Becoming a Village of Hope
At Kids Hope, we believe it takes a village to support children facing vulnerability. When churches, schools and local communities work together, we can engage more mentors and give more children the opportunity to experience the life-changing impact of a caring, consistent mentor. Our new Village Model creates greater flexibility for churches and schools to work together, build stronger teams, share resources and support one another.
The heart of Kids Hope remains unchanged: one child, one mentor, one hour a week. What is changing is our ability to work together in new ways, creating stronger connections between churches and schools, supporting more children and strengthening communities across Australia.
The FAQs below explain how the Village Model can work in different contexts and what it could look like for your church, school or local community.
Understanding the Village Model
The Village Model gives churches and schools greater flexibility to work together in ways that reflect their local community. For some, this will mean continuing their existing partnership. For others, it may mean multiple churches supporting one school, one church supporting multiple schools, or additional churches contributing mentors, prayer and support. Whatever the approach, the heart of Kids Hope remains unchanged: one child, one mentor, one hour a week.
Your Questions Answered
What is the Village Model, and how does it change our work?
The Village Model provides greater flexibility in how churches and schools work together. Multiple churches can support one school, or one church can support multiple schools.
While the way we partner is changing, the heart of Kids Hope remains the same: one child, one mentor, one hour a week, providing safe, structured support for children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
I am interested in becoming a mentor, but my church isn’t currently a Kids Hope partner. Where do I start?
While our preference is that all mentors come from a partner church, we understand this isn’t always possible, and we still welcome your interest!
All mentors must meet the Kids Hope mentor criteria, this includes receiving a pastoral reference from the church you currently attend, where you must have been known for at least six months. As part of this reference, your pastor must be able to advocate for you to serve in children’s ministry within your local church.
Your screening and onboarding will be organised through the local Kids Hope School Coordinator (who is typically a volunteer from another local partner church).
Regarding child protection training: if you come from a known denomination, have completed their child protection training (and it is current), and your pastoral reference affirms this, you will not need to complete the separate Kids Hope child-safe training.
To get started, simply register your interest on our website, and our team will guide you through the compliance steps and connect you with a local School Coordinator.
As a Coordinator, how do I find participating partner churches to tap into their mentor base?
For existing programs, there are a few important steps to take before expanding to work with additional churches:
New Agreements:The relevant church(es) and school(s) must sign a new agreement. This is a crucial step to ensure everyone involved is protected under the new model.
Pastoral Alignment:As a Coordinator, you should first chat with your pastor to affirm that they are open to working with other churches and, if so, to identify which specific churches they are comfortable collaborating with.
Once these steps are complete, Kids Hope provides dedicated support to coordinators through the lifecycle of the program. Our staff will help map the local ‘Village’ and connect you with participating churches in your area.
Furthermore, Partner Churches are expected to host at least one mentor drive per year to invite new mentors from their congregations. This expectation helps create a steady stream of mentors who can assist in the local school.
I am a Coordinator matching a mentor from a different church to a child. How can I be confident in their suitability and safety?
Our Coordinators are pivotal in leading the program and protecting the children we serve. As a Coordinator, you have the right to decline any mentor should you feel they are inappropriate or not a good fit for your school. Kids Hope will fully support and train you through this journey.
Child safety is our highest priority, and we have robust systems to support you. Regardless of which church a mentor comes from, strict baseline requirements must be met:
Screening & Training: You still manage the screening process, just as you always have. For mentors from different churches, the vital first step is getting a pastoral reference from their current church. To help lighten your load in the future, we are currently building a streamlined online onboarding system. We will also soon provide on-demand digital training for your mentors. Of course, you are always welcome to run your own local training if you prefer to keep that personal connection!
WWCC Monitoring: Kids Hope regularly checks and monitors Working with Children Checks (or state equivalents) for all mentors to ensure compliance.
Annual Declarations: Every mentor must provide an annual statement confirming their ongoing eligibility to work with children, alongside a renewed commitment to follow the policies and guidelines set out by Kids Hope (Annual CPS). Failure to do so results in automatic suspension.
The Matching Process:
There is no change from how things have happened before. When it comes to the actual matching of an approved mentor to a referred student, you will continue to work in partnership with the nominated School Contact to pair children with their new mentors.
How are the mentoring sessions safely managed at the school?
There is no change to how this operates from our existing model.
The school plays a vital, active role in safeguarding. The school is responsible for identifying the children, obtaining parental consent, and providing a safe, publicly observable space for mentors and children to meet. The mentor and child must always remain in the line of sight of another adult. Furthermore, mentors are strictly prohibited from spending time alone with a child outside school hours.
Who is responsible for tracking a child’s progress and reporting incidents?
There is no change to how this operates from our existing model.
Mentors must complete a Progress Report at the end of each session. The school is responsible for storing and maintaining the confidentiality of these reports in accordance with state or territory requirements.
For incidents, there is a mutual obligation depending on the nature of the incident: the church, school, and Kids Hope must notify each other as soon as practicable, and no later than 48 hours, regarding any child safety incidents or concerns regarding a mentor’s suitability.
Can mentors provide religious instruction or counselling during the mentoring hour?
There is no change to how this operates from our existing model.
Mentors must respect the secular nature of government education, and the mentoring hour must not be used for religious purposes. Furthermore, mentors are not professional counsellors and must not probe into children’s lives or counsel them. The focus is strictly on skill-building, relationship-building, and being a consistent, caring presence.
Still have questions?
We’re here to help. Please email us at support@kidshope.org.au, and a member of our team will be in touch to answer any questions you may have.
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