Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana (BBBSCI) serves 1,100+ youth annually in 1:1 mentoring relationships. We believe that inherent in every young person is the potential to thrive, and we partner with parents/caregivers, volunteers, schools, and the donors in our community to help you achieve:

1. Higher aspirations, greater confidence, and better relationships;
2. Educational success; and
3. Avoidance of risky behaviors.

BBBSCI is committed to ongoing learning and growth in the space of justice, equity, diversity, & inclusion (JEDI). Together, we affirm that every person should have the opportunity to reach their full, inherent potential in an environment where everybody feels respected and valued

"Littles" are youth that reside in Marion, Hamilton, Johnson County that reach out to us wanting an additional supportive adult in their life. At time of enrollment youth are between the ages of 8-14; however we serve youth until the age of 18.

Youth in our program come from a variety of different backgrounds, want to participate, and have immense potential! Parent/guardian involvement is crucial to match success, therefore throughout your involvement you will develop an ongoing, working relationship with the volunteer of the child you are matched with.

• Child is between the ages of 8-14 at time of enrollment
• Child is able to meet with their volunteer 2-4 times a month for one year.
• Child is able to engage and form a healthy relationship with a mentor and demonstrate age-appropriate youth safety knowledge.
• Child personally wants a mentor to be involved in their life.
• Child does not pose a safety concern to self or others.
• If youth is diagnosed with, or has symptoms of, a mental, emotional, medical, or behavioral issue, information may be requested from your provider to help us understand how best to support your child.
• The custodial parent/guardian and/or primary caregiver must participate in an in-person interview with the agency staff.
• Must be supportive of BBBSCI’s primary outcome goals: educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations, greater confidence, and better relationships.
• Must not have an open Department of Child and Family Services case involving the youth, parent/guardian, or primary caregiver. The family may reapply when the case is closed.
• Must reside in stable housing.

Our enrollment process is designed to result in long-strong, and healthy match relationships. For a variety of reasons, we may not feel our BBBSCI program is the best fit for an applicant. An applicant may be notified at any point during their involvement with the BBBSCI program. Reasons for non-acceptance will not be disclosed. For all youth, we will do our best to identify alternate youth programming that is the best match for that child's strengths, needs, and interests.

A “Big” is a caring individual, aged 19 years or older (no cut off on age), who is interested in being a part of a child’s life at least 2-4 times per month, for a minimum of one year. A "Big" is simply another positive, supportive adult outside of the child's home that the child can spend time with, explore new things, and work towards goals together.

Each volunteer that applies goes through a multi-layered enrollment process. Volunteers are required to complete an application, a background/driving check, provide references, and attend an in-person interview. If approved for the program, Volunteers are required to attend a training prior to matching.

Mentor Relationship Specialist

At time of match, you will be assigned a dedicated Mentoring Relationship Specialist (agency staff) who’ll stay in touch with you monthly to provide assistance, support, and to assist in ensuring child safety. However, you can always reach out to them whenever you are unsure about how to handle a situation, have questions, or need additional resources. They’ll guide the match with ideas for fun activities, advise on handling possible difficult situations, and provide feedback on how to build a strong mentoring relationship.

Trainings

Big Brothers Big Sisters' number one priority is the safety and well-being of your child. That's why we've created a training specifically for parents/guardians as they enroll their child in a local Big Brothers Big Sisters program. "Your Child's Personal Safety" training was created in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to equip parents/guardians with the tool they need to help ensure their child is safe, both in our program and their day-to-day lives. This training is required to be completed prior to any youth becoming matched in our program. Additional trainings will be made available and are individually identified throughout your involvement with us to ensure you feel comfortable and confident in your role as a partner with BBBSCI.

Low-No Cost Activities

The quality of the time our matches spend together is more important than the amount of money spent. Program participation is completely free to all of our youth and families. BBBSCI staff work hard to find opportunities within the community and plan agency activities that are low-no cost and available to all of our matches. Activities can be as simple as going for a hike, playing a board game, cooking dinner together, or playing a game of ball at the park.

Big App

Upon enrollment, all Parents and Guardians will be given a login to access our App and all it has to offer. This includes upcoming family friendly events, activity ideas for the whole family, important announcements, available resources, and more!

Ready to get started!? Here are the next steps:

1. Inquiry Form:  First step, to make a referral or to sign your child up, please take 5 minutes to fill out our inquiry form. Upon completion, we will be in touch to schedule a 10-15 minute phone call to collect basic information, review eligibility requirements, and discuss next steps!
2. Next Steps: Once you have completed an initial phone call with our Youth Enrollment Specialist, your child will be placed on our referred youth list. During this time you will begin to receive programming opportunities for your child while they wait. Wait times to schedule your in-person interview can vary depending on the number of volunteers coming through and where you live.
3. Interview: At your in-person interview, you will meet with a BBBSCI staff member to hear more about the program, share information about you and your child, and complete necessary forms to proceed. This helps you, your child, and the agency make sure this experience is a good fit and helps us learn more about making a good match. Interviews take place at your home and take about two hours to complete. Both you and your child(ren) will need to be present for the interview.
4. Match: We recognize our enrollment process is thorough and takes time…trust us, it's worth it! Child safety is our #1 priority and making successful matches is our bread and butter. We will work to match you based on location, interests, strengths, and recommendations gathered from your interview. A staff will reach out with more details about your child's potential Big once identified and the fun begins shortly after!

Have questions or need help? Contact Jennifer Nourse, Youth Enrollment Specialist, at jnourse@bbbsci.org or 317-472-3747.