Considering what young people are facing today, it’s nice to know there is another caring adult to help your child increase their self-confidence, social and communication skills, positive behaviors and help improve relationships at home, school and within the community. This is what you can expect when you enroll your child in the YMCA Brother/Sister Mentoring Program.
Child Safety
Child safety is our top priority. We have rigorous child protection systems in place to keep kids safe. Our staff and volunteer mentors undergo thorough screening and background checks. Our safety commitment is simple: we do everything to keep your child safe.
About Child/Youth Mentees
It is easy to become a mentee! Children 6-14 years who reside within a two-mile radius Mankato and North Mankato are eligible to enroll in our youth mentoring programs. We ask for a nine-month commitment to our program, but our goal is to create a match relationship that is rewarding and long lasting! Many of our matches have been together for years. Our Brother/Sister Program Advocates will be there to support the relationship every step of the way.
Parenting Adult Responsibilities — Active Partnering
You play one of the most important roles in helping us create the best match for your child. By doing the following, your continued and consistent attention throughout the match relationship ensures that it gets off to a great start and keeps going strong for many years to come.
- Regularly communicate and respond to your child’s mentor to encourage and support the relationship.
- Make your child available and have them ready for scheduled outings and activities with their mentor.
- Always communicate cancellations or schedule changes with your child’s mentor
- Respectfully sharing in the cost of activities.
- Maintain required consistent communication with your assigned Brother/Sister Program Advocate.
Youth Responsibilities — Active Partnering
Youth also have an important role in helping ensure that the match relationship gets off to a great start and keeps going strong. When youth are engaged by doing the following, it helps contribute to a successful experience.
Youth are required to:
- Participate in decisions about outings and activities. Be open to trying new things.
- Be available, on time and ready for scheduled outings and activities with your mentor. Follow through and avoid cancelling your planned outings and activities unless absolutely necessary.
- Always communicate cancellations or schedule changes with your mentor.
- Be a good citizen and display respectful appropriate behavior any time you are with your mentor.
- When asked, share your feelings with your parents, mentor and program staff about your match outings, activities and experiences.
The Family Intake Enrollment Process Steps
The Brother/Sister Community Based Mentoring Program has a number of youth waiting to be enrolled and matched.
- To get started, complete the contact form below. Once we receive your inquiry, we will send you a “Waitlist” form to be completed. This indicates your willingness to wait until there are available mentors.
- A formal family intake enrollment process occurs when mentors become available. Youth/families will be contacted to begin this process.
- The availability of volunteer mentors affect how long youth remain on the waiting list. During this waiting period, youth are eligible to attend weekly Group Mentoring activities. Participants must complete the “Group Mentoring” form.
Ready to get started?
Fill out the form below and our team will contact you to answer questions you have enrolling a child and discuss the next steps.
