Youth Safety & Well-Being

Your child’s safety is extremely important to us. Making the best possible match between Little and Big is critical to the growth and development of a child.

YOUTH SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Your child’s safety is extremely important to us. Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge has the primary responsibility for risk management and youth protection of Littles in our programs. This includes the establishment of policies and procedures that best protect youth, effective screening and selection of staff and volunteers, and professional monitoring of match relationships.

For decades, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge has worked with the national office, local community and experts to implement nationwide standards based on industry best practice of high quality service delivery. On a constant basis, we work agencies and outside experts to carefully examine our standards and service delivery model as emerging best practice in child safety evolve.

Close-up of two black tracks on a white background, used in racing or transport.
Close-up of black and white striped pattern with bold diagonal lines.
Black and white zigzag-patterned design with diagonal stripes alternating between black and white.

Screening & Selection of Bigs

Professional Match Support

Families as Partners

A woman and a girl are standing outdoors on grass in a park, smiling and talking. The woman has short hair and is wearing a black T-shirt with a large logo, red pants, and sneakers. The girl has braided hair, a black T-shirt with a logo, black pants, and sports shoes, and is holding a basketball.
A digital illustration depicting a stylized, upward-pointing arrow on a green background, symbolizing progress or growth.

SAFTEY FIRST

At Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge, we believe all children and youth deserve a world that makes them feel cared for and protected.

Stack of paper or books with green accents

OUR COMMITMENT

Helping to ensure the safety and well-being in the life of every child that we serve.

A man and a boy smile at each other while walking a dog on a leash along a sidewalk with lush trees and brick wall in the background.
A graphic design with geometric shapes and lines in bright green and black colors

SCREENING & SELECTION OF BIGS

Big Brothers Big Sisters National Standards of Excellence require each volunteer to complete an extensive screening process that includes:

Bright green stylized letter F on black background.
A stylized maze design with bold green lines on a black background.
A black background with a large, stylized, turquoise Wi-Fi signal icon.
Bright green Wi-Fi symbol on black background.
Green geometric maze on black background.

Completion of a formal written application

Background and reference checks

An in-person interview

An orientation and training process that outlines the individualized needs of your child and provides information and resources on how to encourage your child’s development

Professional Assessment of the Volunteer

PROFESSIONAL MATCH SUPPORT

Our highly qualified, specially trained match support professionals are responsible for helping to ensure that relationships between Littles and Bigs are developing in a healthy, safe way for everyone involved. They’re also responsible for helping guide mentoring relationships that will be enduring and enriching, and result in positive outcomes for youth, unique to Big Brothers Big Sisters. 

Our ongoing match support process is extensive, and includes:

Graphic design with black background and bright green diagonal stripes.

Required match supervision by trained staff, including ongoing communication with match participants for the life of a match

Black background with three diagonal mint green strips running from the top right corner to the bottom left corner, creating a modern layered pattern.

Professional monitoring of adherence to safety-related policies and procedures focused on maintaining appropriate boundaries

Green and black abstract geometric pattern with parallel diagonal lines.

Nationwide technology that tracks and monitors match activities and Littles’ progress in areas such as academics

FAMILIES AS PARTNERS

When it comes to the future of our children and the well-being of our communities, we’re all in this together. So it should come as no surprise that we need the parents and guardians of Littles to be involved every step of the way, starting with the initial match.

Not only will you provide information about your child’s strengths and needs, but you’ll also approve the selection of the Big Brother or Big Sister. Once the match is made, you remain closely involved in many ways, including:

  • Approving activities and outings for your child and their Big

  • Asking your child questions about those outings, and sharing what you learn with the agency staff

  • Reporting your child’s progress and milestones to the agency on a regular basis (Big Brothers Big Sisters will contact you, but we welcome your feedback any time)

  • Participating in training on child safety offered by Big Brothers Big Sisters staff, and communicating with your child about the training he or she receives.

A smiling man with a beard and a young boy with curly hair posing together outdoors, with a skateboarding ramp in the background.