Big Brothers Big Sisters One-To-One Mentoring

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants to Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs are not excluded on the basis of race, religion, national origin, color, and gender, marital status of parent, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. • Applicants and their parent/caregiver must agree to a one year commitment to the match. • In the community program, the child must be from a single-parent home, or a home where there is no consistent contact with one or both parents. If both parents are living in the home, one must be disabled or functionally unable to fulfill parenting responsibilities. A caregiver with legal custody may apply for the child for the program. • In the site/school-based program, a child from a single-parent home is preferred, acceptance into the program is determined applying the following criteria to the child’s situation: one or more grades behind in school; frequently absent or tardy; habitual disciplinary problems; history of family school drop out, low self-esteem or the referent believes the child has a great need for the service. • The child must be 9 yrs. old to participate in the community program and 6 and in the first grade for the site-based program. A youth may apply prior to his or her 16th birthday and may be served until 18 or graduation from high school. • The child must be able to form a positive, meaningful relationship with an adult and express his/her desire to participate in this relationship for a minimum of one year. • A youth may be eligible for services even if there are juvenile court charges that involve truancy, status offenses and minor delinquent charges. • A child with mental or physical health disabilities will be considered for the program based on an individualized review by the social worker and a discussion with the caregiver and the treatment provider. • The parent/caregiver must attend an orientation designed to inform the parent of her/his role as a partner with the agency and issues around child safety.