Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2009
Sponsored by Senators Mary Landrieu, Blanche Lincoln and Evan Bayh
Topics: america, senators, mary landrieu, national foster... More
The Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2009 is meant to address the needs of the 500,000 children in foster care. Some studies report high school dropout rates among foster care youth as high as 55 percent. Forty percent are forced to rely on public assistance. Fewer than 15 percent go on to college. Examinations of foster care alumni found that two to four years after leaving foster care: fewer than half had jobs, among the females 60 percent had given birth, fewer than one in five were self supporting, nearly half of the population had been arrested and a quarter had been homeless.
While there are many mentoring programs around the country, very few are dedicated specifically to working with youth in foster care. Yet research shows that children in foster care can benefit tremendously by having a strong relationship with a caring, responsible adult mentor. A 2007 study by economists at Wilder Research and the University of Minnesota found benefits of $2.72 returned on every dollar invested in a Minneapolis youth mentoring program. There is clear evidence that mentoring can produce measurable direct improvement in areas such as school attendance and performance; alcohol, tobacco and drug use; juvenile crime and, ultimately, adult crime; and the need for public assistance.
The bill proposes to connect children in foster care with responsible, caring adults by:
• Authorizing $15 million to establish statewide foster-care mentoring programs.
States would be eligible to receive up to $600,000 to establish or expand foster care mentoring programs. These programs would be specially designed to serve the needs of foster youth and would have a strong emphasis on improving academic achievement.
• Providing $4 million to begin a national public awareness campaign and mentor-recruitment program.
Authorizes the Secretary to establish a nationwide campaign to raise public awareness of the need for foster care mentors and opportunities to get involved.
• Allowing loans up to $20,000 in federal student loan forgiveness for those who volunteer to mentor a child in care.
Mentors who participate in a foster care mentor program would be eligible to receive up to $2,000 in federal student loan forgiveness for every 200 hours they serve. A total of $20,000 in student loans incurred by participating college or graduate students would qualify for forgiveness.
While there are many mentoring programs around the country, very few are dedicated specifically to working with youth in foster care. Yet research shows that children in foster care can benefit tremendously by having a strong relationship with a caring, responsible adult mentor. A 2007 study by economists at Wilder Research and the University of Minnesota found benefits of $2.72 returned on every dollar invested in a Minneapolis youth mentoring program. There is clear evidence that mentoring can produce measurable direct improvement in areas such as school attendance and performance; alcohol, tobacco and drug use; juvenile crime and, ultimately, adult crime; and the need for public assistance.
The bill proposes to connect children in foster care with responsible, caring adults by:
• Authorizing $15 million to establish statewide foster-care mentoring programs.
States would be eligible to receive up to $600,000 to establish or expand foster care mentoring programs. These programs would be specially designed to serve the needs of foster youth and would have a strong emphasis on improving academic achievement.
• Providing $4 million to begin a national public awareness campaign and mentor-recruitment program.
Authorizes the Secretary to establish a nationwide campaign to raise public awareness of the need for foster care mentors and opportunities to get involved.
• Allowing loans up to $20,000 in federal student loan forgiveness for those who volunteer to mentor a child in care.
Mentors who participate in a foster care mentor program would be eligible to receive up to $2,000 in federal student loan forgiveness for every 200 hours they serve. A total of $20,000 in student loans incurred by participating college or graduate students would qualify for forgiveness.
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