Become a Mentor to Youth in Foster Care
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A Mentor at Christian Family Care is a Volunteer...
A mentor at Christian Family Care is a volunteer, non-paid position that requires a minimum time commitment of four hours per month for at least one year, with deep care for children and families.
The mentor is encouraged to offer wisdom to the mentee from a gospel perspective.
The mentor needs to have a love for Jesus and deep care for children.
If their mentee is struggling with something, they can offer words of encouragement as well as a listening ear.
The mentor needs to be a consistent figure in the mentee’s life. This is a person who can offer guidance, friendship, and reinforcement, and be a positive example for the mentee. The overall goal of the mentoring program is to provide healthy relationships for struggling youth and adults who may not otherwise experience consistent and long-term relationships.
Maintain a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
This is important for mentors because you cannot fill another up from an empty cup!
Be prepared to share the Gospel if the opportunity presents itself. This is what makes CFC’s foster mentor program so unique.
We encourage our mentors to have loving discussions about their faith in Jesus Christ with their mentees. If your mentee is up for it, invite them to your church or Bible study! You could also start each meeting with your mentee by sharing a quick devotional or prayer if that’s something you feel led to do with your mentee.
Develop a strong relationship with their mentee
How does this look? By engaging with care and consistency and making yourself available to your mentee via phone, email or in person. If your mentee has a question or needs someone to talk to, you will need to be there for them. You’ll likely be exchanging contact information with them.
CFC’s foster mentor program requires the mentor to connect with their mentee for a minimum of 4 hours per month. The mentor is more than welcome to meet with their mentee for more hours than what is required.
It is important for mentors to remember that relationships and trust are built by demonstrating consistency over time!
A mentor coordinator will be assigned to every mentor/mentee relationship. It is important for the mentor to communicate with the mentor coordinator on how the mentoring relationship is going. The mentor should remain in consistent communication with the mentor coordinator for any questions that arise and through monthly reports.
At Christian Family Care the process starts by filling out our mentor application here
At Christian Family Care the process starts by filling out our mentor application here and you will be contacted by a mentor specialist.
You will need to submit all of the minimum qualifications and complete an interview process.
This is a traditional mentoring program, in that one mentor will be matched with one mentee and meetings should be face-to-face each month unless certain circumstances require visits to be temporarily virtual.
Our mentor program is a four-hour per month minimum commitment for the length of at least one year.
The mentor should build a relationship with their mentee, help them to develop essential life skills, engage with them in social activities, maintain regular contact, and more.
Minimum Qualifications
- Ability to obtain a level one fingerprint clearance card
- Obtain a 39-month Motor Vehicle Record
- Proof of auto insurance
- Have a background check
- Experience working with children is a plus but not required
- We will need you to submit three character references (one personal and two professional/academic)
- You must have reliable transportation for both you and the mentee
- You must be at least 18 years of age and at least five years older than the mentee
- Acknowledge our CFC policy
- Complete our volunteer waiver of liability
- Must agree to CFC’s Statement of Faith and Guiding Principles
*Prior experience with vulnerable youth is not a requirement. We will provide the initial and ongoing training based on “trauma-informed care” practices.
Other Desired Attributes
- Committed: Shares God’s passion for service through prayer, honor, integrity, accountability, and stewardship.
- Attentive: Looks out for the needs of others by being thoughtful, genuine, caring, courteous, and honest.
- Responsive: Provides effective results by owning each interaction, following through, and making and keeping promises.
- Excellent: Continuously strives to exceed expectations by seeking, acquiring, and sharing knowledge.
CFC’s Mentor Program is designed to give struggling youth and adults a supportive person to turn to when they are dealing with their day-to-day challenges.
Mentors meet with their mentees one-on-one for at least four hours per month. Mentors commit to a year-long mentorship.
Mentors are required to complete a monthly, 90-day, and annual progress questionnaire submitted to their mentor specialist.
These questionnaires help the mentor specialist to support the mentor/mentee relationship based on the needs of that relationship. The mentor specialist will be the go-to person for the mentor for any help they need throughout the mentoring relationship.
Christian Family Care picks the match based on …
CFC will match mentors with a youth or adult associated with CFC through our different programs.
We make sure the youth or adult mentee is matched to a mentor who will be the best fit for whatever season of life they are currently in based upon the life experience presented by the inquiring mentor.
We work hard to match the best mentor with a mentee in one of our programs.
The age requirement is …
How long will the matching process take?
Since 2017, our mentoring program has matched 204 mentors/mentees together!
Christian Family Care walks alongside the mentorship throughout the entire process to ensure a successful mentor/mentee match.
We provide ongoing training and support
Our mentors receive a personal mentor coordinator
A monthly video bulletin is sent out to help mentors
Attachment Orientated Mentoring is …
Goal Orientated Mentoring is …
Requires a more structured relationship consistent and caring adult in the mentee’s life. The goal is to provide a consistent caring relationship while working on life skills and personal goals.
This could look like helping your mentee with job applications, reviewing their resume, helping them navigate finding a house or apartment to live in, etc.
Growing up comes with a lot of responsibilities and knowing you have someone to help you through the baby steps toward being fully independent is extremely helpful for our mentees. Even if it is just having someone to talk to, these mentoring relationships really matter, especially to our mentees.
Youth and young adults or parents impacted by the foster care system or other significant trauma oftentimes do not have someone in their life to turn to for advice or a sounding board.
Mentors can inspire these individuals to make good decisions and set out on a path to a better life.
We want all mentees to grow, learn, and succeed. With the help of a mentor coming alongside them, they can guide these mentees in taking the next steps towards healthy living while also having fun together doing activities and creating memories.
You could go to an Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game or go see a movie with them! Being a mentor is a great way to make an impact on a person’s life.
We aim for the mentee to achieve a close bond with an adult who also has a relationship with Jesus Christ. This is important because the mentor can show their mentee the love that Jesus has for them and even guide them to having their own personal relationship with Jesus.
This is a very meaningful and transformational mentoring program for not only the mentee but also for the mentor.
Four Mentoring Routes
Foster Care Mentoring
This is our most common form of mentoring and provides mentorship to youth and young adults who have been impacted by the system.
This includes youth in kinship placements, foster homes, and group homes, and extends to youth who have been adopted and young adults who have aged out of the system.
This form of mentoring provides support to parents from our Hand in Hand Pregnancy and Adoption department.
These are commonly low-income, underserved, birthmothers (or sometimes birth fathers or couples) looking for a strong support system. This allows us to come alongside struggling adults facing an unplanned pregnancy, homelessness, unemployment, and many other kinds of situations as we meet them in the community and be an unconditional support in their lives.
Please watch the above video to learn more about this program and how mentors can come alongside these clients.
This form of mentoring provides the opportunity to work with youth in underserved schools commonly struggling with low income, depression, anxiety, and sometimes youth impacted by the foster care system.
Case details vary from youth to youth, but this is communicated on the front end of a potential match.
In collaboration with our STRONG Families for Children Program, our Mentor Program helps adult clients. Our mentors desire to walk alongside parents and provide support while forming long-lasting relationships with them.
What if the church walked alongside every family in their time of need? As a Family Friend, you will support parents while they work to achieve their goals. You will become a friend, mentor, coach, and encourager in their time of need. You determine when you are available to partner with a parent and which parents you will partner with.
Family Friends can also support STRONG Families for Children by providing meals, respite care, and transportation.
“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifice God is pleased.” – Hebrews 13:16
As a Family Friend you…
Spend time with parents
Advocate for families
Welcome parents into your community
Perform helpful tasks
How to Get Started
Complete an online application
Background check
Training
In-home Interview