Become a Mentor: Florence Fuller Child Development Center

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The Fuller Center provides quality child care, early education, and family support programs to many families who live at or below the Federal Poverty Level. Our centers prepare children for a lifetime commitment to learning and social achievement, while empowering families to build brighter futures.

At the Fuller Center, we are looking for nurturing adults who would like to become very special mentors to some very special children. Approximately 8.5 million youth today lack supportive, sustained relationships with caring adults. Many of our students are dealing with some very challenging situations in their own families. Some of the children don't have a father and or mother figure, some are being raised by grandparents and some are in foster care. We see many of these children struggling with their academics, their relationships, and their self-esteem.

As a mentor, you will be matched with children who are struggling academically and/or socially and who we feel could benefit from the extra attention you can provide. Some of our children experiencing loss or dealing with difficult family issues may also benefit from additional encouragement and support coming from mentors like you.

Our best mentors are individuals who are caring, compassionate, consistent and committed to the children they mentor. We would like you to join us if you are all of the above and are able to commit to visiting with the child you mentor on a weekly basis.

In addition to assisting the children with their academic progress and their social skills, mentors can also share interests, hobbies and talents with their mentees exposing them to the arts, photography, fishing, sports, technology, music, cooking, etc.

Before starting your mentoring assignment, you will undergo an extensive background screening that includes the following:

* Motor Vehicle Record check
* State Criminal Background check
* Federal Criminal Background check
* Fingerprint Live Scan
* National Sex Offender Registry search
* Child Abuse Registry Check
* Face-to-Face Interview
* Phone Interview
* Personal and/or Professional references

Please be assured that the background screening requirement is in place for the safety of the children and it is also a requirement for all child care facilities.

After completion of the background screening and an eligible determination is made, you will receive a formal orientation, followed by other training in the areas of child abuse and neglect, poverty, boundary issues, developing trust and effective interactions. To better address the needs of youth who struggle with social skills and impulse control, mentors will be trained in the use of "Second Steps," the program's current social skills curriculum.

We hope to welcome you to our dedicated team of mentors. Through your guidance, friendship, encouragement and support, a child's life will be changed in many ways. You will get to see firsthand, an improvement in your student's academic, social and emotional profile.

Mentor Qualities:

Our best mentors are individuals who are caring, compassionate, consistent and committed to the children they mentor. Good mentors are also nurturing, reliable, patient, good listeners and responsible. Our program mentors are required to maintain and protect the confidentiality of the children they mentor.

Mentor Background Screening:

As a child care facility, we are mandated by federal and state laws to conduct a background screening on all program personnel, including volunteers and mentors. You must be 16 or older in order to apply and your service cannot be court-ordered community service. All mentors are required to undergo an extensive background screening that includes the following:

* Motor Vehicle Record check
* State Criminal Background check
* Federal Criminal Background check
* Fingerprint Live Scan
* National Sex Offender Registry search
* Child Abuse Registry Check
* Face-to-Face Interview
* Phone Interview
* Personal and/or Professional references

Mentor Training:

Mentors will go through a formal orientation followed by other training in the areas of child abuse and neglect, poverty, boundary issues, developing trust and effective interactions. To better address the needs of youth who struggle with social skills and impulse control, mentors will be trained in the use of "Second Steps," the program's current social skills curriculum.

Mentor Commitment:

We are looking for mentors who are willing to make a commitment for a period of at least 12 months and who will visit with their student/s, at least one hour per week.



Seeking Female Volunteers: Yes

Seeking Male Volunteers: Yes

Minimum Match Commitment (in months): 12 months or longer

Type of Mentoring: One-to-One, Group, Peer

Youth Population Served: Academically At-Risk, Foster, Residential or Kinship Care, Gifted/Talented/Academic Achiever, Low Income, Physical Disabilities/Special Care Needs, Single-Parent Household, Youth with Disabilities

Mentoring Program Goals: Education/Academic Support, Friendship/Socialization

Ages of Youth Served: 7 and under, 8-10, 11-14