Foster Youth Mentoring Act of 2017

Summary: Foster Youth Mentoring Act of 2017 This bill amends part B (Child and Family Services) of title IV of the Social Security Act to direct the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to nonprofit organizations, state child welfare agencies, local educational agencies, Indian tribes or organizations, or faith-based organizations to support the establishment or expansion and operation of programs using networks of public and private community entities to provide mentoring for children in foster care.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Foster Youth Mentoring Act of 
2017''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Research shows that mentors make a difference in 
        children's lives. At-risk youth who have mentors are 55 percent 
        more likely to enroll in college. Students who meet regularly 
        with their mentors are 52 percent less likely than their peers 
        to skip a day of school. Youth who have mentors are also 130 
        percent more likely to hold a leadership position.
            (2) Children that have mentors have improved relationships 
        with adults, fewer disciplinary referrals, and more confidence 
        to achieve their goals.
            (3) In 2014, 415,129 children were in foster care. Of those 
        children 62,108 were between the ages of 10 and 13, and 120,567 
        were between the ages of 14 and 18.
            (4) Mentoring programs that serve foster children are 
        unique and require additional considerations, including 
        specialized training and support necessary to provide for 
        consistent, long-term relationships for children in care.
            (5) Mentoring programs can be used as an effective 
        preventative or intervention strategy to support positive 
        outcomes for foster youth.

SEC. 3. PROGRAMS FOR MENTORING CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE.

    Subpart 2 of part B of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 629 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 439A. PROGRAMS FOR MENTORING CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE.

    ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to authorize the 
Secretary to make grants to eligible applicants to support the 
establishment or expansion and operation of programs using a network of 
public and private community entities to provide mentoring for children 
in foster care.
    ``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Children in foster care.--The term `children in 
        foster care' means children who have been removed from the 
        custody of their biological or adoptive parents by a State 
        child welfare agency.
            ``(2) Mentoring.--The term `mentoring' means a structured, 
        managed program--
                    ``(A) in which children are appropriately matched 
                with screened and trained adult volunteers for 
                consistent relationships;
                    ``(B) that can include direct one-on-one, group, 
                peer, or a combination of these types of mentoring 
                services;
                    ``(C) that involves meetings and activities on a 
                regular basis; and
                    ``(D) that is intended to meet, in part, the 
                child's need for involvement with a caring and 
                supportive adult who provides a positive role model.
            ``(3) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
                    ``(A) a nonprofit organization;
                    ``(B) a State child welfare agency;
                    ``(C) a local educational agency;
                    ``(D) an Indian tribe or a tribal organization; or
                    ``(E) a faith-based organization.
    ``(c) Grant Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a program 
        to award grants to eligible entities to support the 
        establishment or expansion and operation of programs using 
        networks of public and private community entities to provide 
        mentoring for children in foster care.
            ``(2) Application requirements.--To be eligible for a grant 
        under paragraph (1), an eligible entity shall submit to the 
        Secretary an application containing the following:
                    ``(A) Program design.--A description of the 
                proposed program to be carried out using amounts 
                provided under this grant, including--
                            ``(i) the number of mentor-child matches 
                        proposed to be established and maintained 
                        annually under the program;
                            ``(ii) the targeted age range of youth to 
                        be served by the program;
                            ``(iii) such information as the Secretary 
                        may require concerning the methods to be used 
                        to recruit, screen, support, and oversee 
                        individuals participating as mentors, and to 
                        evaluate outcomes for participating children, 
                        including information necessary to demonstrate 
                        compliance with requirements established by the 
                        Secretary for the program; and
                            ``(iv) such other information as the 
                        Secretary may require.
                    ``(B) Training.--An assurance that all mentors 
                covered under the program will receive intensive and 
                ongoing training in the following areas:
                            ``(i) Child development, including the 
                        importance of bonding.
                            ``(ii) Family dynamics, including the 
                        effects of domestic violence.
                            ``(iii) The foster care system and foster 
                        care principles and practices.
                            ``(iv) Recognizing and reporting child 
                        abuse and neglect.
                            ``(v) Confidentiality requirements for 
                        working with children in foster care.
                            ``(vi) Working in coordination with the 
                        child welfare system.
                            ``(vii) Other matters related to working 
                        with children in foster care.
                    ``(C) Screening.--An assurance that all mentors 
                covered under the program are appropriately screened 
                and have demonstrated a willingness to comply with all 
                aspects of the mentor program, including--
                            ``(i) a description of the methods to be 
                        used to conduct criminal background checks on 
                        all prospective mentors; and
                            ``(ii) a description of the methods to be 
                        used to ensure that the mentors are willing and 
                        able to serve as a mentor on a long-term, 
                        consistent basis.
                    ``(D) Community consultation; coordination with 
                other programs.--A demonstration that, in developing 
                and implementing the program, the eligible entity will, 
                to the extent feasible and appropriate--
                            ``(i) consult with--
                                    ``(I) public and private community 
                                entities, including religious 
                                organizations and Indian tribal 
                                organizations and urban Indian 
                                organizations; and
                                    ``(II) family members of children 
                                who may be potential clients of the 
                                program;
                            ``(ii) coordinate the mentoring program and 
                        the eligible entity's activities with other 
                        Federal, State, and local programs serving 
                        children and youth; and
                            ``(iii) consult and coordinate with 
                        appropriate Federal, State, and local 
                        corrections, workforce development, and 
                        substance abuse and mental health agencies.
                    ``(E) Equal access for local service providers.--An 
                assurance that public and private entities and 
                nonprofit community organizations, including religious 
                organizations and Indian organizations, will be 
                eligible to participate on an equal basis.
                    ``(F) Records, reports, and audits.--An agreement 
                that the eligible entity will maintain such records, 
                make such reports, and cooperate with such reviews or 
                audits as the Secretary may find necessary for purposes 
                of oversight of project activities and expenditures.
                    ``(G) Evaluation.--An agreement that the eligible 
                entity will cooperate fully with the Secretary's 
                ongoing and final evaluation of the program under the 
                plan, by means including providing the Secretary access 
                to the program, the program's staff, program-related 
                records and documents, and each public or private 
                community entity receiving funding under the plan.
            ``(3) Considerations in awarding grants.--In awarding 
        grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall take into 
        consideration--
                    ``(A) the overall qualifications and capacity of 
                the eligible entity and its partners to effectively 
                carry out a mentoring program under this subsection;
                    ``(B) the level and quality of training provided to 
                mentors under the program;
                    ``(C) evidence of coordination of the program with 
                the social services and education programs of the State 
                or political subdivision;
                    ``(D) the ability of the eligible entity to provide 
                supervision and support for mentors under the program 
                and the youth served by such mentors;
                    ``(E) the number of children in foster care served 
                by the State or political subdivision; and
                    ``(F) any other factors that the Secretary 
                determines to be significant with respect to the need 
                for, or the potential success of, carrying out a 
                mentoring program under this section.
            ``(4) Use of funds.--An eligible entity that receives a 
        grant under this subsection may use such funds to--
                    ``(A) develop and carry out a training program and 
                ongoing support for mentors;
                    ``(B) recruit mentors for children in foster care; 
                and
                    ``(C) provide activities that will help the 
                development of a child in foster care who is 
                participating in the program.
            ``(5) Grant amount.--In awarding grants under this 
        subsection, the Secretary shall scale grants to account for the 
        eligible entity's annual budget and capacity.
            ``(6) Annual report.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
        of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the 
        Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress a report that 
        includes the following with respect to the year involved:
                    ``(A) A description of the number of programs 
                receiving grant awards under this subsection.
                    ``(B) A description of the number of mentors who 
                serve in the programs described in subparagraph (A).
                    ``(C) A description of--
                            ``(i) the number of children in foster care 
                        who participated in mentoring programs funded 
                        by the grant funds under this subsection;
                            ``(ii) data on the academic achievement of 
                        the children in mentoring programs funded by 
                        the grant funds under this subsection; and
                            ``(iii) the number of children in foster 
                        care on waiting lists for such mentoring 
                        programs.
                    ``(D) Any other information that the Secretary 
                determines to be relevant to the evaluation of the 
                program under this section.
            ``(7) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section--
                    ``(A) $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 and 
                2019; and
                    ``(B) such sums as may be necessary for each 
                succeeding fiscal year.''.