Mentors commit to a minimum of one year in a match, starting the date they meet their Little. Matches meet 2-4 times monthly throughout the year. More than 75% of matches meet the one-year commitment and our average match length is about 3 years.

We enroll youth 6-16 who are seeking an additional supportive adult in their lives. Our youth come from all different family structures, experiences, identities, cultures, etc. A large percentage of youth in our program live in single parent/caregiver households and more than half are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). Some have experience with trauma/abuse, parental incarceration, and socioeconomic disparity. We serve neurotypical, neurodiverse, and autistic youth, youth living with parents, grandparents, extended family, resource parents, etc. This is not true of all youth in our program.

Our Littles have all different kinds of living situations. While we do see a high number of inquiries from single parents, we also serve youth living with two parents or caregivers, grandparents, aunts/uncles, siblings, resource (foster) parents, etc. Mentors are not expected to fill the role of any missing or absent parental figure.

YES! Parents/guardians play a crucial roll in making matches successful. Mentors and parents communicate weekly to plan, coordinate and confirm outings with the Little. As a Big, expect to get to know your Little’s parent/guardian well. 

It is OK for a Little to interact with other adults living in a mentor’s household if the match is spending time together at the mentor’s home. A Little should never spend time alone with a non-mentor, regardless of their comfort level. BBBS emphasizes 1:1 matches and while we do run basic background checks 14 on all adults living in a mentor’s home, we expect mentors to be the adult responsible for the child during the match activity.

Prior experience working with youth is not required to become a mentor. Our staff supports volunteer candidates throughout the enrollment process, which includes training designed to equip volunteers with the skills and mindset needed to support Littles. During an interview, a volunteer will be asked about comfort level with a variety of situations/support areas. If there is an area you want more support/training in, we can assign additional training. Once you are matched with a Little, BBBS staff will contact you regularly to check in about your match and offer support/input as needed/requested. Youth in our program are seeking a friend who will spend time with them, listen to them, and have fun.

There is no list of off-limit activities. Overnights are not permitted under any circumstance (camping included) and will be grounds to close a match if the policy is not followed. If you choose to participate in higher-risk activities (rock climbing, boating, mountain biking, etc.), discuss ahead of time with parent/guardian, youth, and Match Support Specialist. BBBS has a High-Risk Activity Waiver form that can be signed.

Yes. BBBS matches anyone with anyone. Gender identity is one of the many factors/preferences we consider when making matches.

The volunteer enrollment process includes completing an application including providing references, virtual Pre-Match Training, virtual enrollment interview, and an in-person fingerprint appointment. Once all these steps are completed, the Enrollment & Matching Team will process the file before notifying a mentor of their acceptance or denial to the program.

Yes, all BBBS sites operate individually and have variables in enrollment processes. Prior experience as a mentor is fantastic, but all mentors new to BBBS Columbia Northwest must complete the entire enrollment process.

No, BBBS sites conduct their own fingerprint-based background checks. This is a BBBS National child safety standard.

A SSN is required for BBBS to run layered background checks. This is a child safety standard requirement per BBBS National.

Recognizing that it may not be the right time to enroll as a mentor with our program is a great sign that you are taking the commitment seriously and are aware of your own limitations to meeting our program’s expectations. If now is not the right time, we invite you to:

1. Please come back when you’re ready
2. Refer someone who may be ready to become a mentor
3. Make a donation via our website to support our existing matches and development of new programs.