Foster Youth Mentoring Act of 2023

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3443 To support the establishment or expansion and operation of programs using a network of public and private community entities to provide mentoring for children and youth with experience in foster care. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 17, 2023 Ms. SCANLON (for herself, Mr. BACON, and Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin) intro- duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL To support the establishment or expansion and operation of programs using a network of public and private com- munity entities to provide mentoring for children and youth with experience in foster care. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Foster Youth Men- 4 toring Act of 2023’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress makes the following findings: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3443.IH H3443 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 3443 IH (1) Positive relationships are important for chil- 1 dren and youth. An estimated 20 percent of youth 2 do not have caring adults in their lives—rep- 3 resenting 8,500,000 youth. Children who have a 4 positive caring relationship with an adult can also 5 benefit from additional positive relationships. 6 (2) Research shows that mentors make a dif- 7 ference in young people’s lives. At-risk youth who 8 have mentors are 55 percent more likely to enroll in 9 college. Students who meet regularly with their men- 10 tors are 52 percent less likely than their peers to 11 skip a day of school. Youth who have mentors are 12 also 130 percent more likely to hold a leadership po- 13 sition. 14 (3) Young people that have mentors have im- 15 proved relationships with adults, fewer disciplinary 16 referrals, and more confidence to achieve their goals. 17 (4) In 2017, 442,995 youth were in foster care. 18 Of those youth 70,858 were between the ages of 10 19 and 13, and 101,983 were between the ages of 14 20 and 20. 21 (5) Mentoring programs that serve foster youth 22 are unique and require additional considerations, in- 23 cluding specialized training and support necessary to 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3443.IH H3443 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 3443 IH provide for consistent, long-term relationships for 1 children in foster care. 2 (6) Mentoring programs can be used as an ef- 3 fective preventative or intervention strategy to sup- 4 port positive outcomes for foster youth. 5 (7) Mentoring programs targeting at-risk 6 youth, community-based programs, and programs 7 lasting 1 year or more are more frequently found to 8 be effective. 9 (8) Increasing evidence is showing that peer 10 mentoring and support can be very effective in en- 11 gaging young people. Alumni of and youth in foster 12 care have noted the importance of the support and 13 service delivery by individuals with lived experience, 14 including peers. 15 SEC. 3. PROGRAMS FOR MENTORING CHILDREN IN FOSTER 16 CARE. 17 Subpart 2 of part B of title IV of the Social Security 18 Act (42 U.S.C. 629 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 19 end the following: 20 ‘‘SEC. 439A. PROGRAMS FOR MENTORING CHILDREN IN 21 FOSTER CARE AND YOUTH WITH EXPERI- 22 ENCE IN FOSTER CARE. 23 ‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to 24 authorize the Secretary to make grants to eligible appli- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3443.IH H3443 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 3443 IH cants to support the establishment or expansion and oper- 1 ation of programs using a network of public and private 2 community entities to provide mentoring for children in 3 foster care and children with experience in foster care. 4 ‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 5 ‘‘(1) CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE.—The term 6 ‘children in foster care’ means children who have 7 been removed from the custody of their biological or 8 adoptive parents by a State or tribal child welfare 9 agency. 10 ‘‘(2) CHILDREN WITH EXPERIENCE IN FOSTER 11 CARE.—The term ‘children with experience in foster 12 care’ means children, youth, and adults who have 13 not attained 26 years of age and who, at any time, 14 were removed from the custody of their biological or 15 adoptive parents by a State or tribal child welfare 16 agency. 17 ‘‘(3) MENTORING.—The term ‘mentoring’ 18 means a structured, managed program— 19 ‘‘(A) in which children and youth are ap- 20 propriately matched with screened and trained 21 adult or peer volunteers for consistent relation- 22 ships; 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3443.IH H3443 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 3443 IH ‘‘(B) that can include direct one-on-one, 1 group, or peer mentoring services that focus on 2 1 or more of— 3 ‘‘(i) academic support; 4 ‘‘(ii) enrichment; 5 ‘‘(iii) educational success; 6 ‘‘(iv) minimizing risk behaviors; or 7 ‘‘(v) promoting social skills and 8 healthy relationships; 9 ‘‘(C) that involves meetings, events, and 10 activities on a regular basis designed to last at 11 least 1 year; and 12 ‘‘(D) that is intended to meet, in part, the 13 social and emotional development of the child or 14 youth, the need of the child or youth for in- 15 volvement with a caring and supportive adult, 16 and the need of the child or youth for positive 17 role models, connections, and normalcy. 18 ‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en- 19 tity’ means— 20 ‘‘(A) a nonprofit organization; 21 ‘‘(B) a State child welfare agency; 22 ‘‘(C) a local educational agency; 23 ‘‘(D) an Indian tribe or a tribal organiza- 24 tion; or 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3443.IH H3443 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 3443 IH ‘‘(E) a faith-based organization. 1 ‘‘(c) GRANT PROGRAM.— 2 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 3 out a program to award grants to eligible entities to 4 support the establishment or expansion and oper- 5 ation of programs using networks of public and pri- 6 vate community entities to provide mentoring for 7 children in foster care and children with experience 8 in foster care. 9 ‘‘(2) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—To be eli- 10 gible for a grant under paragraph (1), an eligible en- 11 tity shall submit to the Secretary an application con- 12 taining the following: 13 ‘‘(A) PROGRAM DESIGN.—A description of 14 the proposed program to be carried out using 15 amounts provided under this grant, including— 16 ‘‘(i) targeted outcomes, mentee age 17 and eligibility, mentor type, setting, dura- 18 tion, and meeting frequency; 19 ‘‘(ii) the number of mentor-child 20 matches proposed to be established and 21 maintained annually under the program; 22 ‘‘(iii) the capacity and expertise of the 23 program to serve children and youth in a 24 way that is responsive to children and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3443.IH H3443 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 7 •HR 3443 IH youth of color, expectant and parenting 1 youth, indigenous youth, youth who are 2 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, or 3 queer, and youth with disabilities; 4 ‘‘(iv) actions taken to ensure that the 5 design of the program reflects input from 6 young people, including children with expe- 7 rience in foster care; and 8 ‘‘(v) such other information as the 9 Secretary may require. 10 ‘‘(B) RECRUITMENT.—An assurance that 11 the program will engage in recruitment strate- 12 gies for mentors that— 13 ‘‘(i) realistically portray the benefits, 14 practices, supports, and challenges of par- 15 ticipating in the program; and 16 ‘‘(ii) seek to recruit mentors who re- 17 flect the race, ethnicity, and various identi- 18 ties of children in foster care and children 19 with experience in foster care. 20 ‘‘(C) TRAINING.—An assurance that all 21 mentors covered under the program will receive 22 intensive and ongoing training in the following 23 areas: 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3443.IH H3443 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 8 •HR 3443 IH ‘‘(i) Child and adolescent develop- 1 ment, including the importance of bonding. 2 ‘‘(ii) Family dynamics, including the 3 effects of domestic violence and trauma. 4 ‘‘(iii) Understanding the education 5 rights of foster children and youth, includ- 6 ing those related to post-secondary edu- 7 cation. 8 ‘‘(iv) The challenges of and ap- 9 proaches to support the transition to adult- 10 hood. 11 ‘‘(v) Cultural competence practices 12 and relationship-building strategies. 13 ‘‘(vi) Positive youth development and 14 authentic engagement practices. 15 ‘‘(vii) Recognizing and reporting child 16 abuse and neglect. 17 ‘‘(viii) Confidentiality requirements 18 for working with children in foster care. 19 ‘‘(ix) Working in coordination with 20 the child welfare system. 21 ‘‘(x) Other matters related to working 22 with children in foster care and children 23 with experience in foster care. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3443.IH H3443 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 9 •HR 3443 IH ‘‘(D) SCREENING.—An assurance that all 1 mentors covered under the program are appro- 2 priately screened and have demonstrated a will- 3 ingness to comply with all aspects of the men- 4 toring program, including— 5 ‘‘(i) a written screening plan that in- 6 cludes all of the policies and procedures 7 used to screen and select mentors, includ- 8 ing eligibility requirements and preferences 9 for such applicants; 10 ‘‘(ii) a description of the methods to 11 be used to conduct criminal background 12 checks on all prospective mentors, and the 13 methods in place to exclude mentors with 14 convictions for crimes against children and 15 mentors with convictions occurring within 16 the past 10 years that are directly related 17 to child safety; and 18 ‘‘(iii) a description of the methods to 19 be used to ensure that the mentors are 20 willing and able to serve as a mentor on a 21 long-term, consistent basis as defined in 22 the application. 23 ‘‘(E) COMMUNITY CONSULTATION AND EN- 24 GAGEMENT; COORDINATION WITH OTHER PRO- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3443.IH H3443 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 10 •HR 3443 IH GRAMS.—A demonstration that, in developing 1 and implementing the program, the eligible en- 2 tity will— 3 ‘‘(i) consult with and actively en- 4 gage— 5 ‘‘(I) children in foster care and 6 children with experience in foster 7 care; 8 ‘‘(II) public and private commu- 9 nity entities, including religious orga- 10 nizations and Indian tribal organiza- 11 tions and urban Indian organizations; 12 and 13 ‘‘(III) family members of children 14 and youth who may be potential cli- 15 ents of the program; 16 ‘‘(ii) coordinate the mentoring pro- 17 gram and the activities of the eligible enti- 18 ty with other Federal, State, and local pro- 19 grams serving children and youth; and 20 ‘‘(iii) consult and coordinate with ap- 21 propriate Federal, State, and local correc- 22 tions, workforce development, education, 23 and substance abuse and mental health 24 agencies. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3443.IH H3443 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 11 •HR 3443 IH ‘‘(F) EQUAL ACCESS FOR LOCAL SERVICE 1 PROVIDERS.—An assurance that public and pri- 2 vate entities and nonprofit community organiza- 3 tions, including religious organizations and In- 4 dian organizations, will be eligible to participate 5 on an equal basis. 6 ‘‘(G) RECORDS, REPORTS, AND AUDITS.— 7 An agreement that the eligible entity will main- 8 tain such records, make such reports, and co- 9 operate with such reviews or audits as the Sec- 10 retary may find necessary for purposes of over- 11 sight of project activities and expenditures. 12 ‘‘(H) EVALUATION.—An agreement that 13 the eligible entity will cooperate fully with the 14 ongoing and final evaluation of the program 15 under the plan by the Secretary, by means in- 16 cluding providing the Secretary access to the 17 program, the staff of the program, program-re- 18 lated records and documents, and each public 19 or private community entity receiving funding 20 under the plan. 21 ‘‘(3) CONSIDERATIONS IN AWARDING 22 GRANTS.—In awarding grants under this subsection, 23 the Secretary shall take into consideration— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3443.IH H3443 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 12 •HR 3443 IH ‘‘(A) how, and the degree to which, chil- 1 dren in foster care and children with experience 2 in foster care are consulted and engaged in the 3 development, design, and implementation of the 4 program; 5 ‘‘(B) the feasibility and strength of a plan 6 to recruit and support transition-aged foster 7 youth; 8 ‘‘(C) the overall qualifications and capacity 9 of the eligible entity and its partners to effec- 10 tively carry out a mentoring program under this 11 subsection; 12 ‘‘(D) the level and quality of training pro- 13 vided to mentors under the program; 14 ‘‘(E) evidence of coordination of the pro- 15 gram with the social services and education pro- 16 grams of the State or political subdivision; 17 ‘‘(F) the ability of the eligible entity to 18 provide supervision and support for mentors 19 under the program and the youth served by 20 such mentors; 21 ‘‘(G) the number of children and youth in 22 foster care served by the State or political sub- 23 division; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:12 Jun 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3443.IH H3443 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 13 •HR 3443 IH ‘‘(H) any other factors that the Secretary 1 determines to be significant with respect to the 2 need for, or the potential success of, carrying 3 out a mentoring program under this section. 4 ‘‘(4) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that 5 receives a grant under this subsection may use such 6 funds to— 7 ‘‘(A) develop and carry out a training pro- 8 gram and ongoing support for mentors; 9 ‘‘(B) recruit mentors for children and 10 youth in foster care; 11 ‘‘(C) compensate mentors including peer 12 mentors; 13 ‘‘(D) pay for costs related to mentee par- 14 ticipation in the program; and 15 ‘‘(E) provide activities that will help the 16 development of a chi [Text truncated for display. 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