S 3200 ISCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To develop capacity and infrastructure for mentoring programs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

June 26, 2008CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. SPECTER, Mr. COLEMAN, and Mr. AKAKA) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To develop capacity and infrastructure for mentoring programs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Mentoring for All Act of 2008’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

The purpose of this Act is to support youth mentoring through the creation of a $50,000,000 competitive fund to serve more of the at-risk youth of the United States. Such monies would build and strengthen mentoring infrastructure and provide subgrants to increase the availability of mentoring in the United States.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. GRANTS TO DEVELOP CAPACITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR MENTORING PROGRAMS.

Title I of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511 et seq.) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) by redesignating subtitles F through I as subtitles G through J, respectively; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) by inserting after subtitle E the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘Subtitle F--Grants to Develop Capacity and Infrastructure for Mentoring ProgramsCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘SEC. 167. DEFINITIONS.

‘In this subtitle:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY- The term ‘eligible entity’ means--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) a mentoring program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) a nonprofit organization (such as an after-school center or church), a school, or local governmental agency, that desires to add a mentoring component to the work of the organization, school, or agency; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) a local collaborative.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) LOCAL COLLABORATIVE- The term ‘local collaborative’ means a collaborative that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) shall include--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) not less than 2 youth mentoring organizations experienced in providing quality mentoring services; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) not less than 1 entity that can provide volunteers (such as a corporation, institution of higher education, or service organization); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) may include 1 or more entities described in paragraph (1)(B).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) LOCAL MENTORING PARTNERSHIP- The term ‘local mentoring partnership’ means a nonpartisan, collaborative, public-private sector effort that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) works to grow and strengthen direct-service mentoring programs in all forms and settings to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) increase the number of at-risk youth in the local service area receiving mentoring from screened and trained adult mentors;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) increase the resources in the local service area dedicated to mentoring;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) promote quality standards for mentoring programs; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iv) expand mentoring opportunities tailored to the needs and circumstances of youth;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) implements a service area mentoring plan that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) raises public awareness about mentoring via a media campaign throughout the local service area;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) increases recruitment and referral of mentors;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) develops new mentoring resources;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iv) provides affordable and accessible mentoring training and technical assistance; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(v) collects and tracks mentoring data;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) is not a mentoring program; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) does not provide direct mentoring services to youth.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) MENTORING- The term ‘mentoring’ means a structured and trusting relationship--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) that brings youth together with caring individuals who serve as mentors and offer guidance, support, and encouragement aimed at developing the competence and character of the mentees;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) that may take many forms, including--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) traditional mentoring (1 adult to 1 youth);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) group mentoring (1 adult to more than 1 but not more than 4 youth);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) team mentoring (several adults working with small groups of youth, in which the adult to youth ratio is not greater than 1 to 4);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iv) peer mentoring (caring youth mentoring other youth); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(v) e-mentoring (mentoring via e-mail and the Internet); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) in which the mentor and mentee meet or communicate regularly for a minimum of 4 hours per month (or, in the case of e-mentoring, the mentor and mentee communicate on at least a weekly basis) for not less than 9 months.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(5) MENTORING PROGRAM- The term ‘mentoring program’ means a nonprofit organization, school, or local governmental agency, that provides youth mentoring in a setting such as a workplace, a school, a faith-based or nonprofit organization location, an afterschool center, a juvenile corrections facility, or a community setting.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(6) MENTORING SERVICES- The term ‘mentoring services’ means services and activities that a mentoring program should undertake to ensure that the program is offering high-quality mentoring, including--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) hiring staff and training staff in mentoring best practices;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) reaching and enrolling eligible youth;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) developing partnerships with local organizations;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) recruiting, screening, and training adult volunteers;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(E) matching youth with suitable adult volunteer mentors;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(F) providing casework support and oversight of the mentoring relationship; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(G) evaluating outcomes for mentored youth.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(7) STATE MENTORING PARTNERSHIP- The term ‘State mentoring partnership’ means a nonpartisan, collaborative, public-private sector effort that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) works to grow and strengthen direct-service mentoring programs in all forms and settings to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) increase the number of at-risk youth in the State receiving mentoring from screened and trained adult mentors;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) increase State resources dedicated to mentoring;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) promote quality standards for mentoring programs; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iv) expand mentoring opportunities tailored to the needs and circumstances of youth;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) implements a service area mentoring plan that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) raises public awareness about mentoring via a statewide media campaign;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) increases recruitment and referral of mentors;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) develops new mentoring resources;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iv) provides affordable and accessible mentoring training and technical assistance; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(v) collects and tracks mentoring data;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) is not a mentoring program; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) does not provide direct mentoring services to youth.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘SEC. 167A. MENTORING CAPACITY-BUILDING GRANT PROGRAM.

‘(a) Definition of Eligible Mentoring Partnership- In this section, the term ‘eligible mentoring partnership’ means a State mentoring partnership or local mentoring partnership that has an interest in--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) significantly increasing the number of mentors within the partnership’s State or local service area, respectively; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) supporting all types, models, and brands of youth mentoring.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(b) Program Authorized-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) IN GENERAL- The Corporation shall establish a capacity-building grant program to award, on a competitive basis, 3-year grants to eligible mentoring partnerships to enable the mentoring partnerships to carry out the activities described in subsection (d).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) AMOUNT OF GRANTS- The Corporation shall determine the amount of each grant under this section based on--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) the demonstrated need for service within the partnership’s proposed service area;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) the scope of the activities proposed to be funded under the grant; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) the likely impact of the proposed activities on increasing the percentage of children with mentors, and the quality of mentoring programs, within the partnership’s proposed service area.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(c) Application- An eligible mentoring partnership that desires to receive a grant under this section shall submit an application at the time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may reasonably require.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(d) Use of Funds-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) IN GENERAL- An eligible mentoring partnership that receives a grant under this section shall use--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) not less than 80 percent of the amounts provided under the grant to award subgrants under paragraph (2) in order to support mentoring programs within the partnership’s service area; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) not more than 20 percent of such amounts to carry out 1 or more partnership activities identified in the service area mentoring plan as described in paragraph (3), in order to provide expanded, high-quality services within the service area.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) SUBGRANTS FOR LOCAL MENTORING-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) IN GENERAL- An eligible mentoring partnership that receives a grant under this section shall make subgrants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to enable the eligible entities to support all of the components of providing high-quality mentoring services.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) APPLICATION- An eligible entity desiring a subgrant under this paragraph shall submit an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the eligible mentoring partnership shall reasonably require.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) PRIORITY- In awarding subgrants under subparagraph (A), an eligible mentoring partnership may give priority to eligible entities that are local collaboratives.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) AMOUNT OF SUBGRANTS- The eligible mentoring partnership shall determine the amount of each subgrant under this paragraph based on--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) the demonstrated need for service within the area served by the eligible entity;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) the scope of the proposed activities to be funded by the subgrant; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) the likely impact of the proposed activities on increasing the number of mentors within the area served by the eligible entity.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(E) DURATION OF SUBGRANT PERIOD- The duration of a subgrant awarded under this paragraph shall be not less than 1 year nor more than 3 years, and shall be decided by the eligible mentoring partnership based on the eligible mentoring partnership’s assessment of the subgrant program’s capacity.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES- The service area mentoring plan activities that may be carried out by an eligible mentoring partnership in accordance with paragraph (1)(B) include the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) Increasing capacity--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) to provide high-quality volunteer training and technical assistance to all mentoring programs within the partnership’s service area, including those programs that receive funding through subgrants under paragraph (2); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) to support organizations wishing to add a mentoring component to the organization’s work, such as an after-school center, church, or school.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) Undertaking significant outreach and recruitment efforts in support of all mentoring programs in the partnership’s service area, including those mentoring programs that receive funding through the subgrants under paragraph (2), such as creating--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) a new initiative targeted at a specific population of volunteers;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) an awareness-building campaign; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) a targeted outreach campaign to partners such as lead corporations, service organizations, or institutions of higher education that can provide wholesale access to volunteers.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) Collecting and analyzing data on the subgrants under paragraph (2) and other mentoring programs, and making subsequent recommendations for improvement, to ensure mentoring is taking place in a high-quality way.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) Carrying out special projects that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) would positively impact mentoring in the partnership’s service area; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) address any mentoring needs specific to the service area.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) NATIONAL COORDINATION- An eligible mentoring partnership receiving a grant under this section shall participate in the national network of mentoring partnerships, in order to ensure collaboration and to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, assistance, and support.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(e) Matching Requirements-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) NEW GRANTEES- An eligible mentoring partnership that receives a grant under this section and has not previously received such a grant shall provide toward the cost of the activities assisted under the grant, an amount equal to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) for the first year of the grant, 10 percent of the Federal funds provided under the grant for such year;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) for the second year of the grant, 25 percent of the Federal funds provided under the grant for such year; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) for the third year of the grant, 50 percent of the Federal funds provided under the grant for such year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) EXPERIENCED GRANTEES- An eligible mentoring partnership that receives a grant under this section and has previously received such a grant shall provide toward the cost of the activities assisted under the grant an amount equal to 50 percent of the Federal funds provided under the grant.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) IN CASH OR IN-KIND- A matching requirement under this subsection may be provided in cash or in-kind, fairly evaluated.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘SEC. 167B. GRANT PROGRAM TO BUILD STATE AND NATIONAL MENTORING INFRASTRUCTURE.

‘(a) Program Authorized- The Corporation shall award, on a competitive basis, 3-year grants to entities or a collaborative of entities to enable the entities or collaboratives to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) build the necessary infrastructure to create a State mentoring partnership; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) implement mentoring projects of national scope.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(b) Application- An entity or collaborative of entities that desires to receive a grant under this section shall submit an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may reasonably require.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(c) Amount of Grants- The Corporation shall determine the amount of each grant under this section based on--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) the demonstrated need for service within the proposed service area of the entity or collaborative;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) the scope of the activities proposed to be funded under the grant; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) the likely impact of the proposed activities on increasing the percentage of children with mentors, and the quality of mentoring programs, within the proposed service area.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(d) Use of Funds-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) STATE MENTORING INFRASTRUCTURE- An entity or collaborative of entities that receives a grant for the purpose described in subsection (a)(1) shall use the grant funds to support planning and implementation for the development of a new State mentoring partnership where a State mentoring partnership does not exist at the time of the application, or to help a local mentoring partnership expand statewide to become a State mentoring partnership. State mentoring partnership creation may include--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A)(i) conducting an assessment on the state of mentoring;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) hiring critical staff for the partnership;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) developing a strategic plan;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iv) engaging key public or private supporters and providers; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(v) beginning to provide services to mentoring programs;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) creating and launching the new mentoring partnership that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) by not later than the end of the second year of the grant, provides recruitment and technical assistance or training services for mentoring programs in that State;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) by not later than the end of the third year of the grant, meets the definition of a State mentoring partnership and is able to carry out the activities and functions described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 167(7); andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) will be able to compete for funding under section 167A(b) in the future; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) accessing knowledge, assistance, and support provided by the national network of mentoring partnerships.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) NATIONAL MENTORING INFRASTRUCTURE- An entity or collaborative of entities that receives a grant for the purpose described in subsection (a)(2) shall use the grant funds to support, at the national level, projects that are critical collectively to improve the ability of direct service mentoring programs, State mentoring partnerships, and local mentoring partnerships to increase the quality and availability of mentoring, which projects may include--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) conducting research;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) tracking and evaluating data; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) developing and disseminating national training and technical assistance resources.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(e) Matching Requirements-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) NEW GRANTEES- An entity or collaborative of entities that receives a grant under this section and has not previously received such a grant shall provide toward the cost of the activities assisted under the grant, an amount equal to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) for the first year of the grant, 10 percent of the Federal funds provided under the grant for such year;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) for the second year of the grant, 25 percent of the Federal funds provided under the grant for such year; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) for the third year of the grant, 50 percent of the Federal funds provided under the grant for such year.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) EXPERIENCED GRANTEES- An entity or collaborative of entities that receives a grant under this section and has previously received such a grant shall provide toward the cost of the activities assisted under the grant an amount equal to 50 percent of the Federal funds provided under the grant.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) IN CASH OR IN-KIND- A matching requirement under this subsection may be provided in cash or in-kind, fairly evaluated.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘SEC. 167C. NATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

‘The Corporation shall--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) evaluate the activities carried out under this subtitle; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) provide training and technical assistance to recipients of financial assistance under this subtitle, drawing upon the knowledge, assistance, and support provided by the national network of mentoring partnerships.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘SEC. 167D. REPORTS AND EVALUATIONS.

‘(a) Report to Corporation- For each fiscal year, each recipient of a grant under this subtitle during that fiscal year shall submit to the Corporation, by the date specified by the Corporation, a report regarding the effectiveness of activities carried out using the grant. Each report shall include an evaluation of the grant program in such form and containing such information as the Corporation may reasonably require.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(b) Report to Congress- Not less often than once every 3 years, the Corporation shall submit a report to the Education and Labor Committee of the House of Representatives and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee of the Senate on the effectiveness of the activities carried out under this subtitle to include, at a minimum--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) the number of State mentoring partnerships and local mentoring partnerships supported; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) the impact of such mentoring partnerships on the partnerships’ service areas, such as--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) the growth in the number of mentoring relationships;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) the quality and types of mentoring programs; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) the impact of subgrants under section 167A on local mentoring programs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

‘SEC. 167E. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

‘(a) Authorization of Appropriations- There is authorized to be appropriated to the Corporation to carry out this subtitle $50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 to 2014.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(b) Reservations- From the amount appropriated under subsection (a) for a fiscal year--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) 80 percent of such amount shall be used to carry out section 167A;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) 15 percent of such amount shall be used to carry out section 167B; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) 5 percent of such amount shall be used to carry out sections 167C and 167D.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

The National Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12501 et seq.) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in section 118(a) (42 U.S.C. 12551(a)), by striking ‘subtitle H’ and inserting ‘subtitle I’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in section 122(a)(2) (42 U.S.C. 12572(a)(2)), by striking ‘subtitle I’ and inserting ‘subtitle J’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) in section 193A(f)(1) (42 U.S.C. 12651d(f)(1)), by striking ‘subtitles C and I’ and inserting ‘subtitles C and J’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) in section 501(a)(2) (42 U.S.C. 12681(a)(2))--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking ‘SUBTITLES C, D, AND H’ and inserting ‘SUBTITLES C, D, AND I’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘subtitles C and H’ and inserting ‘subtitles C and I’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘subtitle H’ and inserting ‘subtitle I’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink