I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1401
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 
MARCH 20, 2003
Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined 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 2003’’. 
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 2001, over 163,000 children in the foster 
care system were under the age of 5 years. 
(4) In 2001, over 124,000 children were under 
the age of 10 when they were removed from their 
parents or caretakers. 
(5) The International Day of the Child, spon-
sored by Children United Nations, has served as a 
great tool to recruit mentors and partner them with 
needy foster care children. 
(6) On November 10, 2002, as many as 3,000 
children will be matched with mentors as a result of 
the International Day of the Child. 
(7) States should be encouraged to incorporate 
mentor programs into the delivery of their foster 
care services. The State of California serves as a
great example, matching close to half a million men-
tors with needy children. 
(8) 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. 
(9) Mentor programs are cost-effective ap-
proaches to decreasing the occurrence of so many so-
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 in which chil-
dren are appropriately matched with screened and 
trained adult volunteers for one-on-one relationships, 
that involves meetings and activities on a regular 
basis, and that is intended to meet, in part, the 
child’s need for involvement with a caring and sup-
portive adult who provides a positive role model. 
‘‘(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) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—To be eli-
gible for a grant under paragraph (1), the chief ex-
ecutive officer of the State shall submit to the Sec-
retary 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) 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 
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) Foster care system, principles, 
and practices. 
‘‘(iv) Recognizing and reporting child 
abuse and neglect. 
‘‘(v) Confidentiality requirements for 
working with children in care. 
‘‘(vi) Working in coordination with the 
public school system. 
‘‘(vii) Other matters related to work-
ing with children in care. 
‘‘(C) SCREENING.—An assurance that all 
mentors covered under the program are appro-
priately screened and have demonstrated a will-
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 in 
the program will—
‘‘(i) have a high school diploma or its 
equivalent; and 
‘‘(ii) have completed at least 1 year of 
study in a program leading to a graduate 
or post graduate degree. 
‘‘(E) COMMUNITY CONSULTATION; COORDI-
NATION
WITH
OTHER
PROGRAMS.—A dem-
onstration that, in developing and implementing 
the program, the State will, to the extent fea-
sible and appropriate—
‘‘(i) consult with public and private 
community entities, including religious or-
ganizations, and including, as appropriate, 
Indian tribal organizations and urban In-
dian organizations, and with family mem-
bers of potential clients; 
‘‘(ii) coordinate the programs and ac-
tivities under the program with other Fed-
eral, State, and local programs serving 
children and youth; and 
‘‘(iii) consult with appropriate Fed-
eral, State, and local corrections, workforce 
development, and substance 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 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. 
‘‘(H) EVALUATION.—An agreement that 
the State will cooperate fully with the Sec-
retary’s ongoing and final evaluation of the pro-
gram under the plan, by means including pro-
viding the Secretary access to the program and 
program-related records and documents, staff, 
and grantees receiving funding under the plan. 
‘‘(3) 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 
up to 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 
to goods, services, and facilities contributed 
from non–Federal sources. 
‘‘(4) 
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 program and its partners to effec-
tively carry out a mentoring 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 State’s social services and edu-
cation programs; 
‘‘(D) the ability of the State to provide su-
pervision and support for mentors under the 
program and the youth served by such mentors; 
‘‘(E) evidence of consultation with institu-
tions of higher learning; 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 subsection. 
‘‘(5) USE OF FUNDS.—Of the amount awarded 
to a State under a grant under this subsection the 
State 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. 
‘‘(6) MAXIMUM GRANT AMOUNT.—The amount 
of a grant awarded to a State under this subsection 
shall not exceed $600,000.
‘‘(7) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this section, and an-
nually thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare and 
submit to Congress a report that includes the fol-
lowing 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 the number of 
mentored foster children—
‘‘(i) who graduate from high school; 
‘‘(ii) who enroll in college; and 
‘‘(iii) who are adopted by their men-
tors. 
‘‘(D) A comparison between the rate of 
drug and alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancy, de-
linquency, homelessness, and other outcome 
measures for mentored foster youth and non-
mentored foster youth. 
‘‘(E) Any other information that the Sec-
retary determines to be relevant to the evalua-
tion of the program under this subsection.
‘‘(8) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this subsection, $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2004 and 2005, and 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 in-
formation to individuals who are interested in be-
coming mentors to youth in foster care. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this subsection, $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2004 and 2005, and such sums as may be necessary 
for each succeeding fiscal year. 
‘‘(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 statewide mentor program es-
tablished 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 eligible mentors. 
‘‘(B) METHOD
OF
DISCHARGE
OR
CAN-
CELLATION.—A loan that will be discharged or 
canceled under the program under subpara-
graph (A) shall be discharged or canceled as 
provided for using the method under section 
437(a), 455(a)(1), or 464(c)(1)(F) of the High-
er Education Act of 1965, as applicable. 
‘‘(C) AMOUNT OF RELIEF.—The amount of 
relief to be provided with respect to a loan 
under this subsection shall—
‘‘(i) be equal to $2,000 for each 200 
hours of service of an eligible mentor; and
‘‘(ii) not exceed a total of $12,000 for 
an eligible individual. 
‘‘(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. 
‘‘(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.’’.
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