Program Rules

--EMERGENCY CONTACTS--

BBBS Chicago Emergency Number: (312) 373-1545

24 Hour Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-25-ABUSE (252-2873)

1. MATCH COMMITMENT AND CONTACT

• Volunteers (Bigs) and Youth (Littles) will meet during the scheduled program sessions throughout the year. Matches may also stay in contact with one another through approved means, as it is our goal that matches will remain engaged for at least one year—and hopefully for more.

• Bigs and Littles should contact the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Chicago (BBBSChi) Program staff by phone or e-mail in advance if unable to attend a program session. Every attempt should be made to contact staff with advance notice. Conversely, every effort will be made by the staff to contact the Big/Little in case of a known mentee/mentor absence.

• Big and Little attendance/participation of 80% or higher is required; attendance/participation of less than 80% of sessions will be reviewed and may result in match closure.

• Friends and family not enrolled in the program are not allowed to attend.

• Bigs and Littles are allowed to have contact through email, phone, text, BBBS’ TheApp, and video platforms (i.e. Zoom, FaceTime, etc.) if the Little’s parent/guardian (PG) returns a signed permission form allowing this type of contact and BBBSChi authorizes it. This contact will be closely monitored. For video chatting to occur, the PG must be home & give their child permission to video chat; all calls must take place in the common area of the home.

• Matches are allowed to game on all video game platforms together. The timing of gaming between Big and Little should be coordinated with Little's parent/guardian and staff. Ensure video game content is age appropriate. Social networking between Bigs and Littles is strictly prohibited.

• Bigs are allowed to post photographs or videos of their Little and share limited information (first name) on social networking sites if the child’s guardian has provided consent on the youth’s signed permission form. Bigs should ensure that they are honoring confidentiality guidelines within their match and be cautious when posting information about their Little/Little’s family.

• As a participant in a Site Based Mentoring Program, all in-person, face-to-face contact is restricted to site grounds, BBBSChi sponsored events with staff present, and approved out-of-program events.

• Bigs may attend up to 3 of their Littles' public events per program year. Events must take place in a public setting (not at a private residence). Matches are not permitted to travel to/from the event together nor may they spend time together outside of the public event. Requests to attend events must be discussed with BBBS staff in advance, and staff must secure either written or verbal permission from the PG for each event. BBBS staff or the PG are not required to be in attendance at the event. All request approvals are at the discretion of BBBS staff. the PG, and BBBSChi

• Bigs are not allowed to transport their Little at any time.

• Bigs and Littles should not be in in-person isolated situations together. Matches will always meet as a group; on field trips matches must be in groups of 4 people or more. Bigs should not accompany a Little into the restroom.

2. CONTACT WITH BBBS Chicago

• BBBS staff are required to contact and speak with the Big and Little in-person, by phone, video, or by e-mail for Match Support. Match Support is mandatory and should be used for coaching and feedback. Frequency of contact is determined by match length. Bigs and Littles agree to maintain regular contact with BBBS staff by responding to calls, emails and letters within 48 hours.

• BBBS staff should be contacted any time there are match difficulties or concerns.

• Bigs agrees to complete and return surveys and yearly evaluations within 48 hours.

• BBBS staff should be informed if any of the following changes: address, phone number, email address, employment, marital status, school status or living arrangements, etc.

3. BEHAVIOR

• Bigs and Littles must follow rules of the program site, respect the building staff and use appropriate language at all times.

• Bigs and Littles agree to treat each other, the staff, and all other Bigs, Littles and BBBSChi staff with respect.

• Appropriate boundaries and space should be maintained at all times (i.e. NO wrestling, tickling, backrubs, etc.)

• Bigs should avoid buying gifts for their Little unless given to the entire group. All gifts, including food, must be discussed with BBBS staff prior to an exchange.

4. CHILD SAFETY

• The Big and Little will know personal information about each other but will not keep “secrets” for each other or from BBBS staff at any time. If a Big or Little has any concerns, they are required to talk to staff. Bigs and Littles are not allowed to exchange home addresses.

• If there is ever a safety concern for any child in the program, the Big or Little must immediately talk to BBBS staff.

• BBBSChi is required by law to report any suspicions of and/or incidents of abuse or neglect if the Big or Little is a danger to themselves or someone else or if there is disclosure of abuse/neglect.

5. MATCH CLOSURE and/or DISREGARD OF GUIDELINES

• If the Big and/or Little can no longer participate in the program for any reason, that person must inform the other of the need to close and the reason for closing after speaking with staff.

• If the Site Based Rules and Match Contract are not followed, this may lead to a match closure.

Note: BBBS Chicago may change or modify these rules at any time. Any changes to the rules will be shared by all parties.