Enroll Your Child
If you are a parent or guardian and are interested in enrolling your child as a "Little" in one of our one-to-one mentoring programs, let’s make a time to sit down together to complete an application. If your child is accepted into the program, every effort will be made to find just the right mentor... it may take some time.
Volunteers are thoroughly screened. Then we match the needs of the child and the skills, abilities and interests of the adult. Men are only matched with boys and women are typically matched with girls, although, with the permission of the parent, a woman will sometimes mentor a young boy.
The age limit for children enrolling in a BBBS program is 5-17. Once a child reaches his/her 18th birthday, they age out of the program. Children as young as 4 years old are admitted in the Children of Promise program for children who are impacted by the current or past incarceration of a parent, sibling, or who themselves have had experiences with Family Court.
Both the child and volunteer are asked to commit to seeing each other on a regular basis for at least one year.
As parent/guardian you must meet the volunteer before your child does and must give your approval and consent to the mentoring relationship. You will be asked to support this relationship by making your child available for appointments with the mentor.
Each match is assigned a ‘match specialist’ on our staff who provides guidance and support to your child’s ‘Big.’ That same person is always available to talk with you, too, about your questions or concerns.
Once your child has enrolled in the program, Big Brothers Big Sisters will invite your family to participate in events throughout the year.
To qualify for our program a child must:
- Want to have a Big Brother or Big Sister - our program is voluntary. Children get a say in this, too.
- Have a need for an adult friend to offer guidance and support
- Be available to meet with a "Big" between 2-4 times per month (about 8 hours each month) for at least the next year.
The Volunteer that will be matched to your child must:
- Submit an application, including three references
- Complete an in-person interview
- Submit to a FBI Criminal Background check
- Clear a driving record check
- Clear a check of the Sex Offenders Registry
- Clear a check of the NYS Child Abuse and Maltreatment Registry
- Be at least 18 years old (unless part of our School Mentoring Program)
Activities
Ideas for outings come from both the "Big" and the "Little" and are always cleared with you - the parent/guardian. Some examples of outings are: going to the movies, playing sports, working on a project, going to a park, spending time talking, or any other activity they both enjoy.
