FAQs for Volunteer Mentors
What is the basic commitment of a Volunteer Mentor with KidStart?
3 hours per week for a minimum of one year.
What age do you have to be to volunteer?
The minimum age to volunteer is 19 years old but there is no maximum age limit. However, to work with younger kids volunteers must be 19 years old and 21 years old to work with the teens.
How long can the relationship with the child/youth last?
The average relationships can last 2 - 3 years. Some friendships last well beyond that and others last a lifetime.
Will I be assigned to a child/youth that lives in my community?
Yes. You will be assigned to a child/youth who lives in your community. We do our best to accommodate a short travel distance when possible.
Do I need to own a car?
No, we understand that some volunteers use public transit in which case we'll try to pair you with a child/youth on an accessible transit route.
How old are the child/youth participants?
We service children 6-18 years old. And we will continue to support volunteer and youth relationships past 19 years old as well.
Is there a cost involved in being a KidStart Volunteer Mentoring?
Volunteers receive a $30 monthly allowance and when possible are provided with free tickets to special events. We encourage you to choose activities that are no-cost or low cost and provide you with some activity ideas in our monthly newsletter and website activities posting board.
Do I receive any support or education from KidStart?
Yes! We provide on-going support and monitoring of the relationships through group and one to one support meetings. We offer on- going training through our Community Education Series. And your Coordinator of Volunteers is always available to discuss any issues that may arise.
What volunteer opportunities are there with KidStart?
We have three programs offered in Vancouver. These are our KidStart one to one mentoring for children age 6-12, KidStart one to one mentoring for teens and KidStart 180 – an after school group mentoring program for kids who are on the KidStart waitlist. KidStart 180 is currently offered at: Grandview Elementary and Queen Victoria annex.
Once you complete and submit the application we will call you to schedule an interview. However, if you have any questions about volunteering with KidStart, please feel free to call us at 604.375.KIDS (5437).