Transcript “Bigs”? - Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte

Big Brothers Big Sisters
of Greater Charlotte
Little Moments. Big Magic.
WELCOME!!
Who is Big Brothers Big Sisters of
America (BBBSA)?
• Matching children with adult volunteers
since 1904
• Largest national network of mentoring
organizations serving children, families,
and communities
• 480 affiliates nationally and
internationally
Who is Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Greater Charlotte (BBBSGC)?
• Founded in 1972
• Serving Mecklenburg County
for 37 years
• Served 1,718 children in 2008
• Governed by a board of
directors with members from
banks, private companies, and
other businesses or organizations.
Our Vision
Successful mentoring
relationships for all children
who need and want them,
contributing to better schools,
brighter futures and stronger
community for all.
Our Mission
Helping children in need
reach their full potential
through professionally
supported, one-to-one
mentoring relationships
with measurable impact.
Who We are….
Enrollment and Match Specialist (EMS): Your EMS will
guide you through the enrollment process and help make the
best match possible for your child
Match Support Specialist (MSS): Your MSS will contact you
and your child’s Big on a regular basis to make sure that the
match is going as smoothly as possible
Our Programs
Community-based: For as little as 2-4 times a month, Bigs
and Littles meet in their community to share fun activities and
a little bit of themselves.
School-based: Bigs and Littles meet once a week in schools,
libraries and community centers, to talk and have fun. It’s not
about being a tutor--it’s about being a friend!
Amachi: Amachi, a Nigerian word of hope from the Ibo
people means “who knows but what God has brought us
through this child.” This program connects children who have
a parent in prison with caring mentors from all walks of life.
Our Impact
Research shows that our mentoring works. Kids with a Big Brother or
Big Sister show real differences in their personal and academic
lives. In Greater Charlotte:
• 75% of youth in our programs have improved
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their relationship with their peers
85% of youth in our programs have indicated
more self-confidence
83% of youth in our programs have improved their
academic performance by at least one letter grade
94% of youth in our programs have avoided
delinquent behavior
96% of youth in our programs have avoided
substance abuse
Am I eligible?
In order to be eligible to become a Little Brother or Little Sister in our communitybased program, the child must:
Live in
Meck.
County
Be 5-14
years old
Live in a
one-parent
household
Not have a
close,
ongoing
relationship
with absent
parent
Be capable
of
benefiting
from a
relationship
with a Big
Need a Big
due to
needs not
being met
by absent
parent
Want a Big
and
understand
the Big’s role
Enrollment process
Agree to the
BBBSGC
application
and screening
process
Parent and
child must
complete
separate
interviews
with BBBSGC
Permit the
agency to
contact the
absent parent
if deemed
necessary
Sign a
consent form
so that
information
may be
shared with
Big
Understand
the roles of a
Big
Encourage
and support
the child’s
relationship
with the Big
Enrollment Process
• BBBS will gather information to learn more about you and your family
through your:
o Enrollment forms
o Interview (with both parent/guardian and children)
o Home Assessment
• If your family meets all agency guidelines, they are accepted into the
program.
• When the enrollment process is complete and your family has been
accepted into the program, you will be notified and placed on the
waiting list until a suitable Big can be found. Your EMS will then contact
you every 90 days with an update.
• When a potential volunteer is found, all parties are notified.
• Once you are officially matched your match is transferred to your MSS.
Reasons Files Close
•
Failure to return/respond to telephone calls/e-mails from
your EMS by the deadline
• Missed two scheduled appointments
• Missed a scheduled match twice
• Failure to submit necessary paperwork
• Application denied due to failure to meet BBBSGC guidelines
• Other
Parent/Caregiver’s Role
You are our Partner.
Working together, parents and caregivers,
volunteers, and BBBS staff members plan
activities and opportunities that can have a
powerful and positive impact on your child.
Parent/Caregiver’s Role: What
YOU can do to help
• Be welcoming—get to know your child’s Big!
• Make sure your child is prepared for each outing with their Big (i.e.
proper clothing, ready on time, limited spending money if needed)
• Make sure that you know details of each planned activity (and have
given your approval in advance)
• Do not ask for special favors
• Talk to your Match Support Specialist on a regular basis
• Work for a long-lasting relationship
Little’s Role
To have a friend you have to be one!
A Little can treat their Big as a friend by:
• Sharing their feelings and how things are going at home, school, and with friends
• Helping Big decide what they will do together
• Saying thank you at the end of each match outing
• Realizing that their Big is a friend because they want to spend time with them
• Understanding that friendship doesn’t mean their Big has to buy things or take
them special places
• Calling their Big since they like to get phone calls too. Also, calling their Big as
soon as possible if they can’t go on a planned outing.
• Being neat and clean for activities with their Big
What’s wrong with this statement?
“Adam why can’t you be more like your sister? She and her Big get along so well. I just don’t
think you are trying hard enough.”
“Jada, it really disappoints me that you failed this math test. Until you can bring your grades
up, I don’t want you spending time with your Big Sister.”
“Hi Shana! Sorry we’re late. I’m just so busy today. Do you think you could take Darius’
younger brother Michael along too this time?”
“Hey Mom! I had so much fun today with my Big Brother! We rode on his new motorcycle all
around town! I know you don’t like for me to do stuff like that but I figured it would be okay
since my Big was with me.”
“Look Mom! My Big Brother gave me a new X-Box and this awesome bike for my birthday!
And he says he has more presents for me next time!”
How do we select our “Bigs”?
Written
application
Professional
decision
Orientation
Background
check
Questions
about home
environment
Match
Three
references
In-person
interview
Ongoing
Training
Volunteer’s Role: Who are our
Bigs?
• Men and women who work and live
in your community
• High school and college students from
nearby schools
• Retirees, military men and women,
members of congregations or civic
organizations, and…
Just ordinary people that are extraordinary!
What do matches do when they get
together?
Bigs are required to meet with their Little 2-4 times a month and do
things like:
• go to the park
• watch a movie
• bake a cake
• go to a ballgame
• Other activities that
they both enjoy doing
What do matches do when they get
together?
Our main goal is Child Safety.
When your child returns home from an activity with their Big, it’s very
important that you talk openly with them about the activity:
• What did they do?
• Where did they go?
• Who else was there?
Make sure that your child feels okay when they’re with their Big!
Child Safety: A Top Priority
Children’s safety is our #1 priority.
While our staff carefully screens each
volunteer, we need your help to make
sure the relationship is healthy and the
volunteer is making good judgments
about your child’s safety on outings.
Child Safety: A Top Priority
Some patterns you should discuss with your MSS:
• Your child’s Big wants to spend more and more time with your child
• Your child’s Big often invites other children to join them in
activities (siblings, child’s friends, etc.)
• Activities always take place in private settings, such as a
Big’s home, camping setting, overnight visits, etc.
• Your child’s Big takes an excessive amount of pictures or videos of
your child
Reporting of Child Abuse
and Neglect
Big Brothers Big Sisters staff members are required to
report any suspected abuse or neglect of a child. Our
staff and volunteers are trained to respond if a child
tells them about abuse.
If you have any further questions or would like more
information on violence prevention, please don’t hesitate
to ask our staff for additional resources.
If at any time you suspect that your child is being harmed,
please contact your MSS for support.
How your MSS works with You,
Your Child, and Your Big
Bigs and Littles work with a Match
Support Specialist (MSS) from
their BBBS agency. Your MSS is the
main link between you, your child,
the Big Brother or Big Sister, and
the agency.
How your MSS works with You,
Your Child, and Your Big
Finds information
and resources that
you might be
interested in
Connects you
with community
resources
Helps you
communicate with
your child and their
Big
Keeps you updated
on activities offered
by the agency
Works with you on
any conflicts that
might come up
How MSS works continued…
Our goal is for the match to be as successful as possible for everyone! To
help make this happen, your MSS will be in touch with you, your child, and
your Big on a regular basis.
It is YOUR responsibility to…
• Respond to phone calls, e-mails, and letters promptly
• Return yearly surveys promptly
• Share thoughts (positive or negative) no matter how small
they may seem
• Ask questions
• Tell MSS what is working and what is not
• Support BBBS by attending BBBS sponsored events and
encouraging friends, family, and coworkers to learn more
Reasons to contact your MSS:
• To question your child’s safety or well-being
• Discuss general concerns you are having
about the Big Brother or Big Sister
• Report any changes in address or
phone number
• Report any emergency situations or your
child’s illness
• Report any important family changes
• Report success stories about your child’s progress or special
honors
Reasons Matches Close
• Lack of communication or support with Big
• Lack of communication with Match Support Specialist
 not responding to regular MSS/agency contact
attempts
 not updating contact information
• Major life changes (moving, marriage, etc.)
• Lack of cooperation
• Not following BBBS guidelines
PLEASE FILL OUT THE
We hope you found this training to be
informative. Please feel free to write down any
questions you have, and discuss with your
Enrollment and Match Specialist during your
interview.

Please complete the quiz sent via e-mail and bring
it to your interview
Thank you. We look forward to working
with
you and your child!