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Do you want to make a difference in a child’s life? Have you ever considered becoming a mentor? Are you looking for a local mentoring program for your child?
Mentors and positive father figures provide support, advice, friendship, reinforcement, and constructive examples to children living without an active father figure. Research shows quality mentoring benefits youth by increasing school high graduation rates, enhancing self-esteem and self-confidence, and decreasing the likelihood of initiating drug and alcohol use. Together, responsible fatherhood and quality mentoring brings hope to young lives through the power of presence.
Whether you’re interested in becoming a mentor or connecting your child with a mentoring program in your community, learning more about mentoring and ways to find a trustworthy program are important first steps.
Tips & Best Practices
- Are you building a fatherhood mentoring program? Are you a new or existing mentor? This resource contains research-informed and practitioner-approved best practices for creating and sustaining impactful mentoring relationships and strong program services.
- Invest and build relationships with children as a mentor. This free eBook helps you identify a child who needs a mentor, invest in the child and build a relationship, provides activity ideas, and additional mentoring organizations and resources.
- The best mentor a child can have is their dad. This resource discusses the benefits to children with engaged fathers and provides 4 principles fathers who want to be positive mentors to their children can embrace.
- Find a mentoring program in your community. Connecting to a mentoring program in your community is easier that you might think. Online tools from Mentoring.org and Big Brothers Big Sisters can help you find established programs in your area. If you don’t find results in your community, consider asking at your local school about what programs are available. Whether you’re looking to become a mentor or find a mentoring program for your child, it’s important to do a little research to find out what’s available so you can connect to the right program for you.
- Learn more about becoming a mentor. Through their presence, mentors provide priceless benefits and life skills to youth. If you are interested, don’t let the unknown stop you! A simple web search or visit to a nearby mentoring program could kick-start the difference you make in a child’s life.
NRFC Resources
The Mentoring Children of Prisoners Program, operated by Seton Youth Shelters in Hampton Roads and Virginia Beach, VA, matches children with trained adult mentors and they engage in recreational, educational, or cultural activities on a weekly basis.
FAQS
What is mentoring?
Mentoring is the presence of a caring adult offering support, advice, friendship, reinforcement and constructive examples to children and/or youth.
Why is mentoring so important?
Research shows mentoring has proven to be a powerful tool for helping young people fulfill their potential. Results show that mentoring improves young people's attitudes towards their parents, peers and teachers. A strong mentoring relationship can also encourage students to stay motivated and focused on their education, provides a positive way for young people to spend free time, helps young people face daily challenges, and offers opportunities for youth to consider new career paths and get much-needed economic skills and knowledge.
What makes a good mentor?
Mentors may assume different roles during the mentoring relationship-from coach and advisor to role model, advocate, and friend-but strong mentors all share a few common characteristics. Research shows quality mentors listen and offer friendship, guidance, and encouragement, respect for youth and their cultures and backgrounds, and the ability to see solutions and opportunities and help youth see them as well.
