BEST Kids

BEST Kids seeks to promote better futures for youth in the District of Columbia’s child welfare system by developing and supporting one-on-one mentoring relationships between the youth and caring, consistent adults.

All mentors are required to spend at least ten hours per month one-on-one and make weekly contact with their mentee. Peer Group activities are monthly and are usually 3-5 hours long. The recommended average length of contact for the individual matches is 15 minutes for phone interactions and 3-5 hours for in-person interactions. Mentors commit to a minimum of one year. Nearly all of the mentor/mentee matches are sustained for at least 12 months; many matches continue well beyond this one-year time period, and a new match is established whenever a departing mentor must be replaced.