The Recreation Mentoring Program: a Community Engagement Initiative for Children

Introduction: Approximately one in five Ontario children show symptoms of significant mental health problems. These children exhibit impairments at home, at school and in the community, often with long-lasting effects. Involvement in structured community-based recreation programs may be protective for these children; however, they often encounter multiple barriers to participation (e.g., facility fees, lack of family or peer support, and reluctance to try new activities).

Method: The Recreation Mentoring Program is a community-wide program that reduces barriers to participation while providing an important relationship with a caring, young adult mentor. Trained volunteer mentors are matched with at-risk children, and meet regularly at a community recreation centre near the child's residence. The mentor's role is to: 1) stimulate participation in recreational programs, and 2) promote the child's continued participation after the mentorship ends.

Results: Limited program evaluation suggests that the Recreation Mentoring Program engages at-risk children in community-based recreation, that it is operationally feasible, and that it produces high levels of client satisfaction.

Conclusion: The Recreation Mentoring Program holds promise as an effective community-based intervention for children with mental health problems.