I was in a similar situation to you a few years ago and I volunteered to help out in the school my children attended, going on school trips initially, then helping in the classroom and then asked to cover some library sessions. This in turn led me to hear about a vacancy for a Teaching Assistant/Learning Support Assistant, I approached the Head about the vacancy and expressed an interest, I was told the job would need to be advertised, which it was, I applied, got the job and worked there for several years. Might be worth trying this route, if you are interested. It is very rewarding.