Safety is our #1 priority. . Here are the steps that all of our volunteers must take prior to being matched with a child. Please note that it can take up to 8 weeks to move your application through the process.

Step 1: Online Application
Your application will be received by a Customer Relations Specialist and he/she will respond to you by phone and/or email within 2 business days.

Step 2: Training (In-Person or Online)
We strongly encourage you to complete your training in-person. Experience has shown that mentors who attend the in-person training have a better mentoring experience. The Customer Relations Specialist will send you an in-person training schedule when you are contacted.

If you are unable to attend an in-person training session, we do offer on-line training. Please tell your Customer Relations Specialist that you would like to complete the training on-line and they will send you a link to the training for the program in which you are interested.

Step 3: Personal Interview
A Big Brothers Big Sisters Enrollment Specialist will conduct a personal interview. This interview is designed to learn more about you, your motivation for becoming a mentor, and help us better match you with a child that shares your similar interests. The personal interview is a key component in making sure that we match you with the right child.

Step 4: Background Check 
Big Brothers Big Sisters conducts a layered background check on all potential mentors prior to pairing them with a young person. Background checks include an FBI fingerprint check, state and local courts, as well as a motor vehicle check. Fingerprints are taken when you come in to complete your personal interview and are taken every 18 months, after you are matched, to insure the safety of the children in our program.

Step 5: References
Big Brothers Big Sisters will contact at least 3 of your references. References need to include a spouse/live-in partner (if applicable) or other family member (if no spouse), professional reference, personal reference and/or any other organizations with whom you interacted with children. Please make your references aware that Big Brothers Big Sisters will be contacting them to avoid any delay in processing. 

Our goal is to complete each of these steps in a timely manner and to match you with your mentee as quickly as possible because there are hundreds of kids waiting for a mentor like you.