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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Indian River County-Children of Prisoners-CSAC oflndian River County <br /> matched and waiting list children, are also be provided. Match Evaluations are performed on a <br /> yearly basis. Expected outcomes include improved grades, increased target skills, decreased <br /> unexcused absences, improved conduct and increased self-confidence. Program evaluation <br /> includes an exit interview and a six-month follow- up to assess long-term impact. Results are <br /> reviewed to determine necessary program modifications. Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) is a <br /> structured mentoring program that has been acknowledged, as a "best practice", by such <br /> reputable independent researchers as Public Private Ventures ( 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004) and <br /> Communities That Care Prevention Strategies: Research Guide to What Works, ( 1996) for its <br /> ability to promote healthy beliefs, clear standards and bonding for young people with special <br /> problems. These resources document that, BBBS mentors help fight risk factors such as early <br /> academic failure, lack of commitment to school, alienation, rebelliousness, early and persistent <br /> anti-social behavior and early initiation of problem behavior. Resiliency research — the study of <br /> youth that have "beaten the odds" — points to the presence of a caring adult as the pivotal reason <br /> why kids, who should have succumbed to deleterious life circumstances, instead thrive as a result <br /> of mentoring. Our agency is modeling its Children of Prisoners mentoring services after the very <br /> successful Amachi program from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America that has served over <br /> 50,000 children of prisoners since September of 2000. <br /> 3. List staffing needed for your program, including required experience and estimated <br /> hours per week in program for each staff member and/or volunteers (this section should <br /> conform to the information in the Position Listing on the Budget Narrative Worksheet). <br /> Professional staff for the COP Program includes 2 part-time Case Managers ( 14 <br /> hours/Bachelor's Degree.) <br /> 4. How will the target population be made aware of the program ? Collaboration and <br /> partnership are key elements to the success of our outreach efforts- We are currently involved in <br /> more than ten active partnerships. Each of these partnerships is a referral source and helps to <br /> increase the awareness of our COP Program. Referrals into our program are accepted from <br /> parents, schools, DCF, United for Families, IRC Sheriffs Office, IR Correctional Institution, <br /> Children's Home Society, Hibiscus, and mental health centers. Other means of outreach include <br /> participation in community events, networking through business partners and word of mouth. <br /> BBBS is a countywide program. Our school-based mentoring programs, for children in grades <br /> K-2, also become a direct source of referral for clients who are no longer eligible by age but fit <br /> the COP requirements. This allows for early referral, for children of incarcerated parents, to <br /> community-based mentoring services focusing on prevention before a child has established <br /> patterns of anti-social behavior. <br /> 5. How will the program be accessible to target population (Le., location, <br /> transportation, hours of operation)? Accessibility is not an issue with the "COP" program as <br /> the volunteers are responsible for transportation and typically cover the costs of any match <br /> activity with their "Little". Geographic location is taken into consideration prior to matching. <br /> Scheduling is done, on a weekly basis, at the mutual convenience of the volunteer, parent and <br /> child . The intake process considers issues such as time and geographic location in matching <br /> "Bigs" and "Littles" to accommodate parents and volunteers. <br /> 6 <br />