1. Friendship, on-site
and supervised. Your child's
relationship with their Big and small group happens only during scheduled
sessions at the BBBS office in Livingston, with a trained staff member present
the entire time. There are no one-on-one outings, home visits, or unsupervised
contact in this program.
2. Attendance &
consistency. Consistency matters most
for building trust within a group. Please help your child attend regularly, and
let your Program Manager know as early as possible if your child will miss a
session.
3. A Big is a mentor,
not a parent or therapist. Bigs are
trained volunteers who offer friendship and positive attention — they are not
substitutes for parental authority, discipline, or professional counseling. You
remain your child's primary caregiver at all times.
4. Discipline stays with
you and staff, not the Big. Bigs do
not discipline Littles. If a behavior concern comes up during a session, BBBS
staff will address it and follow up with you directly.
5. No home visits or
transportation. Your child will not
visit a Big's home, and Bigs do not transport Littles in this program. All
meetings take place at the approved group site only.
6. Photos and media. Only BBBS staff may take photos during sessions, and
only in line with the media release you complete at enrollment. Bigs may not
photograph or share images of any child in the program, and we ask that other
parents respect that same privacy for kids who aren't their own.
7. Digital
communication. Bigs will not contact
your child directly through personal phone numbers, social media, or messaging
apps. If any approved communication happens between sessions, it will go
through a channel BBBS staff can see and monitor — we'll review the specifics
with you at enrollment.
8. Confidentiality. What your family shares with us is kept private and
used only to support your child's experience in the program. We ask the same of
every family — please don't share other participants' personal information
outside the program.
9. Mandatory reporting. Like all BBBS staff and volunteers, we are required by
law and by national BBBS policy to report any suspicion of child abuse,
neglect, or exploitation to the appropriate authorities. This is about your
child's safety, and it applies across every program we run.
10. A safe space for
every child in the group. Because
this is a group program, your child will be building relationships with peers
as well as their Big. Staff actively monitor for bullying or unsafe group
dynamics, and we ask families to reinforce kindness and respect at home as
well.
11. How your child can
ask for help. Every Little is shown
who they can go to — a specific staff member or a designated spot — if they
ever feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or just need to talk. We encourage you to talk
with your child about this too.
12. Staying in touch with
you. You'll hear from us within the
first two weeks of your child joining a group, and at least twice a year after
that, more often if needed. These check-ins are a chance for us to share how
the group is going and for you to raise anything on your mind.
13. Ending participation.
You may withdraw your child from the
program at any time. If your child's match or group ends for any reason, a
staff member will talk with you about how it went and what, if anything, comes
next.
Match Guidelines for the Littles
This part is for you — ask your parent/guardian or a BBBS staff
member if any of it doesn't make sense.
1. Your Big is your
friend. Your Big is there to hang out
with you and your group, listen, and have fun together — not to be your boss,
your therapist, or take the place of your parents.
2. You'll always have a
grown-up from BBBS there. Every time
your group meets, a BBBS staff member will be right there with you and your Big
— you're never alone with just your Big.
3. Group Chat only
happens at the BBBS office. You won't
go to your Big's house, and they won't come to yours. Group always happens at
the same place, at the same time.
4. It's okay to say no. If a game or activity doesn't feel right to you, or
you need a break, that's okay — just tell your Big or the staff member.
5. Be kind to your
group. Everyone in your group
deserves to feel included and respected. Bullying, teasing, or leaving people
out isn't okay — if you see it happening, you can tell a staff member.
6. Keep pictures
private. Only BBBS staff take
pictures at Group Chat, and only with permission. Don't take or post pictures
of other kids in your group.
7. If something feels
wrong, tell someone. If you ever feel
unsafe, uncomfortable, or upset about anything — at Group Chat or anywhere else
— you can always tell a BBBS staff member. You won't get in trouble for
speaking up.
8. This is your space
too. Group Chat is here for you to
make friends, try new things, and be yourself. Your ideas and feelings matter
here.