Become a MENTOR!

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Purpose and Benefits: As part of the EMBRACE (Enhanced Mentoring, Building Relationships and Cultivating Experiences) program, Adoption Network Cleveland is seeking mentors for adoptive and kinship care youths ages 10+! By forming a strong relationship and enhancing family stability our mentors greatly affect the lives of these youths. Research shows that having a relationship with a trusted non-parental adult enhances the lives of youths facing adversity. We are looking for adults with a wide variety of life experience, especially adult adoptees and those who have experience dealing with common youth problems, who can teach and guide adolescents and form a lifelong bond with them. If you want to form a lasting bond with a fellow community member and help someone in need, we want to speak with you!

To learn more about the mentorship program and Adoption Network Cleveland’s other programs, please visit www.adoptionnetwork.org.

Results and Measures: Mentors will check in with our family coordinator at regular intervals to ensure the mentor-mentee relationship is going well for everyone involved.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Provide support and understanding in a shared life experience
• Develop and promote healthy relationships with a youth and their family
• Plan and encourage additional opportunities for learning, adventure, and fun

You Should:

• Have a range of life experiences (we like adult adoptees but not required)
• Have a teaching and fostering mentality
• Be understanding and mindful of what it’s like to be a child or teenager growing up
• Have a Driver’s License
• Be able to pass a background check and go through an approval and orientation process
• Have experience working with children (preferred but not required)

Time Frame: Our mentors meet with their mentees and their families on a semiregular basis for months or even years.

Supervision: Our mentors work with our family support coordinator, who administrates all our mentorship pairs, providing oversight and support as needed.

Contact Robert "Gib" Gibbons
Family Support Coordinator
Robert.Gibbons@AdoptionNetwork.org
or (216) 482-2332