| Q. |
How do you find children who need mentors? |
| A. |
The children are usually referred to us by teachers who notice the
child is struggling. Sometimes referrals come from community members,
churches, county agencies, or hospitals as well.
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| Q. |
How will the child’s natural parents feel about me
mentoring their child? |
| A. |
Parents enroll their children in the program voluntarily. They are
first approached by a teacher or neighbor, who explains the program and
how it can help their child and their family. We then have several
meetings between the parents, our mental health professionals, and the
potential volunteers. No one has to commit to the program until everyone
feels comfortable about the relationship.
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| Q. |
Who pays for the program? |
| A. |
Almost all of our funding comes from donations from individuals,
organizations, and businesses, and from grants. A small percentage is
paid by Medicaid for mental health prevention.
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| Q. |
How much time am I required to volunteer as a mentor? |
| A. |
There is no specific time required. What is required is regular,
weekly contact with the child, and a long-term commitment. Some families
might have a child come over after school a couple of days each week;
others might see the child for a few hours on Sunday; still others might
have the child stay overnight on a regular basis. The program is
designed to be flexible and we find that the time flows to a level that
is appropriate for each child and their mentoring family.
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| Q. |
We’re not a “typical” family with two parents and 2.5
kids at home. Can we still be considered as a mentoring family?
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| A. |
A. Absolutely! Some of our mentoring families are parents with young
kids; some couples haven’t had kids yet; some are “empty nesters” who
want to share their time with a child again. We match the children with
mentoring families that we feel will best meet their needs. Some kids
need the socialization of having mentoring “siblings”. Other kids will
thieve on the extra attention they get from a couple with no other
children in the home. |
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| Q. |
What kind of screening process do the volunteers go
through? |
| A. |
All our mentoring families and mini-mentors sign releases to have
criminal background checks performed. In addition, we will want to make
sure that your home is safe for the child; for instance, all guns will
have to be kept in a locker or have trigger locks, and swimming pools
must be fenced.
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| Q. |
What if something happened to the child when he/she was
with me? Could I be Liable? |
| A. |
We are fully insured, and our insurance will protect all of our
mentoring volunteers. |
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| Q. |
I think I want to volunteer in a role that is less
demanding. Would the Family Friend fit that description?
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| A. |
Yes. Although the Family Friend plays a very critical role in our
family mentoring program, it is a position that comes with much more
limited responsibilities. The Family Friend is basically asked to be
just that: a friend who contacts the natural parents by phone, email, or
in person twice each month to check in and stay in touch. If the family
is in a crisis, the Family Friend may act as a go-between to help
FAMILIES PLUS locate donated goods or services needed by the family.
The Family Friend is also asked to send holiday cards to the
family, and to deliver gifts provided by FAMILIES PLUS on Mother’s Day
and Father’s Day. Finally, the Family Friend coordinates a couple of
get-togethers each year involving the family and the mentors for that
family (bowling, or a fishing trip for example). Those get-togethers are
paid for by FAMILIES PLUS and help cement the sense of extended family
within the group.
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| Q. |
How do I get started? |
| A. |
Contact FAMILIES PLUS at 874-0464 to discuss what role you would
like to take as a volunteer. We will let you know what particular needs
we have in your area, and tell you about the families or children who
are looking to be matched with volunteers. Then we can arrange a relaxed
meeting between you and the natural family in a neutral place so that
everyone can get to know each other before committing to the
relationship.
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115
Grand Ave. Ste. 2 - Delta, Colorado - 81416 - (970)874-0464
