We welcome families to volunteer abroad. Our trips provide a unique opportunity to bond — as family members volunteer at worthwhile projects while becoming immersed in local communities.

The minimum age for a child traveling with a parent or guardian is 8 years old. For children under 8 we can sometimes make exceptions, depending on the previous travel experience of the family members. For example we have had a mother take her boys age 4 and 6 to Ecuador to volunteer at a children’s home.

Most of our Volunteer Abroad Programs are available for family volunteering trips. Popular destinations for families volunteering abroad are Vietnam, Guatemala, and Ghana. For most programs, families volunteering abroad can travel year-round and choose the program start and end dates.

The choice of accommodations is up to the families volunteering abroad. Most of our families stay with a host family. The parent(s) and the children stay in separate bedrooms. Alternatively, parent(s) and children can stay at different host families which are within walking distance. This allows for the children to experience more independence during the trip — especially in interacting with host family members.

(Keep in mind that in Vietnam we do not have host families. Family volunteers stay in hotels, arranged either by Cosmic or your family.)