1. How do I find time in
my schedule to mentor a child?
Kids like to be with their mentors. They don’t always
need to be entertained. Including them in your day-to-day
activities helps them to feel a part of your life. If you’re
going to do some errands, call your mentee and get some
ice cream on the way home. Or just spend some time “hanging
out” with your mentee…it’s a legitimate
reason to have fun for an hour or so a week. Your time with
your mentee may be something that you do by yourself or
with your family. Consistency is the key to building a significant
relationship. And remember, it’s the simple things
that count.
2. Isn’t it difficult
to mentor someone else’s child?
You will be developing a relationship with a child, to
help him or her grow emotionally, academically, and spiritually.
Your relationship will become a friendship, guiding your
mentee toward Christ and a healthy lifestyle. Engaging in
fun, interesting activities that you and your mentee enjoy,
or helping your mentee with schoolwork are just some of
the things you can do to make it easy. Parents with limited
resources are grateful for the support and guidance you
can provide the child.
3. Can I mentor with my spouse?
MentorKids USA has several options for mentors besides
the traditional one-to-one match. We have many couples mentoring
together, sometimes one child or a pair of siblings. We
have couples mentoring families and even families mentoring
families.
4. What if something comes
up with my mentee I can’t handle?
Most of our mentors are not counselors or social workers.
They are just people like you, willing to become a friend.
Showing your mentee that you care and being consistent are
what counts! Every mentor has a trained Mentor Coordinator
to help with any problems or concerns that may develop.
You will keep your Mentor Coordinator informed about your
meetings with your mentee, and your Mentor Coordinator will
be available to problem-solve with you. You will meet other
effective mentors at our activities, training sessions and
support meetings. You won’t be in this alone, but
will have a team of people supporting your efforts.
5. Can I pick the child
I mentor?
Your preferences will be considered and you’ll decide
when to accept a mentee. All of our volunteer mentors and
mentees and their parents are interviewed, and we do our
best to put together matches that will succeed. We join
you in prayer as we search for the child God has picked
for you.
6. What is the mentor application
and screening process?
Once you have reviewed the information and application
packet, just complete the application and return it to us.
Once we receive your application, we will review it, process
your background check and personal references, and let you
know about upcoming training sessions. After training, we
will schedule a face-to-face interview with you. We will
also conduct a home assessment, since mentors often have
their mentee in or around their homes. You will then attend
a training session before we match you with a child or adolescent.
