Youth Application

Thank you for your interest in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Montana! Before completing the application on the following pages, please take a moment to learn more about our program and enrollment requirements.

The Mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Simply put, we help children by adding another positive adult to their lives in the form of a volunteer mentor. In our Community Program, our matches meet one-on-one in their local community. In our school programs, matches meet at the child's school.

National and local research shows that positive relationships between Littles and their Bigs have a direct and measurable impact. By participating in our programs, Little Brothers and Sisters gain confidence, perform better in school, improve their relationships with others, and are less likely to begin using drugs and alcohol.

At a minimum, for us to create strong and healthy mentoring relationships, enrolling CHILDREN must:

• Be between 6 and 16 years old,
• Want a Big Brother or Big Sister, and
• Be able to meet with a volunteer for at least 12 months.

PARENTS/GUARDIANS are very important for a successful match! They must:

• Be honest about their child’s strengths and challenges,
• Maintain contact with the volunteer and program staff,
• Make a 12-month minimum commitment to the mentoring relationship, and
• Help pay for their child's activity expenses when possible and/or encourage the match to participate in free or low-cost activities.

HOW IT HAPPENS:

• After we receive your application, we will contact you to set up an interview. Staff will interview you and your child separately to learn about your backgrounds, expectations, and preferences.
• If accepted, your child will be placed on our waiting list. We do not match on a first-come, first-served basis. We match according to a child's compatibility with a volunteer. Compatibility includes parent/guardian and child expectations and preferences for a volunteer, as well as a volunteer's expectations and preferences.
• We cannot predict how quickly we can match your child because we are a volunteer-driven agency, nor can we guarantee your child will be matched.
• Program staff will contact you when we have a potential match to discuss the volunteer. If you and your child accept the volunteer, an official match meeting is scheduled at our office for the Big, Little, Parent/Guardian, and Program staff to meet and discuss expectations and goals.

Enrollment decisions are not based on demographic or financial information gathered in this application. All applications will be given equal consideration. No Big Brothers Big Sisters participants, including youth, families, volunteers, board and staff serving as volunteer Bigs are excluded on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, color, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, citizenship status, veteran status, or disability.

Please answer all questions to the best of your ability.

For questions, contact bbbs@bigcentral.org or visit www.bigcentral.org to learn more about our agency

By signing below, I give permission:

1. For my child to participate in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Montana (BBBS) program;
2. For the volunteer matched with my child, who has been screened and approved by BBBS, to transport my child to events and match activities;
3. For the school district to provide social and academic information about my child to BBBS (e.g. attendance, grades, behavior reports, updated contact information);
4. To have my child participate in an in-take interview conducted by BBBS staff and complete questionnaires throughout their time in the program containing questions about school, home life, and personal interests;
5. To have my child talk with a BBBS staff person about personal safety; and
6. For BBBS staff to provide contact information for me and my child to the volunteer.

I understand that BBBS is not obligated to enroll my child or to match my child with a volunteer and that as part of the enrollment process, I will be asked to provide additional information through an in-person interview. Also, certain relevant information about my child will be discussed with the volunteer who is a prospective match (i.e. demographic information, information relevant to volunteer preferences, and information relevant to child-safety and well-being).

I understand that the information I provide in the enrollment process will be kept confidential unless disclosure is required by law and with exceptions noted. I understand that BBBS staff must report to proper authorities suspected child abuse, neglect, or abandonment when they know or have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is being abused or neglected.

I do hereby release the organization and its employees, agents, members, volunteers and all other persons on its behalf from any and all liability for any damage or injury that such child might sustain while participating in said program and activities, including but not limited to any liability to any right of action that may occur to such child directly, or to me as their guardian.

If my child is matched with a Big Brother or Big Sister, I agree to support my child’s match by reviewing the program and safety information given to me by Big Brothers Big Sisters, communicating with Big Brothers Big Sisters staff as outlined in expectations (which includes communication at least once a month in the first year of the match), and immediately reporting any concerns I might have to Big Brothers Big Sisters staff.