We have found that the best way to move forward is a combination of the following:
- Pairing of support teams of 2 children per team with a 3-year age difference between the Team Mentor and the Team Student. These titles should blur together until the two are simply best friends.
- Both members of the team had their own horse we bought for them and for which they were responsible for care.
This pairing extended up to 8 pairs per group – basically a van full of children per group. Then we started to rebuild the four pillars as follows, starting with the church first.
CHURCH
- Each support team pair teamed up for bible study after the main church service is over – 15 to 20 minutes of the older child assisting the younger child in reading and understanding scripture, with one adult in the room to answer any questions that the pair may have.
- Each support team also worked together on church-sponsored equine activities including roping and barrel racing.
- From the time we picked them up in the morning until we dropped them off home in the evening, they gave us their cell phones and had them returned when they were dropped off home,
SCHOOL
- Tutoring occurred each Tuesday night for the boys and each Friday night for the girls. The children were paired up in the same support teams with the older child mentoring the younger. We learned to focus on math and reading as the two highest level needs.
- Each student making three straight A report cards received a cell phone from us. They had to keep all A’s and B’s thereafter to keep the phones.
- On all report cards, each student received $ 100 for all A’s or $ 10.00 for each A and $ 5.00 for each B.
NEIGHBORS
- Support teams were paired up to offer pro bono lawn maintenance to retired couples on limited fixed incomes. The children were paid $ 20.00 each per lawn.
- In rural areas, support teams were responsible for once per month litter pickup on county roads – a 2-mile round trip.
- One Saturday per month the children in high-risk neighborhood receive clothes for free.
FAMILY
- After a year or so with each new child, we started trying to involve the adult members of the family to become involved in what the support teams are doing.
- If one or both parents were struggling, we assisted in procuring employment opportunities.
- In some cases, we offered a temporary housing option to help the family get back on its feet – 3 to 6 months of free rent if they were working.
- The ultimate goal is biological family reunification in a secure Christian family setting.