will be working with.

Weekdays

Work and hours at the placement are dependent on the project and placement that each volunteer is working at. A typical volunteer day is as follows:

7:30 AM Breakfast at the hostel.
8:00 AM Volunteeers travel to their placements.
8:30 - 2:00PM Volunteers join the placement staff and begin work. There is usually a morning tea break and lunch break.
2:00 - 5:00PM Work at the placement usually ends. Volunteers are free to travel back to their accommodation, go sightseeing, hit the beach, or do some shopping.

Weekends

During the weekends, volunteers have free time to relax or take the opportunity to explore Rio de Janeiro and other areas of Brazil. Popular tourist activities include relaxing on the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, climbing Corcovado Mountain, visiting the statue of Christ the Redeemer, catching the cable car to get a 360-degree view of the city from Sugar Loaf Mountain, horse trekking and wildlife spotting in the Pantanal wetlands, exploring Iguazu Falls and trekking through the Amazon.

Accommodation and WiFi

Volunteers stay in a hostel in the central Rio neighbourhood of Glória, which is a short walk from the metro station.

You can expect to share a bedroom with 5 to 8 other volunteers of both genders. Bedrooms have bunk beds with bedding and air conditioning provided. All rooms have a communal, co-ed bathroom equipped with western toilets and hot showers. You should bring your own towel or can rent one at the hostel for 5 BRL. Lockers are available but you’ll need your own padlock.

Accommodation upgrades to private or matrimonial rooms or homestays can be requested subject to availability at an additional cost after registering for the program. All upgrades must be arranged through the local team prior to your arrival. Additional accommodation before and after your program can also be arranged subject to availability. Please ask your IVHQ program manager for more details.

WiFi is available for volunteers to use at the hostel. You can also purchase a local SIM card with data for an unlocked mobile phone to keep connected.

Due to the higher costs over busy Carnival week, an accommodation surcharge will apply to any volunteers on the program over the Carnival week period.

Meals

You’ll be provided with breakfast at the hostel, but will need to arrange your own lunch and dinner. Breakfast generally consists of coffee, tea, natural fruit juice, fruit, bread, butter, jam, cheese, ham and cake.

The hostel has cooking facilities to prepare meals and there are nearby shops to buy food. If you have any special dietary requirements for breakfast, please let us know when you apply for the program so we can make arrangements for you.

Pricing

  • USD
Duration
Program Fee
Due 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you.
  • USD
2 weeks AU$913 Equivalent to AU$65/day
3 weeks AU$1153 Equivalent to AU$55/day
4 weeks AU$1394 Equivalent to AU$50/day
5 weeks AU$1634 Equivalent to AU$47/day
6 weeks AU$1874 Equivalent to AU$45/day
8 weeks AU$2355 Equivalent to AU$42/day
10 weeks AU$2836 Equivalent to AU$41/day
12 weeks AU$3316 Equivalent to AU$39/day
16 weeks AU$4278 Equivalent to AU$38/day
20 weeks AU$5239 Equivalent to AU$37/day
24 weeks AU$6201 Equivalent to AU$37/day
  • Accommodation
  • Daily breakfast
  • 24/7 in-country support
  • In-country program orientation
  • Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
  • Airport pick-up
  • Personalised preparation tools, guides and check lists
  • Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
  • Certificate of International Volunteer Service

Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.

  • All programs attract a Registration Fee of US$329 (approximately AU$528) in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services. IVHQ fees are priced in USD but you may elect to pay in AUD.
  • A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.
  • Additional things to budget for include: Visa, flights, travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check, public transport to and from your placement each day and return to the airport when your program finishes.
  • Recommended spending money: Volunteers in Brazil generally find US$250 to be sufficient for weekly expenses, including lunch, dinner and miscellaneous spending.

Portuguese language lessons

Portuguese language lessons are available to all volunteers regardless of their ability. IVHQ recommends these lessons for all volunteers in Brazil unless they are fluent in Portuguese. Volunteers with a basic level of Portuguese should strongly consider these lessons to allow them to work and communicate more effectively during their program. These language lessons can be organised upon arrival in Brazil, during the program orientation. These language lessons are tailored to each volunteer’s current level of Portuguese and must be paid for in Brazil to our local program staff.

Check what's required to visit Brazil

Safety and support with IVHQ

Safety and support

IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.

  • All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
  • All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
  • All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
  • All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.
Learn more about IVHQ's safety

Essential country information

Capital Brasilia
Population 198.7 million
Languages Portuguese
Currency Real (BRL)
Time zone UTC-03:00

Weather and climate

The climate of Brazil has a wide range of weather conditions across a large area and varied topography, but most of the country is tropical. The different climatic conditions produce environments ranging from equatorial rainforests in the north and semiarid deserts in the northeast, to temperate forests in the south and tropical savannas in central Brazil. Many regions have starkly different microclimates.

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How to get started

Pick a destination + project and apply for free
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Pay the Registration Fee to secure your place and upgrade your MyIVHQ account
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