Pima Prevention Partnership/STARS Mentoring Project

Description

The STARS Mentoring Project at the Pima Prevention Partnership teams with the KARE Family Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson and Prison Fellowship ministries to provide mentors for children of incarcerated parents and support services for their families. Volunteer mentors are recruited from the faith community. There are approximately 16,000 children in Pima County who have an incarcerated parent. Children of prisoners are among the most at-risk yet least visible population of children in our country. Without effective intervention these children have a 70% chance of following their parents path into jail or prison. STARS Mentoring is a research based project. Statistics show that children involved in mentoring are: 46% less likely to start using illegal drugs, 27% less likely to start drinking and 52% less likely to skip school. Mentoring gives these children a better chance to be caring, competent, productive adults.The STARS Mentoring Project recruits, trains and supports both faith based and traditional mentors for children of incarcerated parents.