Who are Little Brothers or Little Sisters?
Littles are youths, ages 5 to 17 , who come to Big Brothers Big Sisters either through a parent, guardian, the Big Brothers Big Sisters In-Schools program, or through the recommendation of a teacher. Littles are from single and two-parent homes, from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. The genesis of a match is that a parent, guardian or teacher believes that a child could benefit from the presence of an additional caring adult in his/her life. The parent or guardian gives permission for the child to participate.

How is Big Brothers Big Sisters different from other mentoring programs?
Big Brothers Big Sisters is the only national organization with the primary mission of one-on-one mentoring with friendship as its cornerstone. It provides both national leadership and comprehensive program services at the local community levels.

Who are Big Brothers Big Sisters?
Big Brothers Big Sisters are all kinds of people from high school and college students to business people to retirees who volunteer to spend time with children. Bigs sometimes spend as little as one hour each week with a child in need. Through this mentoring program, both children and adults share everyday experiences that enrich the lives of all involved.

How does Big Brothers Big Sisters create a match?
There is a tremendous amount of due diligence put into not only the creation of the match, but also its support. In the community program, parents or guardians apply to the program for their child to be matched with a “Big.” Potential Big Brothers Big Sisters and volunteers are screened for the role. Screening includes a personal interview by a trained staff member, a criminal background and reference check is done. In programs that are not site based, a home assessment is also made. During the course of the match, a trained caseworker maintains contact with the match, oversees its development and offers guidance if needed.

How many children does Big Brothers Big Sisters serve today?
Today Big Brothers Big Sisters serves more than 200,000 youths in 5,000 communities in all 50 states. The agency has embarked in an ambitious plan to serve 1 million children by the year 2010.