SAFETY FROM THE START
Our commitment
Your child’s safety is extremely important to us. Big Brothers Big Sisters conducts a thorough background check on every volunteer in our program, and every relationship is closely monitored and supported by a professionally trained match coordinator. At Big Brothers Big Sisters, we believe that all children and youth deserve to live in a world that makes them feel cared for and protected.
As an affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, we are committed to implementing nationwide standards based on industry best practice of high quality and adhering to our service delivery. BBBSA works with experts to carefully examine our standards and service delivery model to ensure we are always providing the best practice as child safety is always evolving.
Everyone participating with our agency, staff, parents/guardians, volunteers, children, and board members, is required to be trained in recognizing and responding to child safety concerns.
THE CRITICAL ROLE OF CARING ADULTS IN PREVENTING VIOLENCE AND HEALING TRAUMA
As a nationwide organization, we are committed to being part of the solution toward reducing the violence and victimization children and youth face and addressing the impact of trauma in children’s lives across the hundreds of communities served by our local agencies.
Research shows that children need caring adults in their lives to build protective factors that help to reduce their chances of victimization of all kinds.
Research also demonstrates that caring adults can play a critically important role in helping to heal youth that have been exposed to violence and trauma in their neighborhoods, schools, communities and sometimes their own homes.
Screening and selection of Bigs
Making the best possible match between a Little and a Big is critical to the growth and development of a child. But before we begin the matching process, agency professional staff start by thoroughly screening potential Bigs.
Big Brothers Big Sisters National Standards of Excellence require each volunteer to complete an extensive screening process that includes:
✓ Completion of a formal written application
✓ Background and reference checks
✓ An in-person interview
✓ An orientation and training process that outlines the individualized needs of the child and provides information and resources on how to encourage each child’s development
Professional Match Support
Our highly qualified, specially trained match support professionals are responsible for helping to ensure that relationships between Littles and Bigs are developing in a healthy, safe way for everyone involved. They’re also responsible for helping guide mentoring relationships that will be enduring and enriching, and result in positive outcomes for youth, unique to Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Our ongoing match support process is extensive, and includes:
✓ Required match supervision by trained staff, including ongoing communication with match participants for the life of a match
✓ Professional monitoring of adherence to safety-related policies and procedures focused on maintaining appropriate boundaries and healthy relationship development
✓ Nationwide technology that tracks and monitors match activities and Littles’ progress in areas such as academics, avoidance of risky behaviors, socio-emotional development, and aspirations
