Casa-Nica works with two CDIs, day-care centers (centro de desarrollo infantil) in Masaya, which serve the children of working parents in the city who don't have anyone to take care of them during the day. The kids at these CDIs range from infants to five year olds, and are divided up into about five different groups according to age. A normal day at the day-care centers starts between 7:30 and 8am and includes activities such as singing, play time, story time, snacks, and lunch. Some of the kids get picked up after lunch, while others stick around for a nap and get picked up later in the afternoon. We don't require any particular level of Spanish to volunteer at the CDIs, but keep in mind that none of the teachers or kids at the CDIs speak English, so the more Spanish skills you have the more you will be able to communicate. We have had volunteers work here in the past who haven't come with much Spanish background, but with time they have been able to gain basic language skills through studying on their own and taking Spanish classes. We prefer that volunteers who decide to work at a CDI commit to staying a minimum of one month, since the kids there are very young and do best when they have ample chance to gain familiarity with a new face.
See our photo gallery for more pictures from the CDI: Childcare
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