Is the guide really free?

Yes. Sign in with Google or LinkedIn and the PDF opens right away. Signing in doesn’t set up an organization, start a trial, or charge anything.

Does the national mentoring standard require background checks?

Yes. MENTOR’s Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring (5th edition, 2025) calls for a criminal history records check as part of mentor screening — ideally a national FBI fingerprint check — along with a written application, a face-to-face interview and at least two references.

Should we screen other adults who live in a mentor’s home?

Where a young person may visit or meet at the mentor’s home, MENTOR’s standard encourages checking the other adults who live there, along with a home assessment. Site-based programs where matches never meet at home may reasonably skip those steps.

Is this legal advice?

No. It is general education. Requirements vary by state, funder and program model — confirm yours with your funders and qualified counsel.

Free guide · 2026 edition · For mentoring program directors & match staff

Safe Matches

A mentor screening and match-safety playbook for youth mentoring programs

What the national mentoring standard expects, what a real background check covers, and how to keep every one-on-one relationship safe for the life of the match.

19 pages, written for mentoring program directors
12 chapters and a 30-day rollout plan
A policy checklist and a family letter you can copy
Every standard, statute and statistic cited

Who this guide is for

Mentoring program directors, match support staff, volunteer coordinators and boards — at Big Brothers Big Sisters–style community programs, school- and site-based programs, faith-based mentoring ministries, workplace programs and e-mentoring platforms. If your program pairs an adult with a young person, this guide is written for you.

34%

of young people never had an adult mentor of any kind — an estimated 16 million.

The Mentoring Effect (2014)

93%

of people who sexually assaulted a juvenile were known to the child — family or acquaintances. Only 7% were strangers.

Bureau of Justice Statistics

for a full, identity-verified background check on a mentor — or $0 to the program if mentors cover their own.

VolunteerBadge pricing

From the executive summary

Six things every mentoring leader should know

1
The one-on-one relationship is both the power and the risk.
The CDC calls for more stringent screening where an organization’s mission requires one-on-one time — and names mentoring programs.
2
The national standard sets the bar.
MENTOR’s Elements of Effective Practice calls for a written application, a face-to-face interview, a criminal history check, reference checks and a formal commitment.
3
Screen more deeply where youth visit homes or ride in cars.
Home assessments, checks on other adults in the home, and driving records.
4
The FCRA governs how you screen volunteers.
Consent before the check, and specific notices before turning anyone away because of it.
5
Screening is one layer, not the whole plan.
Match support for the life of the match, and clear rules for contact, outings, transportation and digital communication, do the rest.
6
Re-screen as matches continue.
MENTOR suggests periodic re-screening — for example, reexamining criminal history every three years.

What's inside

01
The short version
The whole case on one page — read it before your next staff or board meeting.
02
Why one-on-one relationships need a real safeguard
Time alone by design, homes and cars, growing trust and digital contact.
03
What the national standard expects
MENTOR’s Element 6 (2025) and the 4th edition’s screening benchmarks.
04
What the law and your funders require
Federal grants, AmeriCorps, California and Pennsylvania — and the FCRA.
05
What a real background check covers
The five components to insist on, and what your model adds.
06
Who in your program should be screened
Mentors of every model, household adults, match staff, peer mentors and leadership.
07
Match safety: screening is the foundation, not the house
Match support, contact rules, outings, transportation, home visits and closure.
08
When a check isn’t clean
Written criteria, a fair review, and the adverse-action steps the law requires.
09
When someone raises a concern
A response plan every mentoring program should adopt.
10
A 30-day rollout plan
Screen new and existing mentors without interrupting a match.
11
Paying for it, and telling families
What it costs, and how to give parents a real role.
12
Community, school, faith-based, workplace, group and e-mentoring
What changes for your program model.
A
Appendix A: Mentoring program safety policy checklist
Draft or audit your written policies before matching.
B
Appendix B: Letter to families
How we screen our mentors — ready for your enrollment packet.
C
Appendix C: Free tools, further reading and sources
Match tracker, free training and every citation.

Get the free guide

Questions

Is the guide really free?: Yes. Sign in with Google or LinkedIn and the PDF opens right away. Signing in doesn’t set up an organization, start a trial, or charge anything.
Does the national mentoring standard require background checks?: Yes. MENTOR’s Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring (5th edition, 2025) calls for a criminal history records check as part of mentor screening — ideally a national FBI fingerprint check — along with a written application, a face-to-face interview and at least two references.
Should we screen other adults who live in a mentor’s home?: Where a young person may visit or meet at the mentor’s home, MENTOR’s standard encourages checking the other adults who live there, along with a home assessment. Site-based programs where matches never meet at home may reasonably skip those steps.
Is this legal advice?: No. It is general education. Requirements vary by state, funder and program model — confirm yours with your funders and qualified counsel.

Keep going

VolunteerBadge is owned and operated by ScreenForge Labs, LLC, an FCRA-regulated Consumer Reporting Agency that has obtained its FCRA Certificate from the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA). This guide is general educational information and is not legal advice.