Questions about the time commitment
1. What is the time commitment to be a Big Sister?
2. Can I go on vacation?

Questions about your match with your Little Sister
3. How long will it take before I'm matched with a Little Sister?
4. How is a Little Sister picked for me?
5. How long can I be matched with my Little Sister?
6. What if I need help or advice about my match?
7. Am I supposed to develop a friendship with my Little Sister’s parent too?

Questions about Big & Little Sister activities
8. What do Big & Little Sisters do together?
9. What if we run out of activity ideas?
10. Does it cost a lot of money to have a Little Sister?
11. Are there activities that include other Big & Little Sister matches?
12. I don’t have a car – is that ok?
13. Can I invite my friend on outings with my Little Sister?
14. Can my Little Sister and I have a sleepover?

Questions about Criminal Record Checks
15. Where do I get a Criminal Record Check?
16. How much does a Criminal Record Check cost?
17. Do the people I live with also need to get Criminal Record Checks?
18. What if I just moved here from another country?

Questions about application references
19. Can my boyfriend or roommate be one of my references?
20. What if I don’t have a professional reference who's known me for 2 years?

3. How long will it take before I'm matched with a Little Sister?
Depending on a variety of factors such as where you live, your interests, and the various needs of the girls on our waiting list, it may be some months before you are matched with your Little Sister. Our Big Sisters casework team works hard to make sure they find a compatible match for each Big Sister - and sometimes that can take a bit of time – but it’ll be worth the wait! TOP

4. How is a Little Sister picked for me?
Your Big Sisters caseworker will review your application, noting your preferences, activities you enjoy, where you live, and other information you share with us. Before introducing you to your Little Sister, your caseworker will tell you about the girl she's chosen for you to make sure you are comfortable with her choice - you have the option to say no at that time. We are committed to making a compatible and fun match for you and your Little Sister! TOP

5. How long can I be matched with my Little Sister?
The minimum commitment is one year, however many Big & Little Sister matches choose to continue their friendship for years! Once a Little Sister becomes a legal adult at age 19, the match ends officially with our agency, however we encourage these ‘graduated’ matches to continue their friendship outside of our program – and many become life-long friends! TOP

6. What if I need help or advice about my match?
As a Big Sister volunteer, you will be assigned to a Big Sisters caseworker who is there to support you throughout your match with your Little Sister. Your counsellor will check-in with you on a regular basis and we encourage you to contact your counsellor whenever you need guidance or an ear. We are always here to support you! TOP

7. Am I supposed to develop a friendship with my Little Sister’s parent too?
It will be necessary to communicate with your Little Sister’s parent/guardian to schedule outings and arrange pick-up times, however, Big Sisters are not encouraged to form a close friendship with the parent/guardian. As a Big Sister volunteer, your role is to develop a trusting relationship with your Little Sister and spend one-to-one time with her, not her family. TOP

BIG & LITTLE SISTER ACTIVITIES

8. What do Big & Little Sisters do together?
We encourage Big & Little Sister matches to choose free or low-cost activities they both enjoy (we do our best to match up Big & Little Sisters with similar interests!). Many matches enjoy things like watching movies, swimming, playing sports, baking, going for hot chocolate, and doing crafts. TOP

9. What if we run out of activity ideas?
We send out a weekly e-newsletter detailing upcoming agency activities, community events, free tickets, and more. You can also check your local paper for listings of what’s going on in your area, search the web, or call your Big Sisters caseworker for help. Click here for a list of activity ideas! TOP

10. Does it cost a lot of money to have a Little Sister?
No! In fact, we have a “no cost/low cost” policy for our matches and encourage matches to enjoy activities that are free or only cost a minimal amount of money. It is also the responsibility of the Little Sister’s family to pay for the Little Sister’s portion of an activity, however we ask our Big Sisters be mindful of the family’s financial situation when planning activities that have a cost. TOP

11. Are there activities that include other Big & Little Sister matches?
Yes! Our Big Sisters Activities Committee puts on fun group activities for matches throughout the year including seasonal parties, craft days, cultural events, workshops, recreational outings and more! TOP

12. I don’t have a car – is that ok?
No problem! There are lots of activities that you and your Little Sister can do without having access to a car and many of our matches take transit to their weekly outings. TOP

13. Can I invite my friend on outings with my Little Sister?
No. The Big & Little Sister friendship is a one-to-one relationship. You’ll find that you and your Little Sister will form a stronger relationship if your time together adheres to our one-to-one policy. TOP

14. Can my Little Sister and I have a sleepover?
During the first year of your match, overnights are not permitted. After you’ve been matched for over a year, overnights may occur with the signed consent of the Little Sister’s parent and a Big Sisters counsellor. Overnights are restricted to a maximum of three consecutive nights with no more than four visits per year and no overnight trips outside of Canada. TOP

CRIMINAL RECORD CHECKS

15. Where do I get a Criminal Record Check?
You can get your Criminal Record Check done at the RCMP/Police station in the municipality/city where you live (a complete listing of RCMP/Police stations is included in the Big Sister Application Package). We encourage you to get your Criminal Record Check done as soon as possible as it can take awhile for the station to process it and send it to you. TOP

16. How much does a Criminal Record Check cost?
The cost of Criminal Record Checks varies according to where you live. Most are free for volunteers with others ranging from $10-$25. Please refer to the Big Sister Application Package for details. TOP

17. Do the people I live with also need to get Criminal Record Checks?
Live-in partners/spouses must complete a Criminal Record Check, however other family members or roommates do not. Due to the close nature of the relationship between a volunteer and her partner/spouse, the partner/spouse is more likely (than a parent or roommate) to see the Little Sister and interact with her when she comes to the volunteer’s house. TOP

18. What if I just moved here from another country?
You must have lived in Canada for at least one year before you can apply to volunteer as a Big Sister, or be able to provide us with a recent International Criminal Records Check from your most recent country of residence. TOP

APPLICATION REFERENCES

19. Can my boyfriend or roommate be one of my references?
No. Spouses, partners, fellow applicants and current roommates are not accepted as references for the Big Sister application. We ask that you provide us with another family member and friend who have known you for at least two years to be a reference for you. TOP

20. What if I don’t have a professional reference who's known me for 2 years?
Your professional reference can be a current or former employment supervisor,
co-worker, teacher, or volunteer supervisor. If you don’t have a professional reference who has known you for 2 years, contact us at bigsisters.bc.ca or 604-873-4525 ext. 300 and we'll figure out a solution together. TOP