Mentor Program - What is Expected of the Youth?
The Heart Gallery Mentor Program is designed for foster youth that are currently living in foster care. Youth are matched with a volunteer adult mentor who has similar interests so that you can spend time together and become friends. Mentors and Youth spend at least 10 hours a month together each month participating in different activities. Your mentor and you will decide on what activities you will do together.
Youth's responsibilities to the Mentor
- Actively participate in meeting with your mentor on a regular basis
- Return phone calls and messages to your mentor
- Call your mentor if you can not make it to a scheduled activity
- Treat your mentor with respect
- Let your caseworker or Heart Gallery Mentor Program Director know if you are uncomfortable with your mentor for any reason
- Let your mentor or the Mentor Director know if you want to exit the Heart Gallery Mentor Program and no longer wish to participate in activities.
About the mentor
- Mentors are not foster parents, caseworkers or teachers. They are friends and supportive adults.
- The mentor is only assigned to you, do not bring other people or friends with you on your activities unless you and your mentor have talked about it ahead of time
- The mentors have made a commitment to stay with the Heart Gallery Mentor Program for at least 1 year. If your relationship with your mentor is a good match for you and you both want to continue the program together we encourage that.
- Keep the things you talk about between only you and the mentor. The mentor by law must report any suspicious abuse of any kind or neglect, any harm to another person or threat to your self to a caseworker or Heart Gallery Mentor Program director. There are no exceptions. They have no choice about reporting.
