Childcare Volunteer Program in Morocco
Young at heart and want to be a Childcare volunteer in Morocco? International Volunteer HQ’s Childcare project enables volunteers to assist with early childhood education in centres around Morocco. Volunteers gain childcare experience while both helping provide children with a positive environment in which to grow and develop and allowing parents to go to work knowing their children are safe and well cared for.
Highlights:
- Programs start every first and third Monday of the month
- Affordable fees from £282 for 1 week
- Includes accommodation, meals, airport pick up, orientation and 24/7 support
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Run activities that help disadvantaged children learn and have fun
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Delight your senses in the markets and kasbahs of Morocco
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Learn about daily life in Morocco by staying with a local family
Key information
This program is ideal for:
What to expect and how you'll make an impact
Childcare projects in Morocco perform an important role in society. They provide a supported developmental and growth environment for young children, and allow parents to go to work knowing their children are being well cared for. In disadvantaged neighborhoods, this is a vital service that enables families to be productive and support their families.
As a Childcare volunteer, you’ll help in daycare centres to organise and run activities to entertain children and help develop their cognitive and physical skills. You’re able to design daily activities in:
- Music
- Games
- Arts and crafts
- Teaching basic English
The aim of this project is for volunteers to provide children in Morocco with new, enriching and exciting learning activities.
There is a significant amount of preparation expected from volunteers to plan for their lessons and, as such, it is highly recommended that volunteers come with ideas of teaching and activities they may like to incorporate into their lessons.
Previous experience or qualifications in early childhood education is advantageous but not required to join this project, as you will be working under the guidance of local teachers.
Why do Childcare volunteering in Morocco with IVHQ?
When you volunteer with children in Morocco you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:
- Improving early childhood education for local communities
- Helping students develop life skills in a safe place
- Developing your communication skills
- Gaining childcare experience
- Immersing yourself in Moroccan culture
- Discovering Morocco’s rich history
Volunteer requirements
- Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to participate in this program and may be asked to provide additional documentation to the local team
- All volunteers aged 13+ are required to provide a criminal background check to IVHQ prior to departure. Those aged 13-17, if unable to obtain a criminal background check, can provide two character reference letters instead
- All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance
- All volunteers must speak fluent English.
- It is not a prerequisite for volunteers to speak Arabic or French, however volunteer work can sometimes be restricted for those with limited Arabic and/or French language skills, and you should expect a significant language barrier as few people speak English.
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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Morocco photo gallery
Academic course credit
Gain course credit from your college or university and meet your academic requirements when completing a volunteer abroad program with International Volunteer HQ!
Learn about course credit
Recommended online TEFL course
We encourage volunteers on IVHQ’s Teaching and Childcare projects to come prepared by completing some relevant training, such as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course. Although formal teaching qualifications are not required on these projects as volunteers are supported by local staff, taking a TEFL course enables you to gain more from the experience. Visit our Online TEFL Course page to learn how to gain an internationally recognized TEFL certification at a discounted rate.
Get TEFL certified online”I would tell those who are still hesitant about volunteering abroad to absolutely go for it! I was very hesitant about it at first as this was a new program to me and I had never met any of the people who were running the program in person before. However, I can’t even imagine if I had decided not to do it. I am forever impacted by this trip and I will absol...” read more
Samantha, American, 23
Read reviews from Childcare volunteers in Morocco
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Location
Rabat is a bustling, beautiful place and the capital city of Morocco. With a vibrant mixture of African, Berber and European cultures, it is a fascinating place to visit. It’s the home of Morocco’s king and his court, a huge number of mosques and monuments, an old Medina listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and a wide range of other interesting things to see and do.
While Morocco has made progress towards improving quality of life for its citizens, there is still a huge socioeconomic gap between those with wealth and those without, and a big difference in access to basic necessities in rural and urban areas. Employment can be especially difficult to come by. Volunteers can help address the challenges of inequality and poverty by assisting with a range of projects that aim to continue to develop society and equality in Morocco. Volunteer projects are located in Rabat, Casablanca and Sale.
Arrival and orientation
The program orientation begins the first and third Monday of each month, and volunteers need to arrive in Rabat on the Sunday before orientation. After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Rabat International Airport (RBA). 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 transported to the volunteer accommodation in Rabat, Casablanca or Sale (location will depend on proximity to your specific placement). Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation.
If you are travelling in Morocco prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up at the Rabat Ville Train Station on the day before your program orientation.
Orientation is hosted by our Moroccan team at the volunteer base in Rabat. Orientation begins on the morning of your chosen start date. Orientation covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Morocco – an introduction to Morocco, Moroccan customs, rules and expectations, language lessons, safety, travel opportunities in Morocco, 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 coordinator and introduced to the placement staff you will be working with.
Weekdays
Work and break times are dependent on each project and placement. Volunteers taking Arabic or French language lessons spend half the day volunteering and the other half of the day taking language lessons. A typical volunteer day would be as follows
| 8:00 AM | Breakfast at your homestay. |
| 9:00 - 10:00 AM | Volunteers leave home and travel to their placements to begin work. |
| 2:00 - 5:00 PM | Work at the placement usually ends. Volunteers are free to travel home, prepare for the next day or do some shopping and sightseeing. |
| 8:00 PM | Dinner at the homestay. |
Weekends
During the weekends, volunteers have spare time and usually relax or take the opportunity to explore other parts of Rabat and Morocco. In Rabat, you can visit the ancient city ruins of Chellah, learn to surf, treat your senses to the charms of the market stalls in the old Medina, see any of the city’s large number of sacred and religious sites, mosques and monuments, take a traditional steam bath, wander the pretty blue and white streets of the Kasbah des Oudaias, or take in a beautiful garden or art gallery.
Long weekends can be taken to travel further afield to destinations, such as Marrakech, Merzouga, Tinghir, Fes, Meknes, Volubilis, Tangier, and Gibraltar, Andalusia and Portugal in southern Europe.
Accommodation and WiFi
Volunteers are accommodated in a homestay with a local family. It is exciting to stay with a family, as this is an opportunity to learn the Moroccan way of life, meet local people, eat local food, speak the local language (Darija: the Moroccan Arabic dialect) and engage in local customs and traditions. These families receive money from your program fee for support, food and board.
Living is basic, yet still comfortable, and most homestays have electricity and running water. You can expect to share a room with other volunteers, however in some homestays volunteers have their own rooms. It is important to note that Moroccan homes have a shared living environment in which Sdaders - Moroccan couches - are used for sitting and dining during the day and as beds at night.
Bedding is provided, but it is recommended you bring your own towel and toiletries, as well as a sleeping bag if you wish to travel on the weekends.
WiFi is available in the majority of the homestays in Morocco. To keep connected, you can also purchase a local SIM card with data for an unlocked mobile phone.
Meals
Volunteers in Morocco are served breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.
Influenced by African, Arab, Moorish and Berber cuisines, Moroccan cooking blends Mediterranean fruits and vegetables with spices. A Moroccan meal often begins with a series of hot and cold salads, followed by a Moroccan stew called tagine, and bread. Lamb and chicken dishes are common, as is couscous topped with meat and vegetables.
The consumption of pork and alcohol are prohibited, as per Muslim dietary restrictions. Drinking mint tea is a daily tradition and bread is eaten with nearly every meal.
Bottled water is readily available in Morocco and volunteers should budget approximately US$5 (approximately £4) per week for 2 liters a day. If you have any special dietary requirements, please include these in your application.
Pricing
Duration |
Program FeeDue 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you.
|
|---|---|
| 1 week | £282 Equivalent to £40/day |
| 2 weeks | £510 Equivalent to £36/day |
| 3 weeks | £670 Equivalent to £32/day |
| 4 weeks | £831 Equivalent to £30/day |
| 5 weeks | £991 Equivalent to £28/day |
| 6 weeks | £1152 Equivalent to £27/day |
| 8 weeks | £1472 Equivalent to £26/day |
| 10 weeks | £1709 Equivalent to £24/day |
| 12 weeks | £1945 Equivalent to £23/day |
| 16 weeks | £2417 Equivalent to £22/day |
| 20 weeks | £2890 Equivalent to £21/day |
| 24 weeks | £3363 Equivalent to £20/day |
- Accommodation
- Meals
- 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
- Discounts on language lessons
- 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 £277) 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 GBP.
- 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 Morocco generally find US$40 to be sufficient for weekly expenses.
Affordable Arabic & French Language Lessons
Our local team in Morocco offer Arabic and French lessons to volunteers, which can be organised and paid for in advance through IVHQ. Lessons are tailored to each volunteer’s current level of Arabic or French and will be for 2 hours per day Monday through Friday. Past volunteers feel that taking these lessons can help you immensely with your day to day volunteer work and communicating with local people.
- 1 week of lessons (10 hours) – US$265 (approximately £223)
- 2 weeks of lessons (20 hours) – US$535 (approximately £451)
- 3 weeks of lessons (30 hours) – US$800 (approximately £675)
- 4 weeks of lessons (40 hours) – US$1065 (approximately £898)
Please make a note in your application or contact your IVHQ Program Manager after you have registered for the program if you would like to add language lessons to your Morocco volunteer experience.
Check what's required to visit Morocco
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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.
Essential country information
| Capital | Rabat |
| Population | 36.47 million |
| Languages | Arabic and Berber |
| Currency | Moroccan Dirham (MAD) |
| Time zone | UTC±00:00 |
Weather and climate
Morocco has a Mediterranean climate that is generally hot and dry for most of the year, with cooler, yet still mild, temperatures and rainfall during the winter months between November and March. Morocco has widely varying terrain and the climate varies greatly throughout the country. Temperatures can be incredibly high in the southern and south eastern desert areas whereas, the temperature drops considerably in the higher lying mountainous areas, even dropping to freezing point at night. In Rabat, temperatures reach an average high of 27°C (80.6°F) in the summer months and an average high of 17°C (62.6°F) in the winter months. Temperatures can drop to an average of 7°C (44.6°F) in the winter and it is generally always cold in the evenings throughout the year.
