How much time must a Big Sister/Big Brother give to a Little Sister/Little Brother?
We expect the volunteer to have at least one year to commit to the program and spend two to four hours per week with his/her Little. Once a match is solidly established and recognized, all parties may review the effect of variables such as age, and alternatives to actual meeting times after a discussion with the Mentoring Coordinator.

Do my Little and his/her Big have to have the outings on the same day of the week every week?
No. The schedule for outings is organized between the family and the volunteer. The outings do not have to take place on the same day of the week and can alternative from week to week if this is. The two to four hours may also be split if it best suits both parties.

Can my Little have more then one Big at the same time?
Littles are able to participate in the In School Programs at the same time that they are participating in the Match Program and can have two separate Bigs for each program; however, Littles can only have one Big per program. For example, a Little Brother could not have two big Brothers at the same time in the Match Program.

Does the Big Sister/Big Brother have any other involvement with the agency?
Once matched, a Big Sister/Big Brother with the appropriate professional background, is welcome to enquire about helping on any number of committees or on the Board of Directors.

We also encourage the parents/guardians of our Little Sisters/Little Brothers who might be interested in involving themselves in the agency.

Can my son have a Big Sister while he is waiting for a Big Brother and then switch when a Big Brother is found instead?
Once matched with a Big, the Little is committed to that particular Big for the duration of their match. Littles are not able to switch from one Big to another unless under special circumstances.

How long is the waiting period?
The waiting period is difficult to predict. The agency does not have a priority list and Littles are not filed numerically once placed onto the waiting list. Littles are matched with Bigs in their geographical region. Once a Big is identified in a certain region, a Little is matched with that Big by process of elimination. All Littles in that region are considered equally until the best possible match has been identified.

If my child is referred to the agency by a third party (Social Worker, Teacher, Counselor etc) does this give them priority over other Littles waiting to be matched?
Recommendations from outside professionals are welcomed and encouraged, however; as there is not priority given to any of the Littles placed on the waiting list, this will not affect how quickly your Little will be matched.

What happens if my child’s match is not working out for some reason or another?
Every match is monitored individually by an agency staff. Although we try to be as accurate as possible in making our matches, there are times when uncontrollable of unforeseen situations may arise. In these situations, each match will be supported and the outcome will be determined for both the Little and the Big.

If I have already completed the application process for one child and want to enroll a second child into the Match Program at a later date, do I need to start the process over again?
Parents/Guardians do not need to attend the Information Session multiple times but each individual child must complete their own Child Safety Training, application form and home interview before any decisions are made to accept/not accept that particular child into the Match Program.

My child is 5 years old. Can I have him/her put onto the waiting list until their sixth birthday and have him/he matched with a Big once they’ve turned six?
Littles can start the enrollment process a week or two before their sixth birthday but need to be six years old before they can participate in the Child Safety Training Program or have their home interview. For this reason, Littles cannot be placed onto the waiting list before this time.