Congresswoman Scanlon Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Expand Access to Community Mentorship Programs for Foster Youth

Congresswoman Scanlon Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Expand Access to Community Mentorship Programs for Foster Youth

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Chair of the Congressional Youth Mentoring Caucus and the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, today introduced the Foster Youth Mentoring Act to address the greater need for critical programs that support our country's most vulnerable young people. Joining Rep. Scanlon on the bill are her fellow Co-Chairs of the Caucus on Foster Youth Reps. Don Bacon (NE-02) and Gwen Moore (WI-04).

"Before coming to Congress, I spent decades working as a child advocate, seeing firsthand the difference a trusted, caring adult can make in the life of vulnerable young people," said Rep. Scanlon. "At-risk youth with consistent, long-term volunteer and peer mentor relationships are much more likely to enroll in college, hold leadership positions, attend their classes, and obtain stable housing - but one in three of our young people grow up without a mentor. I'm proud to lead federal efforts to fund local evidence-based foster youth mentoring programs that can result in a meaningful improvement in young people's lives and substantial cost savings for the child welfare system when implemented at scale, and I'm grateful for the partnership of Rep. Moore, Rep. Bacon, MENTOR, and NFYI."

Mentoring programs that serve children with adverse childhood experiences, such as youth in foster care, require about double the resources per youth than general community-based mentorship programs. Studies prove that mentoring services for foster youth are effective interventions that positively impact mental health, educational functioning and attainment, peer relationships, placement outcomes, and life satisfaction. The Foster Youth Mentoring Act would create a comprehensive federal grant program to provide foster youth with healthy volunteer and peer mentor relationships and expand and enhance mentoring programs that serve foster youth and former foster youth.

"We must empower our foster youth with every tool available to succeed," said Rep. Moore. "For young people in foster care, mentors can serve as a great anchor of stability, support, and guidance in their lives. That's why I am supporting the Foster Youth Mentoring Act, which is critical to this mission, supporting effective, youth-focused mentorship programs."

"Now more than ever, our nation's young people need a social connection to combat the isolation and loneliness that are all too present in their lives," said Jermaine Myrie, CEO of MENTOR. "We know that helping young people develop strong, safe, and stable relationships with supportive adults has positive outcomes, yet access to these relationships is not always equally distributed. Young people in the foster care system know this better than anyone else. The Foster Youth Mentoring Act will invest critical resources into mentoring programs leading the vital work of building and expanding support systems for these young people. I thank Representatives Scanlon, Bacon, and Moore for their leadership in this bipartisan effort on Capitol Hill. I look forward to working with additional Members of Congress to get this critical legislation across the finish line."

"Mentors play a critical role in the lives of foster youth," said Rep. Bacon. "Life can be unpredictable for our foster youth through no fault of their own. Having a stable mentor to provide advice and encouragement gives these kids a sense of stability and decreases the chances that they fall through the cracks when they have someone dedicated to their wellbeing. The Foster Youth Mentoring Act will provide grants to establish more programs, ensuring we can reach more kids."

"The reintroduction of the Foster Youth Mentoring Act is an important step forward towards creating truly transformative foster care. Our young people, aged 18-30 with lived experience have shared first-hand challenges they faced within the child welfare system. The National Foster Youth Institute works with current and former foster youth to build relationships with local and federal officials so that they can have ongoing communication, input, and awareness of upcoming laws and policies. We are glad to see the 118th Congress prioritize mentoring programs with added funding, resources, support, and training to provide foster youth with healthy relationships," said Rebecca Louve Yao, Executive Director of the National Foster Youth Institute.

Find the full text of the bill here. Find a one-pager on the bill here.

###