The following criteria apply to volunteers younger than 18.

These minor policies are taken from the Global Village team leader manual [1]. Please review the manual for other important policy information, trip-planning instructions and tools to help ensure a safe, meaningful trip.

Habitat for Humanity International minor policy regarding short-term missions
These guidelines apply internationally and domestically, unless otherwise specified.

• The minimum age for participation on an international work team build site is 16 years, or older if required by the hosting program or child labor laws.
• The minimum age for participation on a short-term disaster response trip is 18 years.
• Minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian or travel as part of a team from an organization that has signed a memorandum of understanding [2] with Habitat for Humanity, for international build trips.
• Minors who are U.S. citizens and at least 16-years-old may participate in a GV team without parental or partner organization accompaniment if the team is traveling to a U.S. site that is not a disaster-recovery site and parental permission is given.
• Local laws may require the minimum to be raised.
• Hosting and sending programs may raise the minimum age.
• All work on site will be done in accordance with the Habitat for Humanity International child labor policy (see below).
• The work team chaperone ratio is at least one adult to every five minors, or more as required by the hosting program.
• Every minor must have a waiver of liability for minors [3], signed by a parent or legal guardian, with the team during travel and on file with the sending program.

Global Village team leader considerations
When considering inviting minors to the team, please keep in mind and communicate to minors and parents that

• U.S. child labor laws prohibit minors under 16 from participating on an active construction site.
• Volunteers younger than 18 will be restricted to age-appropriate activities (see Appendices, “Minors and age-appropriate work”).
• Host programs may not be able to guarantee age-appropriate work will be available because of local laws, construction schedules, local program guidelines or capacity.
• Minors must be supervised by the named individual(s) at all times. Minors not allowed on the active construction site must still be supervised at their alternative location.
• Trip costs are the same for minors, regardless of the availability of age-appropriate work.
• A youth-to-adult ratio of no greater than 5-to-1 must be met.

The team leader, in consultation with the host program and volunteer engagement specialist, can answer questions regarding participation in a specific trip. Even in circumstances where all of the above requirements are met, the team leader will make the final decision regarding whether or not to invite a minor to join the team.

Age-appropriate work for minors

The following chart pertains to all short-term mission programs where teams, families and individuals are performing work at Habitat host programs.