Policies

Under-18 Interns and Volunteers Policy

Published November 12, 2026. Board adoption is pending, and we will update this line when it is adopted. A supplement to our Child and Youth Safeguarding Policy.

We love working with young people who want to serve. This policy explains how we welcome interns, gap year participants and trip travelers who are under 18 on their first day, and how we protect them. Our safeguarding policy already protects the children we serve. This policy protects our youngest team members too.

1. Who this covers

Anyone who is under 18 on the first day of an internship, gap year or trip. We count age on that day.

2. Who can join

Internships and the gap year: applicants must be at least 16 on the first day.
Trips: travelers under 18 come with a parent or guardian, as our trip policies say.
Under-18 interns are placed only in roles we have approved for young people. We will tell you which roles on your video call.

3. Two ways to travel

With a parent or guardian. Any applicant under 18 may travel with a parent or guardian who is at least 21. The adult is an accompanying visitor and follows our trip policies and Code of Conduct.

On their own, at age 17 only. A 17-year-old may travel without a parent or guardian when every step in section 4 is complete and the Foundation agrees in writing. Applicants under 17 always travel with an adult.

4. What we need before we confirm a place

A video call with the applicant and a parent or guardian.
A consent form signed by each parent or legal guardian, including permission for the placement, the host family and weekend trips.
A notarized travel permission letter from each parent or legal guardian. The U.S. State Department advises one for minors who travel to or from Ghana without a parent.
An emergency medical treatment authorization, so our team can get care quickly.
One named adult in the United States who can be reached at any hour during the stay, and who can act for the family.
Travel and medical insurance that includes medical evacuation.
A passport, a Ghana visa and a yellow fever certificate. Ghana asks for parental consent when a minor applies for a visa. We will guide you to the right form.
The applicant signs our Child and Youth Safeguarding Code of Conduct and completes safeguarding training and our extensive pre-travel orientation. We ask for a reference from a teacher or school counselor. Criminal background checks apply to adults.

We email the secure payment link to the parent or guardian only after steps 1 and 2 are done. Please do not pay before then.

5. Getting to Ghana and home again

We share the full flight plan with the family at least 14 days before departure.
Flights should arrive in daylight, with no overnight stays outside an airport. We review the plan and may ask for changes.
Airlines set their own rules for minors who travel alone. The family confirms the airline’s rules for the whole journey, including any partner flights.
Our Ghana team is on standby 24/7 to track every under-18 intern’s travel.
A Team Lead or Program Director meets every under-18 intern inside Accra airport. We release them only to our team. The family gets a message within two hours of landing.
On the way home, our team stays with the intern until they are through airport check-in, and the family gets a message when they board.

6. Supervision in Ghana

An under-18 intern lives with a host family we have vetted, in a room matched by gender and, where possible, age.
Our two-adult rule applies. An under-18 intern is never alone with a child we serve.
A Team Lead or Program Director accompanies an under-18 intern during airport transfers, travel and program activities.
Every placement is supervised by our staff or a licensed partner. Under-18 interns travel to placements only with screened drivers.
A named staff member in Ghana acts as the intern’s Youth Safeguarding Lead. They check in at least twice a week, and the mentor still checks in weekly.
Weekend trips happen only with our staff. Under-18 interns do not travel outside the Mepe and Dadome area alone.
Interns are home by 9 pm on weekdays and weekends. Alcohol and drugs are not allowed. Overnight stays away from the host home need written approval from a parent or guardian.

7. Health work stays within safe limits

Under-18 interns in health roles do health education and community projects. Placements may also include time at our partner hospitals, where licensed Ghanaian doctors and nurses supervise. At a hospital, an under-18 intern observes, asks questions, takes notes and helps with non-clinical tasks. They do not give clinical care, touch patients, or handle blood, needles or medical samples. Hospitals set their own rules, and we follow them. Interns of any age only do what their training and license allow.

8. Health and emergencies

If an intern is unwell, our team goes with them to care and calls the parent or guardian within one hour.
The family has our Ghana team’s direct phone numbers before departure.
We send the family a short update every week.

9. Sending an intern home

If an under-18 intern breaks our Code of Conduct or this policy, or if their safety is at risk, we may end the placement and arrange the trip home. We tell the family first. The family pays for the change in travel, as stated in our trip policies.

10. Reporting concerns

Anyone can report a concern about an under-18 intern to the program lead at once, and no later than 24 hours. If someone is in immediate danger, call local emergency services first. We follow the reporting rules in our safeguarding policy and applicable law. No one is punished for reporting in good faith.

11. Payments and refunds

We take no payment from an under-18 applicant on our website. We email the payment link to the parent or guardian only after our call and the consent forms. Your exact total and the refund terms are confirmed in writing before you pay. Our refund policy explains how trip payments work. Questions? Email us before you pay.

12. Review

The Board reviews this policy every year and after any serious incident.

Dreamers Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 87-1835814. Questions about this policy: [email protected].