Enroll a child

Unlock Their Potential

All children have potential, but not everyone recognizes it. At Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Central Ohio, we do. We are committed to unlocking your child’s potential and defending it.

Since 1973, we have been recruiting, screening, and matching at-risk youth in our community (Littles) with committed adult mentors (Bigs). We support these mentoring relationships, helping to transform the lives of hundreds of children and teens (and adults!) for the better. Littles who are matched with Bigs come from a variety of backgrounds and life circumstances. We believe that every child benefits from having someone else in their corner.

To demonstrate that mentoring works, a study was done for Big Brothers Big Sisters showing that kids matched with a mentor:

Are more confident and feel better about themselves
Are more likely to steer clear of drugs and alcohol
Do better in school
Get along better with their family and friends

PROCESS TO ENROLL YOUR CHILD

Step #2

Orientation, interview and Match

When you arrive, you will go through an orientation to provide you with an overview of the child safety measures we take and healthy Big-Little relationships. After the orientation a Mentoring Specialist, who will provide support throughout your experiences with the organization, will conduct an interview to get to know you better; this allows BBBSECO to make a match that takes into account your child’s interests, background, and personality.

Once your designated Mentoring Specialist makes a final recommendation for acceptance, your child becomes a Little, ready to be matched. Your Mentoring Specialist will use information you and your child provide to recommend a Big. You will receive a call outlining the recommended Big’s profile to make a final decision to accept the match.

Step #2

Step #3

Match Introduction

For all Community-Based Matches, your Mentoring Specialist will schedule a time for you and your child to meet your child’s Big. This is your chance to start getting to know each other in a supported environment. During this introduction, you will also schedule your child’s first outing with his or her Big. School-based introductions take place during the designated program time in a supervised setting and includes the Big, Little, Mentoring Specialist, and other matches at that specific program.

Step #3

Step #4

Ongoing Support

Once you approve your child’s Big, you will be free to move forward with the mentoring relationship. For community-based mentoring, this means making plans with your child’s Big to meet in the community. For school-based mentoring, your child’s Big will go to your child’s school on a regular basis.

Your Mentoring Specialist will provide ongoing support to make sure the relationship continues in a positive manner; these contacts are made mostly by phone or in person. When talking to your Mentoring Specialist, feel free to share your child’s successes! It is also important to voice any concerns you may have to allow your Mentoring Specialist to make recommendations or take action to fix any issues; this allows for a lasting, fun, and impactful relationship between you, your child, and your child’s Big.