Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest's Fostering Hope Program

One of the major challenges that foster care children often face in their personal development is the lack of the involvement of a consistent, caring adult in their lives. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will assist communities in establishing or expanding mentoring and support services for youth in foster care and foster care youth involved in the juvenile justice system. The legislative authority for this initiative can be found in the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2009, Pub. L. 111-8.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest's, Fostering Hope, will expand a mentoring program for foster youth to Clackamas, East Multnomah, and Washington counties in Oregon and to Clark County in Washington. The youth who will be mentored each year will be between the ages of 10 to 18 and living in a foster home, group home, or kinship care. One hundred twelve mentors will be screened and trained, and 112 youth will be mentored annually utilizing an evidence-based program model. The Agency Management System (AIM) will be utilized to track and compile all data. Service delivery metrics will be assessed through Performance-Based Outcome Evaluation Measures (POE). POE tracks individual match performance and is based on the Youth 40 Developmental Assets identified by the Search Institute. POE evaluations include surveys of youth, parents, teachers, and mentors regarding the behavioral changes of the child. Annual customer satisfaction surveys also will be conducted with parents/guardians and mentors. CA/NCF