Yes! BBBS of Oklahoma is a safe place for everyone. We welcome children, families, and volunteers from diverse backgrounds.

The reason we ask about gender and orientation is so we are able to discuss matching preferences with both the Little, their family, and the Big. We also ask our families several questions about their preferences for a Big for their child, to ensure a successful, healthy, happy, comfortable match for everyone involved.

We encourage you to be open and honest during our interview process because it helps us make positive and long-lasting match relationships.

However, if you are not comfortable disclosing this information, it is your right not to do so.

Any information that you share about your gender identity or orientation is protected under our confidentiality policy. We will not share this information with anyone outside of the agency without your explicit, written consent. With that in mind, the Little that you would be matched with and the family of the Little are considered part of the agency. We share information with them to ensure everyone feels comfortable.

If you have concerns about sharing your sexual orientation or gender identity with the family, please talk with us about this so we can discuss the best path forward.

Yes. Each and every match is assigned to a consistent Program Specialist who will match you with your Little, introduce you to your Little, check-in with you regularly and provide ongoing insight, training, coaching, and encouragement specific to your match experience.

Everyone involved in your match is covered under our confidentiality policies. Any information learned about you in the interview process or during a match is held confidential within the agency and not shared outside of the agency.

If you have questions regarding the confidentiality policy, please reach out to your assigned Program Specialist.

We first consider your preferences and comfort level that you discussed with your Program Specialist during your interview. We then consider the needs and preferences of our waiting Littles to determine who may be the best fit for you. It is important to us that everyone in a match will be accepted and respected for being themselves.

We take numerous factors into consideration during our match process to make sure our matches are successful from the start. Your Program Specialist will talk to you about your preferences for being matched so we ensure it’s a great fit for everyone.

If your Little discloses this information to you, that means you’ve done a great job creating a safe space for them.

We ask matches to share all information with their assigned Program Specialist. Your Program Specialist is trained in this area and is the best resource to help you with the next steps.

When potentially sensitive topics arise within a match, we typically ask that you discuss it with your assigned Program Specialist. We want to ensure a safe space for Littles to talk about what may be on their mind, particularly if they worry about how their parent may respond.