Faithful Friends

1. Serve Vulnerable Children

Faithful Friends identifies high-risk children based on risk factors determined by research to be most predictive of serious, long-term negative outcomes. We select children for our program who are most in danger of school failure, abuse and neglect, teenage pregnancy, and criminal behavior.

2. Create and Sustain One-on-One Relationships

Research indicates that the single most important factor that fosters resiliency in high-risk children is a caring and consistent relationship with an adult. Faithful Friends provides each child in our program with a faith-based, adult role model. This paid professional mentor, called a Friend, is committed to building a loving, nurturing relationship by spending quality one-on-one time with each child.

3. Early Intervention

A Friend enters a child’s life by the age of six, working with them beginning in kindergarten, before negative behaviors have become ingrained. Early intervention enables a Friend to model and instill positive behaviors while a child’s heart and mind are open.

4. Long-Term Commitment

We are committed to providing a Friend for our children for over 12 years – from kindergarten through their high school graduation. We continue to serve them as they move or change school within our service area; we will be there for them each step along the way.

5. Employ Professional Mentors

Friends are full-time, trained, paid professional mentors who are hired for their experience and talent of working with high-risk children. With their diversity, education, passion, and commitment, Friends are the heart of our program.

6. Maintain Manageable Numbers

Because a Friend works with no more than eight children, that Friend is able to give each child his or her full attention for at least four hours per week. We emphasize frequent, quality one-on-one time spent between Friend and child.

7. Strengths Focused

Our children will succeed. Because we believe in them, they will grow to believe in themselves. Our attainable expectations include individualized plans for success, based on each child’s unique needs, abilities, and gifts.

8. Experiences = Opportunities

We help our children reach their potential by utilizing quality, meaningful experiences to explore and develop specific talents and interests, and to teach vital relationship and life skills.

9. Comprehensive Approach

We attend to each child’s total environment . . . family, school, neighborhood, and community. We provide services and/or resources for youth and caregivers in the areas of physical and mental health care, academic support, substance abuse, and basic needs.

10. Evaluate and Improve our Program

We are committed to making a positive difference in the lives of our children. We contract with independent, third party evaluators to provide external program assessment and to measure our success based on significant outcomes.


		1. Serve Vulnerable Children Faithful Friends identifies high-risk children based on risk factors determined by research to be most predictive of serious, long-term negative outcomes. We select children for our program who are most in danger of school failure, abuse and neglect, teenage pregnancy, and criminal behavior. 2. Create and Sustain One-on-One Relationships Research indicates that the single most important factor that fosters resiliency in high-risk children is a caring and consistent relationship with an adult. Faithful Friends provides each child in our program with a faith-based, adult role model. This paid professional mentor, called a Friend, is committed to building a loving, nurturing relationship by spending quality one-on-one time with each child. 3. Early Intervention A Friend enters a child’s life by the age of six, working with them beginning in kindergarten, before negative behaviors have become ingrained. Early intervention enables a Friend to model and instill positive behaviors while a child’s heart and mind are open. 4. Long-Term Commitment We are committed to providing a Friend for our children for over 12 years – from kindergarten through their high school graduation. We continue to serve them as they move or change school within our service area; we will be there for them each step along the way. 5. Employ Professional Mentors Friends are full-time, trained, paid professional mentors who are hired for their experience and talent of working with high-risk children. With their diversity, education, passion, and commitment, Friends are the heart of our program. 6. Maintain Manageable Numbers Because a Friend works with no more than eight children, that Friend is able to give each child his or her full attention for at least four hours per week. We emphasize frequent, quality one-on-one time spent between Friend and child. 7. Strengths Focused Our children will succeed. Because we believe in them, they will grow to believe in themselves. Our attainable expectations include individualized plans for success, based on each child’s unique needs, abilities, and gifts. 8. Experiences = Opportunities We help our children reach their potential by utilizing quality, meaningful experiences to explore and develop specific talents and interests, and to teach vital relationship and life skills. 9. Comprehensive Approach We attend to each child’s total environment . . . family, school, neighborhood, and community. We provide services and/or resources for youth and caregivers in the areas of physical and mental health care, academic support, substance abuse, and basic needs. 10. Evaluate and Improve our Program We are committed to making a positive difference in the lives of our children. We contract with independent, third party evaluators to provide external program assessment and to measure our success based on significant outcomes.