Our Enrollment Process: What to Expect
by Cynthia Rodriguez, Enrollment Specialist
The Enrollment Team: (L to R) Christina Eisenlord, Ellen Bond, Cynthia Rodriguez, Ali Nichols.
We’re often asked what will happen after a volunteer applies to be a Big, or a parent enrolls their child in the program. Well, here’s what’s next!
Once initial program eligibility has been determined and an interview has been scheduled, the enrollment process officially begins. Enrollment is an exciting opportunity for Bigs and Littles to gain a better understanding of program benefits and guidelines—and it is also a wonderful opportunity for our Enrollment Specialists to get to know you better!
The Enrollment process occurs in three stages:
The Interview:
Enrollment Specialists (ES) conduct in-depth interviews with Littles and Bigs in order to better explore interests, life experiences, program expectations or goals, and other pertinent information that helps create a successful match. Enrollment Specialists visit the home of each family to interview both the Little’s parent/guardian, as well as the Little. A similar interview is conducted with each Big and required application items are also collected at this time. Once a Little’s application has been finalized and a Big has been approved, they are then ready to be matched!
The Matching Process:
Matching is a careful, deliberate process that takes various factors that are discussed during the interview into consideration. Matching preferences, geographic location, personalities, and interests are just some of the factors that we consider when matching. Our team has been trained to make quality matches, and because every Enrollment Specialist is also a Big Sister, we understand how important (and fun!) a good match is on a personal level, as well. Once an ES has matched a Little and Big, the match then moves to the “presentation” stage.
The Match Presentation:
This is a time for Bigs and Littles to get to know more about each other before officially starting the match. An Enrollment Specialist will call parents and Bigs to share a bit of information about the individual that is being considered as a potential match. The presentation process is an opportunity for all parties to ask questions, gain a better understanding of match compatibility and goals, and ultimately determine whether or not this potential match will become a future match. If both Big and parent agree to move forward, a match introduction meeting is arranged so that the Big, Little, Little’s parent, and Match Support Specialist can all have the opportunity to meet face to face before the match starts. Once that meeting takes place, the match and the fun officially begins!
If your child has been scheduled to be interviewed or you are a Big who is waiting to be interviewed, our Enrollment Team looks forward to meeting you and beginning this exciting process!
What do you think? What questions do you have about the enrollment process? Ask us in the comments and we’ll get you some answers!
