What’s the big news: october
As the colder air starts to creep in, we start thinking about what brings us comfort. For me, I find comfort when I’m surrounded by family and friends, and when I can do something that positively impacts others.
Recently, I embarked on volunteering as a Big Sister myself back. I started my one-on-one mentoring relationship back in May. Being able to support a young person’s well-being and providing meaningful access to opportunities was important to me. Plus, I wanted to walk alongside our volunteers so that I could become an even better leader of our organization.
Given the impact mentors make, I want to take a moment to inform our volunteer mentors, parents of the youth we serve, and our supporters about the Meta settlement that was reached back on August 26th with 48 states, including WI, to repair the mental health harms it’s platforms have caused in the lives of young people—requiring Meta to pay up to $18 billion to states over the next 10 years, and add stronger safety measures to Facebook and Instagram.
The agreement explicitly names mental health intervention, afterschool and summer programming, and digital well-being as eligible uses of state funds, giving Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) agencies an opportunity to make their voice heard with their state Attorney General about why these funds must support mentoring. I urge all of you to take a few minutes and send an email or write a letter to our Attorney General Josh Kaul, Governor Evers, and/or our local legislators to urge them to support programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters via the Meta Settlement dollars WI will receive!
Below are some “talking” points you can use, but using your own words to express the impact mentorship has had on your life or your children, has an even greater impact.
Mentoring represents one of our most direct opportunities to bridge divides, build opportunities, and ensure every young person is guided towards their full potential.
Settlement dollars should be used in ways the public can clearly understand as repairing the harms that prompted the litigation: youth disconnection, mental health strain, and weakened protective relationships.
Spending time one-on-one with a young person through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program supports and helps youth recover, build resilience, and navigate digital life safely.
States have an opportunity to invest in protective relationships (like the ones Big Brothers Big Sisters provide) before online harms become crises requiring clinical, school disciplinary, child welfare, or justice-system responses.
Our current approach to youth mental health too often emphasizes treatment after a crisis has already occurred. Instead, states have an opportunity to invest in prevention by supporting safe, consistent mentoring relationships that provide the connection young people need, crave, and rely on for healthy development.
States should invest in organizations with ready, accountable infrastructure to translate settlement dollars into direct support for young people. BBBS is positioned to do this through screened, trained, and supported mentoring relationships that help safeguard young people from and remedy the effects of social media-related harms.
The state if WI is receiving over $21 million for 10 years with a possible additional 9 million plus from additional settlements that may occur. It’s imperative our government representatives hear from you! The Attorney General of WI is responsible for where these funds go. Please contact Attorney General Josh Kaul today at: josh.kaul@state.wi.us!
Thank you for your support and advocacy to ensure these dollars can impact BBBS!
To view the Meta Settlement click HERE.
~Heidi Sternig, Executive Director