Your donation helps us to provide care and support for children and families through our wide range of programs. All donations are tax deductible.

Would you like to look after a child for a weekend, a few days, a few months or longer? Do you work, but still have some time and energy to care for a child?

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Volunteers are essential for the running of our services and are highly valued. Volunteering with OzChild is a rewarding and enriching experience.

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Align your company with OzChild Unite, a program that is committed to enhancing your business contacts and helping children in your community. Attend our next networking event! Contact Unite.

Volunteers are essential for the running of our services and are highly valued. Volunteering with OzChild is a rewarding and enriching experience.

We appreciate that each volunteer has unique skills. We aim to respect and support our volunteers in achieving their personal goals, while providing professional support.

We value the precious time you give to our vital services. Volunteers spend as little as two hours a week on casual basis, or take part in more structured part time or full time programs.

Benefits of volunteering

• Get involved in the community
• Meet new people and make new friends
• Support children and their families
• Gain new skills and knowledge
• Feel rewarded and appreciated
• Develop leadership skills
• Enhance your resume and gain references
• Experience unique opportunities
• Build a lifetime of memories
• Have some fun!

Does OzChild offer student placements?

OzChild does accept limited student placements in the social work field. Placements however, are predominantly arranged through existing partnerships with universities and tertiary institutions.
Please discuss suitable placement options with the appropriate contact at your tertiary institution before submitting a placement enquiry.

If accepting placements, OzChild has the following Key Criteria for student placements:

• Students must be studying a Social Work or similar degree and be in their final year of study.
• For students completing Certificate 3 and Certificate 4 of Community Development (or similar) opportunities may be available for placement within our volunteer program. Students are matched with a family or child for 2 hours per fortnight but are required to commit to a 12 month period within our Family Services Program.
  (Please note, the volunteer program does not provide the depth of experience or the time component required for students undertaking Diploma or Advanced Diploma qualifications)
• Each program area will have more specific criteria based on program requirements, so please enquire with the program.

Locations
Placements are offered at the following service sites:

• Disability Services: Mornington
• Family Services: Frankston and Dandenong
• Foster care/Home Based Care: Frankston and Dandenong

Convenience of travel for students under their own arrangements, to and from these sites should be taken into consideration when seeking a placement.

Where to next
To proceed with an enquiry about a possible placement, go to the "Contact Us" link on the website and choose the relevant program area of interest from the drop down box.  Your enquiry will be sent to that program and you will be contacted as soon as possible

OzChild has a history of helping children which dates back to 1851. Today, the organisation is continuing to build on this strong foundation, with around 170 staff and 500 volunteers.

We run multidisciplinary and culturally aware programs across a range of areas to strengthen the potential and life opportunities of Australian children. Services include foster care, kinship care, child and family support, disability, training and consulting, outreach services, school and community support and youth pathways.

Download our current newsletter.

Tannesha

Tannesha, aged 4, was living with her mother, Abby, who was dealing with mental health and drug abuse issues.  Abby was unable to provide a safe and stable home, and Tannesha was placed in out of home care.  Tannesha was traumatised by being placed out of her mother's care and became withdrawn and refused all food.

Read more...