Kinship Mentor

(Visit http://www.howafamilycenter.org/kinship.htm for the application and background check forms.)

Steps to become a Kinship Partner

1. Find out more about becoming a mentor by calling the HOWA Family Center at 218-547-4273 or emailing Jolene Link at:jlink@wha.k12.mn.us
2. Complete a Volunteer Application. The application along with a photocopy of your driver's license and proof of car insurance need to be returned to the Kinship office at the HOWA Family Center.
3. You'll need to have 3 people who know you well complete our reference form.
4. Child safety is our top priority. Every Kinship volunteer is required to have a background check.http://www.howafamilycenter.org/BCAForm.pdf Everyone living in the household full-time over the age of 18 must complete this form.
5. An interview and home visit is an opportunity for Kinship staff to get to know the prospective mentor better, which assists them in the matching process. It is also an opportunity for the mentor to ask questions regarding the Kinship program and the type of child with whom they will be matched.
6. Making a match! Once all the paperwork and references are complete and the volunteer has been accepted as a mentor, Kinship staff will contact you with information about kids on our waiting list. If the mentor is interested in being matched with one of those children, the parent/guardian will be contacted. An introduction meeting will be scheduled at the HOWA Family Center or in the child's home.
7. On-going support: After the match is made, Kinship staff will have ongoing contact with the child, the parent/guardian, as well as the mentor. All participants are encouraged to call or email Kinship staff if any concerns arise during the course of the relationship. We also provide ongoing training opportunities for the volunteer mentor.