Week after week, you’ve tried to positively and consistently redirect one kid’s challenging behavior. But they’re still trying to escape, non-compliant, stressed out, or unresponsive to your leadership. What now?

Watch This
This interview will help you find out what a LifeKids Buddy is, and when you should talk to your Coach or staff about getting the help of a LifeKids Buddy.

Read These Tips

What is a LifeKids Buddy? Read on to find out.

1. A Buddy gives one-on-one leadership and attention to any child who needs extra support. Buddies consistently work with and get to know the child so the child will feel safe. The child will be safer, too, because there is an extra set of hands and eyes to monitor them.
2. A Buddy partners with the whole family. It’s stressful for moms or dads who are constantly called away from the church experience to pick their child up from the LifeKids. A family with a Buddy can enjoy peace of mind while they’re at church, because the Buddy works closely with them to learn what works at home, day care, or school, and applies those methods to offer a consistent, effective experience for the child.
3. A Buddy is not always needed. That one stings a bit, but the goal of a Buddy is to provide one-on-one support for only as long as it’s needed. A child may have a developmental breakthrough at any point. When they’re able to stay in the room using the same supports as the other children, their Buddy can begin to work with a new family who needs them!
4. LifeKids Buddies aren’t meant to follow around every child with differences. A parent dropped off a child into your room and mentioned they have autism. Do you need a Buddy in your room? Probably not! Buddies certainly are an incredible blessing to kids who need them, but they’re not a catch-all, mandatory support system to be called in simply because of a child’s diagnosis.
5. Buddies reinforce the curriculum to a child at the child’s level. A Buddy will figure out what their child is interested in, and use that as their starting point for bringing Scripture and God’s love into the child’s world. Creative strategies include:
   • Learning ways to communicate with a child who is non-verbal.
   • Singing to a kid who doesn’t respond well to speech.
   • Drawing a picture of Jesus and telling the child God loves them.
   • Using a sensory bin to help a child calm and refocus.

Think About This
A Buddy shows God’s love, one child at a time. They have a heart to serve God’s little ones when they need it most.

Talk It Over
Now that you’ve read a few tips and watched a video, help the info stick! Talk over these questions with your Coach or a LifeKids staff member. Share what you’ve learned with other leaders in your room!

1. What do you think is the main goal of partnering a child with a Buddy?
2. How would you determine if a child needs a Buddy?
3. How can you find someone who would be a great Buddy on your campus?
4. What else can you do to help a family who might need a Buddy?