That's where Big Brothers and Big Sisters help. By matching adults and young people with common interests, everybody benefits. The adults enjoy being with a child. A recent study found that the children were less likely to use alcohol and other drugs more likely to stay in school and get better grades and have better relationships with their parents and peers Our Kids Children in our program are between the ages of 6 and 14 at the time they are matched. Once matched, they can stay in the program until the age of 18.
Most children are in a single-parent home and have little, if any, contact with the absent parent.
Death, divorce, and dessertion do not discriminate among their victims. But it does put the children at greater risk. Children in this program tend to live in poverty. Many have suffered some form of abuse. Alcohol and drug problems in many families put them at greater risk for future abuse.