I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4317 
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. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 15, 2009 
Mr. CROWLEY (for himself, Mr. STARK, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Mr. QUIGLEY) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways 
and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned 
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 in fos-
ter care. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Foster Care Mentoring 
Act of 2009’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Research shows that caring adults can 
make a difference in children’s lives. Forty-five per-
cent of mentored teens are less likely to use drugs. 
Fifty-nine percent of mentored teens have better 
academic performance. Seventy-three percent of 
mentored teens achieve higher goals generally. 
(2) Children that have mentors have better re-
lationships with adults, fewer disciplinary referrals, 
and more confidence to achieve their goals. 
(3) In 2006, 510,000 children were in foster 
care. Of those children, 85,671 were between the 
ages of 10 and 13, and 164,407 were between the 
ages of 14 and 18. 
(4) States should be encouraged to incorporate 
mentor programs into the delivery of their foster 
care services. 
(5) Mentor programs that serve foster children 
are unique and require additional considerations, in-
cluding specialized training and support necessary to 
provide for consistent, long term relationships for 
children in care. 
(6) Mentor programs are cost-effective ap-
proaches to decreasing the occurrence of so many so-
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cial ills such as teen pregnancy, substance abuse, in-
carceration, and violence. 
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. 440. PROGRAMS FOR MENTORING CHILDREN IN FOS-
TER CARE. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to 
authorize the Secretary to make grants to eligible appli-
cants to support the establishment or expansion and oper-
ation 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 volun-
teers for one-on-one relationships; 
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‘‘(B) that involves meetings and activities 
on a regular basis; and 
‘‘(C) 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) POLITICAL SUBDIVISION.—The term ‘polit-
ical subdivision’ means a local jurisdiction below the 
level of the State government, including a county, 
parish, borough, or city. 
‘‘(c) GRANT PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 
out a program to award grants to States to support 
the establishment or expansion and operation of pro-
grams using networks of public and private commu-
nity entities to provide mentoring for children in fos-
ter care. 
‘‘(2) GRANTS
TO
POLITICAL
SUBDIVISIONS.— 
The Secretary may award a grant under this sub-
section directly to a political subdivision if the sub-
division serves a substantial number of foster care 
youth (as determined by the Secretary). 
‘‘(3) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—To be eli-
gible for a grant under paragraph (1), the chief ex-
ecutive officer of the State or political subdivision 
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shall submit to the Secretary an application con-
taining the following: 
‘‘(A) PROGRAM DESIGN.—A description of 
the proposed program to be carried out using 
amounts provided under this grant, including— 
‘‘(i) a list of local public and private 
organizations and entities that will partici-
pate in the mentoring network; 
‘‘(ii) the name, description, and quali-
fications of the entity that will coordinate 
and oversee the activities of the mentoring 
network; 
‘‘(iii) the number of mentor-child 
matches proposed to be established and 
maintained annually under the program; 
‘‘(iv) such information as the Sec-
retary may require concerning the methods 
to be used to recruit, screen, support, and 
oversee individuals participating as men-
tors, (which methods shall include criminal 
background checks on the individuals), and 
to evaluate outcomes for participating chil-
dren, including information necessary to 
demonstrate compliance with requirements 
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established by the Secretary for the pro-
gram; and 
‘‘(v) 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 fos-
ter 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 
public school system. 
‘‘(vii) Other matters related to work-
ing with children in foster care. 
‘‘(C) SCREENING.—An assurance that all 
mentors covered under the program are appro-
priately screened and have demonstrated a will-
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ingness 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) EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—An 
assurance that all mentors recruited to serve as 
academic mentors will— 
‘‘(i) have a secondary school diploma 
or its recognized equivalent; and 
‘‘(ii) have completed not less than 1 
year of study in a program leading to a 
baccalaureate, graduate, or postgraduate 
degree. 
‘‘(E) COMMUNITY CONSULTATION; COORDI-
NATION
WITH
OTHER
PROGRAMS.—A dem-
onstration that, in developing and implementing 
the program, the State or political subdivision 
will, to the extent feasible and appropriate— 
‘‘(i) consult with— 
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‘‘(I) public and private commu-
nity entities, including religious orga-
nizations, and including, as appro-
priate, Indian tribal organizations and 
urban Indian organizations; and 
‘‘(II) family members of children 
who may be potential clients of the 
program; 
‘‘(ii) coordinate the program and ac-
tivities under the program with other Fed-
eral, State, and local programs serving 
children and youth; and 
‘‘(iii) consult and coordinate with ap-
propriate Federal, State, and local correc-
tions, workforce development, and sub-
stance abuse and mental health agencies. 
‘‘(F) EQUAL ACCESS FOR LOCAL SERVICE 
PROVIDERS.—An assurance that public and pri-
vate entities and community organizations, in-
cluding religious organizations and Indian orga-
nizations, will be eligible to participate on an 
equal basis. 
‘‘(G) RECORDS, REPORTS, AND AUDITS.— 
An agreement that the State or political sub-
division will maintain such records, make such 
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reports, and cooperate with such reviews or au-
dits as the Secretary may find necessary for 
purposes of oversight of project activities and 
expenditures. 
‘‘(H) EVALUATION.—An agreement that 
the State or political subdivision 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. 
‘‘(4) FEDERAL SHARE.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A grant for a program 
under this subsection shall be available to pay 
a percentage share of the costs of the program 
of not more than 75 percent for each year for 
which the grant is awarded. 
‘‘(B) NON-FEDERAL
SHARE.—The non- 
Federal share of the cost of projects under this 
subsection may be in cash or in kind. In deter-
mining the amount of the non-Federal share, 
the Secretary may attribute fair market value 
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to goods, services, and facilities contributed 
from non-Federal sources. 
‘‘(5) 
CONSIDERATIONS
IN
AWARDING 
GRANTS.—In awarding grants under this subsection, 
the Secretary shall take into consideration— 
‘‘(A) the overall qualifications and capacity 
of the State or political subdivision program 
and its partners to effectively carry out a men-
toring program under this subsection; 
‘‘(B) the level and quality of training pro-
vided to mentors under the program; 
‘‘(C) evidence of coordination of the pro-
gram with the social services and education pro-
grams of the State or political subdivision; 
‘‘(D) the ability of the State or political 
subdivision to provide supervision and support 
for mentors under the program and the youth 
served by such mentors; 
‘‘(E) evidence of consultation with institu-
tions of higher learning; 
‘‘(F) the number of children in foster care 
served by the State or political subdivision; and 
‘‘(G) any other factors that the Secretary 
determines to be significant with respect to the 
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need for or the potential success of carrying out 
a mentoring program under this subsection. 
‘‘(6) USE OF FUNDS.—Of the amount awarded 
to a State or political subdivision under a grant 
under this subsection, the State or political subdivi-
sion shall— 
‘‘(A) use not less than 50 percent of the 
total grant amount for the training and ongoing 
educational support of mentors; and 
‘‘(B) use not more than 10 percent of the 
total grant amount for administrative purposes. 
‘‘(7) MAXIMUM GRANT AMOUNT.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—In awarding grants 
under this subsection, the Secretary shall con-
sider the number of children served by the ju-
risdiction and the grant amount relative to the 
need for services. 
‘‘(B) LIMIT.—The amount of a grant 
awarded to a State or political subdivision 
under 
this 
subsection 
shall 
not 
exceed 
$600,000. 
‘‘(8) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of the Foster Care Men-
toring Act of 2009, and annually thereafter, the Sec-
retary shall prepare and submit to Congress a report 
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that includes the following with respect to the year 
involved: 
‘‘(A) A description of the number of pro-
grams receiving grant awards under this sub-
section. 
‘‘(B) A description of the number of men-
tors who serve in the programs described in 
subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(C) A description of— 
‘‘(i) the number of mentored children 
in foster care who graduate from sec-
ondary school; 
‘‘(ii) the number of such children who 
enroll in institutions of higher learning; 
and 
‘‘(iii) the number of such children who 
are adopted by their mentors. 
‘‘(D) Any other information that the Sec-
retary determines to be relevant to the evalua-
tion of the program under this subsection. 
‘‘(9) EVALUATION.—Not later than 3 years 
after the date of enactment of the Foster Care Men-
toring Act of 2009, the Secretary shall conduct an 
evaluation of the effectiveness of programs funded 
under this section, including a comparison between 
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the rate of drug and alcohol abuse, teenage preg-
nancy, delinquency, homelessness, and other out-
come measures for mentored youth in foster care 
and non-mentored youth in foster care. 
‘‘(10) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this subsection— 
‘‘(A) $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2010 and 2011; and 
‘‘(B) such sums as may be necessary for 
each succeeding fiscal year. 
‘‘(d) NATIONAL
COORDINATION
OF
STATEWIDE 
MENTORING PARTNERSHIPS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may award 
a competitive grant to an eligible entity to establish 
a national hotline service or website to provide infor-
mation to individuals who are interested in becoming 
mentors to youth in foster care. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this subsection— 
‘‘(A) $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2010 and 2011; and 
‘‘(B) such sums as may be necessary for 
each succeeding fiscal year. 
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‘‘(e) LOAN FORGIVENESS.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) ELIGIBLE MENTOR.—The term ‘eligi-
ble mentor’ means an individual who has served 
as a mentor in a mentor program established 
under subsection (c) for at least 200 hours in 
a single calendar year. 
‘‘(B) FEDERAL
STUDENT
LOAN.—The 
term ‘Federal student loan’ means any loan 
made, insured, or guaranteed under part B, D, 
or E of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 
1965. 
‘‘(C) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ 
means the Secretary of Education. 
‘‘(2) RELIEF FROM INDEBTEDNESS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
carry out a program to provide for the dis-
charge or cancellation of the Federal student 
loan indebtedness of an eligible mentor. 
‘‘(B) METHOD
OF
DISCHARGE
OR
CAN-
CELLATION.—The amount of a Federal student 
loan that will be discharged or canceled under 
the program under subparagraph (A) shall be 
discharged or canceled as provided for using the 
method under section 437(a), 455(a)(1), or 
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464(c)(1)(F) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965, as applicable. 
‘‘(C) AMOUNT OF RELIEF.—The amount of 
relief to be provided under this subsection with 
respect to a Federal student loan shall— 
‘‘(i) be equal to $2,000 for each 200 
hours of service that the eligible mentor 
serves in a mentor program established 
under subsection (c) in a calendar year; 
and 
‘‘(ii) not exceed a total of $20,000 for 
an eligible mentor. 
‘‘(3) FACILITATION OF CLAIMS.—The Secretary 
shall— 
‘‘(A) establish procedures for the filing of 
applications for the discharge or cancellation of 
loans under this subsection by regulations that 
shall be prescribed and published within 90 
days after the date of enactment of this section 
and without regard to the requirements of sec-
tion 553 of title 5, United States Code; and 
‘‘(B) take such actions as may be nec-
essary to publicize the availability of the pro-
gram established under this subsection for eligi-
ble mentors. 
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‘‘(4) FUNDING.—Amounts available for the pur-
poses of making payments to lenders in accordance 
with section 437(a) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 for the discharge of indebtedness of deceased 
or disabled individuals shall be available for making 
payments to lenders of loans to eligible mentors, as 
provided for in this subsection.’’. 
Æ 
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