Enroll a Child

Mentee (Little) Questionnaire

If you know a child that could benefit from the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, please review the eligibility requuirements below. If the child meets the requirement, please fill out the questionnaire at the link above (on the Sioux Empire site). Upon receipt, the Mitchell office will contact you with more information.

To receive services from the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program at intake or point of matching, a child must:

1. Be between the ages of 7 and 14 depending on program. Exceptions to take children under the age of 7 will be made based on the number of volunteers and the child's family situation.
2. Reside in the state of South Dakota.
3. Have a desire to participate in the program.
4. Have a custodial parent/guardian who is capable of supporting a match relationship.
5. If parents are divorced, there must be a clear resolution of all custodial issues.
6. The needs of the client must be appropriate for volunteer intervention as determined by the Big Brother Big Sister staff members. Guidelines for determining eligibility include:
   • Culturally and/or economically disadvantaged
   • Exhibits poor social skills
   • Has few friends his/her own age
   • Lacks adequate support and attention of a stable adult
   • Is an underachiever at school
   • Is overly dependent on a parent
   • Has a sibling who has had significant problems with social or community adjustments
   • Is insecure with and does not trust adults
   • Has poor self-esteem

A child may not be accepted if:

• Contact with the child's parents is frequent, consistent and appropriate
• The child receives adequate contact or role modeling from another source on a regular basis
• The child's problems are so severe that services from a mentor are inappropriate or inadequate
• The parent/guardian is unwilling to give their consent for the child to participate
• The child is unwilling to participate

A child may live in one of the following situations:

• A single-parent or no-parent home where the parent/guardian has legal custody
• A family situation where one or both parents/guardians are mentally or physically disabled
• A two-parent family experiencing crisis related stress
• A foster home where the child is in the care of a legal guardian