The end of the school year is fast-approaching and, truthfully, I have no idea how it happened. It seems like just yesterday I was packing up all of my belongings and moving 1,300 miles from my hometown and family. Now, I can't imagine life without these Bigs and Littles in the Big Buddy Program. I see them all at least once, some a bit more, throughout the month and I feel my face light up just as much as theirs. I get the opportunity to eat lunch with the Littles and just chat about life and the match with their buddy. We have a special relationship as I am not there to counsel them or even tutor them if they are having trouble at school or at home but they know they can talk to me. As we near the end, I've planned a celebration at each of the 6 school-districts that we serve. All Bigs and Littles will join me for games, crafts and snacks centered around Finding Dory; to conclude our PIXAR-themed activities. It is also a chance for Bigs to receive contact information for their Littles so that they can write letters to them over the summer. I am looking forward to seeing all of their smiling faces within the next few weeks and sending them off with a SPLASH into Summer!!!
-Lauren Rought
 School-Based Case Manager for Bradford/Sullivan Counties

      A recent Facebook post made by a foster mom has gone viral. In her post, this mom expresses the deep need for loving, caring individuals to step-up and get involved in the life of a child in need. Sarah, the mom, shared how her 13-year old foster son had to sit through a court hearing where the judge questioned if anybody did and then declared that nobody wanted him. She went on to discuss the ridiculous expectations that society has placed on these children; how they are labeled and chastised for behaviors and attitudes that are a direct result of their situation. They are CHILDREN and we've expected them to respond in ways that even most adults, given the same lot, couldn't do.
Click here to read the original post.

      Not everyone is able to foster a child but many people have the skills and resources to mentor. Big Brothers Big Sisters is a great avenue for adults who feel compelled to pour into the life of an at-risk youth. Our volunteers spend 4-8 hours every two weeks with their Little. Together, they participate in mutually interested activities such as: hiking, movies, cooking, going to concerts or whatever they enjoy doing in their spare time.
Currently, we have quite a few Littles on the waiting list in Bradford County.

    If you or someone you know would be a great role model and would be committed to a 1-1 mentoring relationship with a child in your community; please contact us at 570-265-3009 or begin the online enrollment process through this link: Become a Big

715
That is the number of child abuse cases investigated by Bradford County Children and Youth Services in 2016 alone. This number is not a representation of children but of cases which can involve multiple individuals in the home. According to the National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse, 90% of children involved in these cases are abused by someone they know, love or trust.  BBBS of the Twin Tiers takes child safety very seriously. Knowing that our Bigs spend 2-4 hours a week with their Little we employ policies and procedures that promote the highest level of child safety and protection. This is why thorough background checks are performed on each and every volunteer and why our case managers maintain monthly contact with each member of a match. We want to ensure that all matches are adhering to our standards of practice. Respectively, our Bigs are also mandated reporters. If they even suspect that their Little is being abused, they are to report it to the child abuse hotline and our agency immediately.
Sadly, many unreported cases do not go unseen; someone knows or has a suspicion. If you know or suspect that a child is being abused please do not hesitate to call
CYS @ (570) 265-1760 or the Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-932-0313