Thank you so much for your interest in connecting a child to Big Brothers Big Sisters Southern Lake Michigan Region (BBBS SLMR) mentoring program! 

At BBBS SLMR, we understand that there can be various barriers for parent/guardians to complete an application for their child. As a caring adult, you are filling out this referral form to help alleviate those barriers. Thank you. 

If the parent/guardian is with you, it would be best to fill out the full application so they can sign it. Your email address can be used to confirm their signature. Click HERE for the application. 

If the parent/guardian is not physically with you, another option is to have them on the phone with with you and you can fill the application out together. As long as the parent/guardian can access their email account and confirm their signature, the application is valid.

If you cannot reach the parent/guardian and you'd still like to make a referral, please enter as much information as you can in this referral form and we will assist with outreach to get a full application completed. Please enter "Unknown" in any of the required fields if you do not know the information requested. 

Some considerations before making this referral...

• Does the child want to participate in the program? 
• Often times parents and/or people who care about the child want them to participate in the program but the child may not want to. It is essential that the child wants to be matched with a Big. If the child does not want to be matched, the outcome could be a negative experience for both the volunteer Big and the child. 

• Best practice would be to have a signed Release of Information to make this referral so we can collaborate and share information. 
• Click HERE for a release for the parent to sign. You can copy the URL for the release and text or email it to the parent. Once it it submitted, the release will be emailed directly to BBBS SLMR. You can also use your agency's release form and send to us via email. 
• If we do not have a release, than we cannot provide specific details about the outcome of the referral.  

• If a Community-Based match is the interest: 
• Is the child's parent/guardian able to partner with the agency to complete the intake process?
• Monthly contact with parent/guardians  is a requirement of the Community Based program. Is the parent/guardian able to complete monthly communications with BBBS SLMR regarding the safety of their child in a match?
• Is the parent/guardian able to partner with the agency to complete surveys to help us monitor outcomes for their child?

• If a Site Based match is the interest:
• Does BBBS SLMR have a partnership with the organization where the child will be visiting with their mentor? We are currently working toward building our Site Based programming and are very interested in having conversations about potential sites to host our matches!
• Please contact Rachel Van Alstine at rachel@becomeabig.com to confirm if there is an active Site Based program at the child's school or afterschool program or a site that would be a good fit for BBBS SLMR programming.
• Does the child have any behavioral challenges that would make it unsafe for them to be matched with a volunteer? 
• BBBS SLMR evaluates youth on a case by case basis through the lens of child safety. If the child has behavioral challenges that could pose a safety risk or may make it difficult for them to form a bond with their mentor, they may not be eligible for BBBS programs at this time.   
• If it is determined that that the child is ineligible for BBBS programming at this time, we can help the family get connected to support services and they can reapply for their child in the future.
• If you are unsure if the child you would like to refer is eligible for our programs due to behavioral challenges, please contact Katie Craft at katie@becomeabig.com before filling out this referral form.

• This is not an application for the youth. By filling out this referral form, you have started an outreach process that will include contacting the youth's family to encourage them and assist them in filling out a full application. BBBS SLMR staff will assist in outreach to the parent/guardian for no longer than 4 weeks. The application must be filled out by a person who has legal authority to grant permission for the child to participate in our programs. BBBS SLMR may reach out to you for help in engaging the child's legal guardian.

• Completing this form or an application does not mean the child will be matched immediately. However, we will consider the child's need based on information provided here and gathered in the application. Once we receive the child's application, they will be placed on our waiting list until we find a potential mentor for the child. 

• We will disclose the source of this referral to the parent/guardian.

• If you have additional questions about the waiting list or the enrollment process, please contact the staff member you have been working with or send an email to our Enrollment Team at Enrollment@becomeabig.com

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southern Lake Michigan Region follows a non-discrimination policy that prohibits exclusion of potential volunteer Bigs, youth, parents/guardians, board members, or agency staff on the basis of race, color, religion, age, pregnancy, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other protected class.

After clicking SUBMIT you will be prompted to sign this form and enter your email address. Then you will receive an email with a confirmation and a copy of this document. Thank you!