Our Mentorship Model
One Youth, Three Caring Adults
Circles utilizes a team model of mentorship. One youth is thoughtfully matched with a team of 3 adult mentors who connect weekly with the youth around a fun and meaningful activity. Over time and through consistent, intentional engagement, the team of mentors show themselves to be people the youth can trust, confide in, and celebrate with. In other words, Circles provides a connection to a healthy community who will be present and supportive before, during, and after the youth transitions out of care.
CONSISTENCY
Many youth in foster care have experienced much instability in their key relationships. Our team approach to mentoring provides consistency and stability by ensuring mentoring can continue even if a mentor needs to miss a week or step back from their role.
SUPPORT
By placing mentors within a team, they can learn from each other, lean on each other, and use each other’s strengths and experiences for the benefit of the youth.
COMMUNITY
By connecting the youth with three mentors, he or she will have access to a wider range of interests, experiences, and passions to learn from and about.
Supported by a Larger Community
Each mentor is embedded within a church community that supports and champions the mentors and youth. Mentors can draw on this wider “circle around the circle” to provide the youth with opportunities that go beyond the capability, capacity or resources of the mentorship team. The larger community also affords the youth the opportunity, if they so choose, to develop natural supports beyond their mentorship team that will enhance their long term well being.
This could look like:
Helping a youth move
Donating tickets to a sporting event or concert
Providing home necessities for a youth moving into their own space
Connecting youth with other professional and recreational opportunities
All of these opportunities are offered in a way that protects the youth, with no pressure or expectation that the youth join a church or agree with a particular set of beliefs. We simply believe that youth benefit when they have as many supports and opportunities as possible.
Learn more about our team approach.
Equipping and
Staff Support
Each mentor undergoes 10 hours of training before becoming part of a team and connecting with a youth. This training covers relevant topics such as the foster care system in Ontario, the impact of developmental trauma, how to listen and ask good questions, as well as EDI competencies.
In addition, each mentor team receives ongoing support from a trained and experienced staff member. This staff member provides consistent check ins, troubleshooting and mediation if necessary, and is the liaison between the youth and any other professional support they may have.